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Home > Archive > 2006-07 Season > Match Reports > Wakefield (17.02.07)

2006-2007 Season

Match Reports

Wakefield 0 Bamber Bridge 1

Northern Premier League 1st Division

at Wakefield Sports Club

Saturday 17th February 2007

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge won on their first ever visit to College Grove in what proved to be a titanic struggle on a sticky gluepot of a pitch and despite being reduced to ten men for the last 15 minutes. The unhappy social and military issues which bedevilled England in the late middle-ages came to be referred to as the ‘Wars Of The Roses‘. The myth which has subsequently arisen, suggests that these ancient conflicts were fought between Lancashire and Yorkshire. This idea of-course, is furthermost from the truth, but this match lived up to the mistaken concept of the old legend. Indeed, it turned out to be quite a tasty and bruising affair, with little quarter given and included ten bookings and a sending-off.

Brig were keen to get a match under their belts having not been in action for the past two weeks since going down to a narrow 1-2 defeat at Brigg Town on the 3rd of February. Last Saturdays rescheduled home game against Goole had fallen foul of the weather. Third from bottom strugglers Wakefield, were hoping for some improvement after having won just once in their last six outings. On Tuesday night they had lost 0-2 at home against Premier Division side Guiseley in the Third Round of the West Riding County Cup.

Phil Entwistle added new loan signing Adam Tong to his squad with the Burscough player taking his place on the bench. In all, there was four changes from the starting line-up from the game at Brigg Town a fortnight before. Graham Bennett took over in goal from the suspended David Newnes, whilst Jon Smith and Tom Ince were replaced by Mike Fletcher and Steve Brown. Neil Spencer was selected to lead the front line following the return of loan player Paul Lloyd to Morecambe.

Brig made a lively start with Alex Porter and Steve Brown twice testing the home goal with half-chances in the opening five minutes. Also, a Danny Mahoney in-swinging corner-kick caused all sorts of problems for the Wakefield defence as Brig threatened to overwhelm the Yorkshire strugglers.

Spencer was unlucky on 12 minutes when just failing to get enough contact on a Porter cross at the back post as Brig continued to call all the shots.

The visitors were playing the more creative football and their hosts were finding difficulty in dealing with the pace of Brown on the right flank and Porter on the left. Brig made light of the heavy conditions under-foot and moved the ball around crisply much to their hosts discomfiture.

Wakefield’s first meaningful effort came in the 28th minute when Ben Hardy set up Marc Townsend but the striker fired high and wide when well placed. They came closer five minutes later when Deme Kyriacou headed a Brighton Mugadza corner just wide of an upright. Then within minutes, Townsend brought a fine save from Bennett with a rasping drive from the edge of the box.

Brig weathered this mini-storm and Wakefield goalkeeper Andy Woods made a superb save from a Mahoney free-kick from 20 yards out on 35 minutes to signal that the Lancastrians were back in the ascendancy.

Neil Spencer made a fine run down the right using his strength to ward off the attentions of a couple of defenders before finding Salmon on the edge of the box. The young strikers fine volley was blocked by a desperate lunge from Declan Normaschild. A series of Brig corners failed to produce a goal as half-time approached with Jamie Nay and Spencer going agonisingly close for the visitors.

This pattern continued after the break with Brig pushing forward with determination and their endeavours eventually paid off, with what proved to be the winning goal on 58 minutes.

A Steve Brown rocket from the right of goal was superbly pushed out by Woods, but the ball fell at the feet of Fletcher. Woods regained his composure to expertly block Fletchers first effort. The Brig midfielder refused to be denied and followed up to volley home the rebound for his first goal of the season.

The game now became a bruising contest with the referee constantly reaching for the yellow card as a succession of names began to fill his ‘naughty-boy book’.

In the 70th minute the Yorkshiremen were awarded a penalty when Steve Williams upended Hardy in the box as the striker homed in on goal. However, Townsend made a complete hash of the resultant spot-kick, firing tamely past Bennett’s right hand post.

The home side began to step things up as they went in search of an equaliser and their cause was given a boost in the 75th minute when Fletcher was sent off for a second book-able offence following a lunge on Niall O’Brien.

This was never a game for the faint hearted and a real blood and thunder encounter now ensued with chances going begging at both ends and with some really tasty tackles going in. Indeed, it made for a ‘reet gud doo’ for the meagre attendance of 84 hardy souls.

Ten-men Brig showed plenty of steely spirit and survived a late scramble which saw George Melling hack an effort off the goal-line in the dying moments of the game to deservedly take all three points.

Bamber Bridge: Bennett, Nay, Fleming, Melling, Williams, Fletcher, Brown (Smith 75mins), Mahoney, Spencer (Tong 62mins), Salmon, Porter. Unused sub: Myers

Goals: Fletcher (58 mins)

Attendance: 84