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Home > 2007-08 Season > Match Reports > Woodley Sports (01.04.08)

MATCH REPORT

Bamber Bridge 1 Woodley Sports 0

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at Irongate

Tuesday 1st April 2008

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge achieved back-to-back wins to claim the ‘league-double’ over their hosts Woodley Sports following a scintillating first-half display in which club skipper Alex Porter scored the only goal of the game. Whilst Brig failed to reach the same level of performance after the break, they never looked in any danger of losing their grip on the game.

After the last minute victory over Woodley Sports in the lashing wind and rain at the Lambeth Stadium on Saturday, Brig were hoping to win the return against their Cheshire visitors at the Irongate ground as they attempt to consolidate their position amongst the play-off places in the First Division North. Their visitors, who had not won a game in their previous eleven outings in the league, were desperate to pick up some points, as bottom side Radcliffe Borough had moved to within two points of them at the weekend after a 1-1 draw at Clitheroe. ’Boro’ have two games in hand on the ‘Steelmen‘. However, Woodley’s anxiety has been tempered by the fact that it is now unlikely that any club will have to face the misery of relegation from the from the First Division North at the end of the season, due to Newcastle Blue Star’s decision to return to the Northern League.

Brig manager Phil Entwistle made several changes to his starting line-up from the game at Lambeth Grove at the weekend. Glenn Steel moved over to fill the vacancy at right-back occasioned by the one-match ban imposed on Martin Crowder following his dismissal in the recent Lancashire derby against Rossendale United. Steve Williams returned after a long lay-off through injury; slotting into the middle of the defence to link up with centre-back Adam Tong. Danny Mahoney returned to midfield replacing Mark Edmeads who took his place on the bench. With Stephen Brown having picked up a knock in the game at Lambeth Grove at the weekend, Tom Ince was brought in on the right side of midfield. Sean O’Neil was preferred to Neil Spencer at centre-forward as was Ryan Zico Black, who made his full debut, replacing David Eaton in the front line.

Woodley kicked off at the pitifully empty Irongate but Brig made nearly all the early running and, in fact, almost went in front in the first minute when Black just failed to get proper contact on an astute Danny Mahoney cross from the right.

The home team applied tremendous pressure on the visitors defence with some well worked moves and it was no surprise when they got their noses in front after just 7 minutes play. Ryan Bowen broke up a promising Woodley move and sent ALEX PORTER on a run through the middle. The pacey wingman quickly moved forward menacingly before unleashing a powerful ‘daisy-cutter’ from 25 yards out which fairly zipped into the corner of the net beyond the reach of bemused Woodley goalkeeper Paul Horridge.

Danny Mahoney almost claimed a second for the home side a few minutes later; shooting narrowly over from distance following a fine solo run through the middle. He then set Black up at the back post with a fine angled cross, but Horridge bravely saved Black’s powerful drive from close range.

The visitors were struggling to stem the tide as Brig constantly threw themselves forward with some well constructed attacks in search of further plunder, but amazingly their goal stayed intact.

Horridge made a double save from the troublesome Black on 25 minutes following a pin-point cross from the right by Porter, before Porter himself came close with a header at the back post ten minutes later from an well delivered Ince centre.

There was not much seen from the visitors as an attacking force as Brig poured forward time and again. Woodley full-back Liam Hogan headed off the goal-line from a Williams header following a Porter corner-kick on the right on 36 minutes as Brig threatened to overwhelm their Cheshire visitors. Then Horridge tipped a speculative shot by Danny Mahoney over the crossbar from fully 50 yards out.

However, for all their dominance, Brig could not clinch that all important second goal before the break.

Unsurprisingly, the second period opened on a quieter note but with ‘The Steelmen’ showing a little more resolve and inventiveness. Graham Kay sent in a looping header from a Nick Boothby free-kick on 57 minutes but Bamber Bridge goalkeeper Terry McCormick grabbed the ball from under his crossbar. Then Pat Maguire went close with a well struck volley shortly afterwards following some enterprising play down the left flank by substitute Sam Walker.

The home side continued to look the more dangerous combination however, and a neat interchange between Neil Zarac and Tom Ince almost paid off when Danny Mahoney nearly took advantage but was quickly closed down by a couple of defenders and the chance was gone. Then a Porter free-kick was narrowly headed wide at the back post by Zarac on 65 minutes before Danny Mahoney came close with a drive from the edge of the penalty box from a Mark Edmeads lay-off.

Porter skimmed the crossbar with a looping drive ten minutes later after Adam Tong had launched a free-kick through the visitors defence from deep.

Zarac should have made the game safe for Brig on 82 minutes following a neat lay-off from Black but his tame shot was easily dealt with by Horridge. Substitute Mike Mason, on for Black in the last five minutes, came desperately close to getting his name on the score-sheet when shaving the outside of the goalpost from the edge of the box after some fine play down the right by Danny Mahoney. Then Porter was closed down by a defender in front of goal as he lined up for the final touch from a defence splitting Mason cross seconds before the end.

Bamber Bridge richly deserved their victory following another fine display of open attacking football, but the club will be dismayed at the shockingly low turn-out at the turnstiles for a game that was so important to their promotion aspirations.

Bamber Bridge: McCormick, Steel (Edmeads 25mins), Bowen, Williams, Tong, M Mahoney, Ince, D Mahoney, O’Neil (Zarac 56mins), Black (Mason 86mins), Porter.

Goals: Porter (25 mins)

Attendance: 151

HT: 1 - 0