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Home > Archive > 2006-07 Season > Match Reports > Woodley Sports (09.09.06) |
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2006-2007 SeasonMatch ReportsBamber Bridge 4 Woodley Sports 3Northern Premier League 1st Divisionat IrongateSaturday 9th September 2006By Dave RowlandBamber Bridge won their second game of the season after a fine encounter with Woodley Sports in the Irongate sunshine. After leading 4-1 in the second half Brig were made to struggle for the points when lack of concentration let the visitors in with a chance following two late strikes.‘The Steelmen’ were on a high after walloping bottom club Wakefield 4-0 during the week, whilst Bamber Bridge were still recovering from their shock exit in the FA Cup the week previously. The mid-week draw at home to Alsager Town on Tuesday night had at least rekindled a little of their lost pride. Manager Andy Whittaker made three changes to his line-up from the Alsager game, replacing unavailable striker Greg Brickell with Karl Noon, reintroducing Ross Bain in central defence after Allan Fleming cried off with back problems and replacing Mike Fletcher in midfield with Danny Mahoney who had returned from holiday. The home side took the lead as early as the 3rd minute when Karl Noon took advantage of a sloppy header back to his goalkeeper by Woodley central defender Andrew Russell, Noon nipping in to lift his shot over the exposed Liam Higgingbottom. At the other end Brig goalkeeper David Newnes kept out efforts from Luke Horrocks and then Carlos Meakin as the visitors tried to get a quick equaliser. However, Bamber Bridge took control of the mid-field with Danny Mahoney desperately unlucky to see his volley from 25 yards out thundering back off the goalpost with Higgingbottom well beaten. Mahoney and Brig captain Neil Reynolds were calling all the shots in the middle of the park as Woodley struggled to contain their creativity. Not surprisingly the home team rattled in two more goals in a six minute spell that saw them well on top. First Ryan Salmon raced onto a defence splitting pass by Steven Brown to crack home firmly from the edge of the box on 23 minutes. Then following a quickly taken free-kick by Mahoney, Alex Porter blasted home the best goal of the game from 25 yards out on the left, the ball cannoning into the net off the far post past the stranded Higginbottom on 29 minutes. Between the goals Steve Brown had come close after a cross by Porter had found him in space. Porter was the visitors tormenter-in-chief all afternoon. The home side were well in control of events at this stage but their best laid plans came undone just seven minutes later. On 36 minutes the visitors pulled one back out of the blue when Daniel Douglas-Pringle got the better of Newnes in a goalmouth scramble, the ball running loose to Meakin who powered home from close in. There was more than a suspicion of handball by Douglas-Pringle but the justifiable appeals by the home players fell on deaf ears and referee Mr Buxton allowed the goal to stand. Bamber Bridge were adversely affected by the decision and Woodley took advantage with some menacing forays as the half time whistle approached. Douglas-Pringle shot narrowly over the Brig crossbar after working himself into a good position. Inevitably, the visitors came out of the blocks in a determined fashion after the interval with Bamber Bridge allowing them to settle on the ball, unlike in the first half when Brig had closed them down quickly and snapped at their heels. Prominent was the hard running Douglas-Pringle who remained a thorn in the side for home defence as the game wore on. The Brig defence stood up to this initial barrage with Kevin Brown and Robin Myers marshalling the rearguard well. On 60 minutes Noon saw his close range shot pushed round the post by Higgingbottom following good work by Mahoney as Brig began to reassert their authority on proceedings. Steve Brown Mahoney and Porter worked tirelessly and their creativity troubled the visitors back line time and again. A Porter and Salmon move down the left opened up the Woodley defence on 67 minutes but Noon wasted the opportunity firing over a chance that he should really have put away. As the game began to hot up Douglas-Pringle headed over an Adam Morning free-kick when left unmarked in front of goal. Bamber Bridge went 4-1 up in the 75th minute when Porter smashed a direct free-kick into the top right-hand corner of the net giving Higgingbottom no chance. This was as a result of a needlessly clumsy challenge on Noon by Russell on the right hand edge of the Woodley penalty box. Bamber Bridge were in a seemingly unassailable position but two minutes of self inflicted negligence almost undid all their hard work. To their credit Woodley continued to plug away and their endeavours brought them two gift wrapped goals. Porter turned villan and brought substitute Mario Sergio-Daniel down inside the box on 82 minutes when there was no real threat. Adam Morning dispatched the resultant spot-kick with confidence placing his shot to the right of Newnes. Morning then ran through a static home defence two minutes later with bewildering ease and fired home his second of the game almost unchallenged. Bamber Bridge were left hanging on to a slender lead in the few minutes that remained but fortunately it was too late for the visitors. Bamber Bridge: Newnes, Myers, Archer, Bain, K Brown, Mahoney (Fletcher 75mins), S Brown, Reynolds (Woodruff 80mins), Salmon, Noon (Ince 79mins), Porter Goals: Noon (3 mins), Salmon (23 mins), Porter (29, 75 mins) Attendance: 109
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