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Bamber bridge 1 Bridlington Town 1
The seasiders maintained pole position in the league going into the festive
period courtesy of Martin Thacker, who delivered his very own Xmas Cracker
with a 20-yard injury time equaliser. In an echo of the previous week, Town
had already hit the bar minutes previously, but Billy Heath’s side refused
to throw in the towel on a day where both of their nearest rivals contrived
to lose apparently easy games.
On a biting winter’s day, both sides tried to warm the crowd with some
fine
attacking football. Town could have taken the lead as early as the 5th
minute, as Paul Wilson and Shaun Baker linked through the midfield to play
in Matt Fyvie, but the striker overhit the ball in attempting to round
‘keeper Mike Bingham and the chance was gone.
Town continued on the front foot, with Wilson on the left, and Steve
Underwood, on the opposite flank, enjoying plenty of possession, but the
final ball in was gobbled up by a robust central defensive partnership which
offered the division’s leading scorer, Paul Palmer, little change.
Bamber took the lead on the half-hour with a lightning break. Burly
frontman Ryan Salmon did the initial damage as he shrugged off Lee Harper
on
the angle of the 18-yard box to fire in a low shot that Town ‘keeper
Nick
Baxter could only parry into the path of Alex Porter. The Bamber winger
still had an awkward angle to overcome but produced a fine finish into the
far corner to put his side ahead.
The ever willing Palmer almost replied instantly for Town as Underwood and
Thacker combined superbly to set him free, but again he found the imposing
figure of Jamie Squires blocking his path to goal. Salmon was at the hub of
the home side’s attacking play, and on 38 minutes, a superb turn past
Steve
Heath just inside the Town half saw the striker race free on goal only to
crash his shot inches past Baxter’s post. He was at it again in the closing
minutes of the half, Baxter having to be alert again to hack clear a long
ball over the top with Salmon bearing down on goal.
Town manager Heath introduced new signing Ben Eastwood for his debut at
half-time, and the ex-Goole hitman immediately started to give the hitherto
impervious Bridge rearguard something to think about. He warmed Bingham’s
hands with a snap 20-yarder on 50 minutes, and at last Town began to look
like a side topping the table.
He combined well with Palmer on the hour, and receiving a fine return ball,
again tested Bingham from the edge of the box. Town were now asking all the
questions, and Baker had 2 chances to level the scores as the clock moved
past 80 minutes. Thacker had lifted in a perfect free-kick from outside the
18-yard area, and Bingham could only flap ineffectively straight to the feet
of the Town midfielder, who somehow hit the bar from the 6-yard line. The
relieved ‘keeper even had the fortune to see the ball rebound straight
back
into his arms before any Town player could act. Minutes later, with Town
again pressing forward, he took a short pass from Wilson on the edge of the
18-yard area and cracked a low shot inches wide with Bingham beaten.
With Town pouring forward in search of the elusive equaliser, the classic
counter-attack happened on 85 minutes. A clearance from deep inside the
Bamber half saw 3 on 2 as Town struggled to make ground. Baxter, who had
been a virtual spectator for the previous half-hour, kept his side in the
game with a superb double save from Salmon and Dan Mahoney when a goal and
certain defeat looked odds-on .
With the referee indicating 2 minutes of stoppage time, Town piled forward
for one last make-or-break effort to level the game. This time they hit the
jackpot. The dangerous Wilson again found space on the left, and pulled the
ball back to Thacker, lurking on the edge of the Bridge 18-yard box. Taking
a touch, he hit a textbook curler past Bingham into the far corner to spark
mayhem on the Town bench, who surely believed their chance had gone. The
manner in which a clearly gutted home bench took the blow was a lesson in
sportsmanship and also applauded by Town’s fans. Perhaps their counterparts
in the higher echelons of the game should take note.
With both Mossley and Fleetwood inexplicably throwing points away, Heath’s
troops certainly saw Xmas come early from the trip to Preston. With 2 home
games over the holiday, they now have every chance to make life harder for
their challengers and see in the new year in top spot. Heath now has the
luxury of leaving quality players on the bench, with new frontman Eastwood
looking a very capable addition to the attack. Bamber had previously taken
points off the 2 other sides in the top 3, and this was a fine result.
Teams:-
Brid Town
Baxter, Giblin, Ramsay, Baker, Harper, Heath, Underwood, Thacker, Fyvie,
Palmer, Wilson.
Subs. Tomlinson, Eastwood, Hyam
Bamber Bridge
Bingham, Kent, King, Bain, Squires, Fletcher, Sheppard, Mahoney, Salmon,
Spencer, Porter.
Subs. Ince, Newsham, Clitheroe.