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Home > Archive > 2006-07 Season > Match Reports > Kidsgrove Athletic (13.09.06)

2006-2007 Season

Match Reports

Kidsgrove Athletic 1 Bamber Bridge 0

Northern Premier League 1st Division

at The Stan Brown Stadium

Wednesday 13th September 2006

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge went down to an agonisingly narrow defeat in an absorbing and evenly contested game at Hollinwood Close after showing a great deal of endeavour on the night. A draw would certainly have been a fairer result with little separating the teams.

The South Ribble side were eager to carry on from Saturday’s success against Woodley Sports and manager Andy Whittaker decided on an unchanged starting line-up, but Greg Brickell rejoined the squad taking his place on the bench after being unavailable for the previous Saturday‘s game. Having won four and drawn one of their last six visits to Hollinswood Close, Brig were also keen on extending their good record at the Pottery club‘s neat little ground.

The Staffordshire side, who were two points behind Brig in the table, had made a modest start to their campaign having won two and lost two of their opening five games in the league, their only draw coming with Saturday’s visit to Ossett Albion which ended 1-1. They were also looking for their first home win of the season.

The game started with a flurry and both sides came close to opening the scoring within the first ten minutes.

A defensive mistake by Grove full-back Neil Murphy let in Ryan Salmon after just two minutes but goalkeeper Matt Conkie moved quickly from his line in the nick of time to deny the inrushing Brig striker.

At the other end former Newcastle Town striker Michael Lennon saw his cross headed over the crossbar by Matt Rhead as the home side smartly countered.

Before you had time to blink, Danny Mahoney found Salmon with a defence splitting pass on the right hand edge of the Grove penalty-box but the young Brig front runner flashed his shot across the front of Conkie’s goal and just past the far upright.

Just when things looked like settling down, Lennon, who was to by a thorn in Brigs side all night, broke through the centre of the Lancastrians back line but saw his final touch smothered by the alert Newnes in the visitors goal.

Bamber Bridge were within inches of taking the lead on 22 minutes. Alex Porter threaded an inch-perfect ball through to Karl Noon who threw off the challenge of his marker Wayne Brotherton and after seeing his initial effort only partially saved by Conkie, was then denied a certain goal when Brotherton swiftly recovered to knock the ball away as Noon was about to tap home on the goal-line.

At this point the young Brig braves were playing with a swagger and began to dictate proceedings in the middle of the park. Indeed, they looked comfortable on the ball with Mahoney and Porter in particular showing great promise with some skilful play.

However, all their efforts were undermined on 33 minutes when a clumsy Ross Bain challenge on Lennon inside the right hand corner of the penalty box gave the home side the break that their play hitherto had not merited. Lennon dusted himself down and despite Newnes getting a hand to the spot-kick, the tall Grove striker wheeled away in triumph with the ball nestling in the bottom right hand corner of the net.

The goal lifted the homesters who now played with renewed confidence and almost increased their lead on 40 minutes when Rhead fired over following a pin-point cross from Brotherton.

Despite the set-back Brig continued to compete, playing some good football and could justifiably have felt themselves unlucky to have gone in at the interval a goal down.

The second period proved to be a far more open contest than the first with both sides creating plenty of opportunities.

Despite Kidsgrove making the early running straight after the interval, it was the visitors who made the first meaningful threat on goal after 66 minutes. A fine Reynolds ball down the left-flank found Noon in space and his low cross just evaded Salmon’s outstretched in front of goal. Then four minutes later Bain saw his header kicked off the line as Brig went in search of an elusive equaliser.

Full-back Robin Myers was outstanding once again in the Brig rearguard, successfully blotting out any threatening moves from developing down the right-flank. On the occasion that Kidsgrove did breach the defence after 70 minutes Newnes was on hand to pull off a brilliant diving save from Rhead after the Grove striker had latched onto a fine cross from the right by Richard Eyre.

Myers then sent Porter away and from his cross substitute Brickell saw his effort blocked by an alert defender.

This absorbing tussle really opened up in the final ten minutes and Newnes won a one-on-one battle with Lennon, whilst at the other end Salmon shot narrowly wide after another penetrating through ball by Mahoney.

Reynolds tenacity then set up Brickell as the minutes ticked away but the Brig front man was unable to react quickly enough and the chance was gone. Frustration was clearly in evidence amongst the white shirted Brig players as they trudged off at the final whistle beaten but not cowed. They had played well but crucially the points had eluded them.

Bamber Bridge: Newnes, Myers, Archer, Bain, K Brown, Mahoney, S Brown (Ince 59mins), Reynolds, Salmon, Noon (Brickell 68mins), Porter. Unused Sub: Fletcher

Goals: -

Attendance: 101