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SATURDAY 20TH AUGUST 2005, QUEENSGATE
UNIBOND LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
MATCH REPORT BY JUSTIN CHOAT
If Town thought the path back to the Premier Division would be a smooth one,
then the result in the opening fixture of this season’s league campaign
will
surely dispose of any such notions. Town were far from their best, and
played their ‘get out of jail’ card to wrestle a point from a hard-working
opposition with a 95th minute injury time leveller from Carl Giblin after
trailing for most of the game.
A fierce wind greeted both sides, and blighted most of their efforts to
produce constructive football. Indeed, it was not until the 9th minute that
either team had a shot on goal. It was home keeper Gavin Kelly who had to
be smartly off his line to reach a through ball before Warrington striker
Mitchell.
Brid replied, as a foul by Farrell on Steve Swales saw the left-back swing
in a dangerous free kick which the Warrington defence scrambled away from
the predatory Paul Palmer, looking for his first league goal of the
campaign. Palmer turned provider in the next attack, as his pace took him
clear of Fitzsimmons down the right flank. His through ball found Chris
Hyams in space inside the box, who lifted his first-time effort over the
bar.
The Cheshire side took the lead against the run of play in the 32nd minute.
The home defence fatally stood off Mitchell as he cut in from the left
flank. The burly striker brushed off a late challenge to square for Bird to
slide the ball past Kelly from inside the six-yard box.
This simply wasn’t in the script, and appeared to shake Town into action.
Winger Paul Wilson, enjoying perhaps his best 90 minutes in a Town shirt for
some time, linked well with Steve Swales along the left in the 36th minute
to provide a close range chance for Palmer, whose first effort was blocked.
The ball was played back in by Hyams, and Mark Swales cracked a first time
effort inches wide.
The pace slowed again as the half drew to a close, but the vistors right
winger Chris Bermingham had a chance with a curling 20-yarder that Kelly
dealt with well.
HALF TIME
BRID 0 WARRINGTON 1
A surprisingly lethargic start to the second period saw Warrington almost
put the game out of reach. Bird was first to a ball into the Town box, and
his low shot cannoned off the left-hand post with Kelly beaten.
The home side were failing to trouble a solid looking Warrington defence,
and things could have got worse for Town in the 54th minute. A couple of
off-the ball niggles had gone unnoticed by the officials, and a challenge
by
Town skipper Lee Harper on Bermingham was not helped at all by the
Warrington man’s childish reaction. An unseemly set-to in the middle
of the
field in which a punch was clearly aimed at Harper ended with ‘Skip’
red-carded. It appeared for a moment that similar justice may not be dealt
out to the other miscreant, but referee Grunnill made the only sensible
decision and both sides were down to ten men.
Still Town were not firing on all cylinders, but the industrious Palmer
showed his colleagues the way in the 65th minute. Mark Swales had been
fouled 25 yards out in a central position, and Palmer’s free-kick crashed
off the bar with ‘keeper Lowe nowhere. The frontman has added considerable
dead-ball skills to his armoury in the last season, and now looks a genuine
threat in these situations.
Fellow striker Swales then saw his fierce shot well blocked by Lowe as Town
looked for the equaliser.
Manager Billy Heath then threw on striker Joe Lightowler for Chris Hyam in
the 71st minute to leave a 4-3-3- formation as Town went for goals. An
opening day defeat was looking ominously close for the Queensgate faithful.
Lightowler’s presence in the centre, with the pace of Mark Swales and
Palmer, almost brought instant reward. He rose inside the 18-yard box to
meet Swales’ cross, but his header flashed inches wide of the post with
Lowe
a grateful spectator.
Town were now at last dominating the game, as the referee announced a
precious five minutes of added time. Could the red shirts find a way
through? Wilson flicked a header towards the top corner which had the home
fans on their feet until Lowe flung himself across the goal to scramble the
ball away.
95 minutes was now showing Grunnill’s watch, but Town were not buried
yet.
The ball was cleared to touch on the left side level with the edge of the
18
yard area. Mark Swales had troubled the Warrington defence previously with
his long throws, and again he pinged the ball into box. Wilson rose inside
the six yard area and got the vital first touch to guide it away from Lowe.
Carl Giblin reacted first in the scramble for the loose ball to poke the
ball home for an absolutely vital goal. The celebrations among the Town
players spoke volumes, as they rushed to the touchline in front of the
stand to engulf Giblin in a riotous huddle.
Town go to old rivals Goole in the first away fixture of the season this
Tuesday (23rd) and will be looking to improve considerably on this showing
if they are to return with the points in what will surely be a hard-fought
encounter. It will need some key players, who were not at the races in this
match, to return to the form that they are capable of.
Next up at Queensgate is the FA Cup preliminary round clash with Northern
League side Whitley Bay on Saturday 27th, which brings two former FA Vase
winning sides together. Despite it’s standing in the pyramid, most
observers feel the Northern League is at least the equal of Unibond One, so
Town cannot afford to take this game lightly if they are to progress.
TEAMS:
BRIDLINGTON TOWN
KELLY, GIBLIN, S.SWALES, UNDERWOOD, HARPER, HEATH, HYAM, THACKER, PALMER,
M,SWALES, WILSON.
BAKER, LEWIS, LIGHTOWLER
WARRINGTON TOWN
LOWE, FARRELL, FITZSIMMONS, TRICKLE, RANDLES, FEATHERSTONE, SALT,
LATHAM,BIRD, MITCHELL, BERMINGHAM,
MOLYNEAUX, EVANS, MCNULTY
REFEREE W, GRUNNILL (HULL)
ATTENDANCE 157