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Unibond League Division One
Rossendale Utd 5 Bridlington Town 0
Town travelled to the aptly-named Dark Lane to meet a new-look Rossendale
side who cast their own massive shadow over Town’s play-off hopes. The
home
team fielded no less than 6 recent signings, and produced a display of pace
and skill that compared with anything Billy Heath’s side have faced this
season. On this showing, they will surely be major contenders in this
division next season. A self-important display of officiating by the
referee detracted somewhat from the quality of the game, and he infuriated
the Town bench, who saw midfielder Steve Underwood sent off in the second
half despite appearing to be the victim of an off the ball incident.
The home side sprang out of the traps to blitz Town in the early stages,
and
went ahead after only 4 minutes. Right winger Matt Edgington brushed past
a
weak challenge to reach the byeline and square for Chris Brooks to tap home
at the far post. In an echo of the previous week, Town could have had an
instant equaliser, as from the restart, the ball was played through midfield
to reach Martin Thacker. His first-time cross found the head of Ben
Eastwood, and home ‘keeper Mark Andrews had to be on his toes to tip
the
Town striker’s effort over.
The game showed no hint of what was to come, as Town were enjoying plenty
of
possession. A fine left-sided move saw Carl Giblin and Steve Underwood link
well to find Thacker in space, and from his pass, top scorer Paul Palmer
drove in a shot that flashed wide of Andrews’ upright. Town ‘keeper
Nick
Baxter then saved acrobatically from another Brooks header as Rossendale hit
back.
Ominously, the home side appeared to find their rhythm as 20 minutes passed,
and both Edgington and his counterpart on the left, Steve Mainwaring, began
to find gaps in behind the Town defence. It was the latter who set up his
side’s second on the half-hour, as he took a diagonal ball to burst clear
into the box, and from his cross, striker Bernard Morley nodded home
unopposed from the 6-yard line. Town had their hopes of a similar result to
last week dashed within the space of 5 minutes as half-time loomed. Palmer
was inches away from finishing a cracking move but saw his header drift
agonisingly wide of Andrews’ post, and Rossendale rubbed salt in the
wound
by breaking with lightning pace to the other end. Mainwaring this time
applied the finishing touch from close range to effectively kill the game
off.
A controversial opening to the second half sparked uproar on the Town bench,
as a tackle by Underwood on Edgington on 55 minutes saw the Rossendale man
tumble over, then get up to aim a haymaker at the Town midfielder, who
raised his hands in self defence. Astonishingly, after speaking with both
players, the referee produced a straight red for Underwood to reduce Town
to
ten men and leave Heath seething.
Town still had a chance to reduce arrears on the hour, as a low Paul Wilson
cross sparked a scramble in the Rossendale box, but no Town boot could apply
the finishing touch. Typically, shortly afterwards, on 62 minutes, with the
home side now able to find gaps, Town conceded a fourth, as Neil Zarac was
felled in the penalty area, and Brooks confidently despatched the resulting
spot-kick high and wide past Baxter.
Heath introduced veteran midfielder Wayne Lewis and also striker Andy Neill
from the bench in a bid to halt the flow, but with Edgington and Mainwaring
still in rampaging form on the flanks, it was always going to be the home
side who scored the next goal. This time, on 75 minutes, it was Zarac
again, who this time muscled in against the tiring Town defence to win a
header, and took the ball clear to shoot low into the corner for his sides
fifth.
Town now have a break from league action, and travel to Humber Premier
outfit Hutton Cranswick this Saturday in defence of the East Riding Senior
Cup crown, where they will looking for their Unibond League class to tell.
Powerhouse midfielder Wayne Wallace was unavailable for the Rossendale game,
and his presence was sorely missed. He will back in the fold this week, and
Heath will be demanding a more accomplished performance from his side in the
Cranswick game against a side that will have nothing to lose.
Teams:-
Rossendale:
Andrews, Raywood, Ingham, Koslowski, Robertson, Clarke, Edgington, Brooks,
Zarac, Morley, Mainwaring.
Subs: Rispin, McKay, Barker.
Bridlington
Baxter, Hyam, Giblin, Baker, Harper, Heath, Underwood, Thacker, Eastwood,
Palmer, Wilson.
Subs: Lewis, Neill, Ramsay.