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Saturday 29th October 2005
Queensgate, Bridlington
Bridlington Town 2 Bamber Bridge 0
An accomplished response to the midweek defeat at Spalding saw Town
consolidate pole position in the league. A barnstorming home debut from
ex-Hull City striker Ali Benson proved the key, as he formed an instant and
lethal partnership with the division’s leading scorer Paul Palmer, both
players deservedly getting their names on the scoresheet.
Both sides went close in a balanced first half that Town perhaps shaded on
chances. Bamber had the first chance on 9 minutes, as Town were caught
napping at the back and Steve Brown found space to fire in a cross-shot that
fizzed narrowly wide of the post. Minutes later Jon Turner got clear of Town
centre-back Steve Heath to fire in another long range effort that also flew
wide.
Town got into gear on the quarter-hour. The influential Martin Thacker took
control of of a Martin Ramsay throw-in and curled an instant 25-yarder that
Bamber ‘keeper Mike Bingham did well to push around the post for a corner.
Thacker trotted across to deliver another superbly flighted flag kick, which
Andy Reid could only clear as far as Lee Harper. The Town centre-half
caught the ball perfectly from 25 yards out, and Town fans were simply
waiting for the net to bulge, only for Dan Mahoney to somehow block the shot
on the line with Bingham nowhere.
Benson had his first opportunity on 24 minutes, as he controlled a ball from
Shaun Baker with his back to goal just inside the 18-yard area. Instantly
he turned his marker and cracked a first time shot goalwards, but the ball
was not cleanly struck enough to trouble Bingham.
In the closing minutes of the half, a tangle of bodies in the midfield led
to referee Rowntree declaring a dropped ball. Thacker won the bounce-up
against his counterpart Brown and the ball ran loose to Baker, who struck
it
first time only to watch his shot fly inches over the bar.
Half Time Bridlington Town 0 Bamber Bridge 0
Town began the second period with more urgency, and it was no surprise when
they took the lead in the 53rd minute. Steve Underwood played a long
diagonal ball towards the figure of Palmer on the edge of the Bamber penalty
area, which the frontman controlled well. Benson then displayed fine sense
and vision in making a dummy run across the box to draw the covering
defenders, allowing Palmer to crash a vicious low shot into the right hand
corner.
Town were forced into a change shortly after, with Harper’s shot in
the
first half having aggravated a bruised foot, and he made way for Wayne
Lewis. The veteran defender continues to defy the years, and again produced
an intelligent display, always using the ball economically, and late on also
twice found time to get forward and join the attack.
The second goal came on 65 minutes, and again was a perfect illustration
of
two strikers working together. This time Palmer won the ball on the edge of
the 18-yard box, and laid an exquisite backheel straight into the path of
Benson, who held off a challenge to fire low into the right hand corner .
Bamber enjoyed a brief spell of pressure after the goal as Town relaxed,
and
‘keeper Nick Baxter was called on twice in quick succession to push a
shot
from Mitch Newsham around the post, then claiming the resulting corner well
under pressure from the same player.
Benson set Palmer free on 78 minutes with another visionary through pass,
but the Town frontman was denied this time by Bingham, as the ball refused
to sit down. Town kept up the tempo, and Benson got on the end of a fine
move from the left wing involving Thacker and Paul Wilson to turn and fire
a
shot from the edge of the 18-yard box inches over the bar.
A bizarre incident left the home fans baffled in the dying minutes. Benson
and Palmer again left the visitors’ defence in tatters with another incisive
break, and Palmer cut into the box to crash in a rising shot that Bingham
brilliantly parried onto the bar and over for what seemed would be a Town
corner. The ‘keeper was busy accepting plaudits from his team mates and
even the home crowd for his efforts, only for the referee to somehow award
a
goal-kick.
Town continue to top the table, with Billy Heath’s young side bubbling
with
confidence for the midweek League Cup game this Tuesday against Ossett
Albion, and the trip to Manchester on Saturday to face Woodley Sports.
Benson quite rightly earned much praise for what may fans considered the
best home debut by a Town player in recent memory, but alongside him, Paul
Palmer now deservedly tops the goalscoring charts, the defence and midfield
look a polished unit, and Heath’s side are without doubt in their current
position on merit.
Bridlington Town - Baxter, Giblin, Ramsay, Baker, Harper, Heath, Underwood,
Thacker, Benson, Palmer, Wilson
Subs- Tomlinson, Lewis, Sherwood
Bamber Bridge - Bingham, Mahoney, King, Bain, Reid, Fletcher, Brown, Turner,
Newsham, Porter, J Sheppard
Subs- Ince, Spencer, S Sheppard