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Home > 2007-08 Season > Match Reports > Woodley Sports (19.01.08)

MATCH REPORT

Woodley Sports 2 Bamber Bridge 2

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at Lambeth Stadium

Saturday 19th January 2008

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge will have returned from Cheshire a little disappointed at not having gained all three points at a wet and windy Lambeth Stadium. Following an excellent first-half performance, in which they had dominated proceedings, the South Ribble side had gone in at the break with a commanding two goal lead. However, an inspired triple substitution by Woodley Sports manager Chris Wilcock within five minutes of the restart, galvanised the home team, who restored parity with two quick strikes. Both sides entertained the crowd with speedy attacking football all afternoon in a match that was a credit to the First Division North.

Brig entered Lambeth Stadium hoping to extend their unbeaten run to three games, as they fight to stay in touch with the leading pack in the First Division North. The Irongate side were also looking for their first victory on Woodley’s artificial pitch after having lost there on their two previous visits. Their Cheshire hosts were keen to maintain their recent spell of good form following two excellent wins away from home recently against Garforth Town and Radcliffe Borough.

Brig assistant boss Neil Crowe made three changes to the side that had overcome the challenge of a spirited Garforth Town at Irongate the previous week. The versatile Glenn Steel was once again relocated to full-back; with Paul McMenemy unavailable through suspension. Adam Tong filled the gap; returning to the centre of defence, following a one match ban. Dave Eaton was preferred to Sean O’Neil, partnering Ryan Salmon in the front line, whilst Tom Ince took over from suspended skipper Alex Porter on the left wing. O’Neil was named as one of the substitutes.

Bamber Bridge opened brightly and soon had ‘The Steelmen’ on the back foot with some fine incisive football. The surface favoured both Brig wingmen Stephen Brown and Tom Ince, who began to lead the home rearguard a merry old dance with their speed and trickery.

It was little surprise therefore, when the Lancastrians got their noses in front after only six minutes play. Glenn Steel sent Ryan Salmon away down the right flank and his cross was powerfully headed goalwards by MARK EDMEADS. The effort was blocked by Woodley goalkeeper Liam Higginbotham, who instinctively stuck out a foot, but the young midfielder kept his cool and riffled home the rebound to put his side in the driving seat.

Steel had the home defence in a tangle with a cross which fizzed across the face of goal a few minutes later, but somehow the ball was cleared. Bamber Bridge began to menace their hosts with some delightful play, as they went in search of further plunder. Steel was then dreadfully unfortunate not to have increased the visitors lead on 15 minutes, when his snap-shot was hooked off the goal-line by a defender following a well executed Ince corner-kick from the right.

Brig looked more comfortable on the ball and put together some fine intricate manoeuvres to disturb the home team. Ince was prominent on the left and set Salmon in motion on 25 minutes with a superb defence-splitting through-ball, but Brig’s leading marksman was quickly closed down and the chance was lost.

Little was seen of the home team as an attacking force at this stage and Bamber Bridge increased their lead on the half-hour mark. Danny Mahoney found Ince in space on the left and the former Burnley winger sent in an inch-perfect cross from the bye-line. SALMON finished in style, driving home his 21st goal of the season past a bemused Higginbotham, despite the attention of two defenders.

‘The Steelmen’ were stung into action and Andy Russell saw his cross-shot tipped over the crossbar by Brig goalkeeper Terry McCormick following some good work down the right by Kyle Buckley.

An Ince drive was deflected wide by a defender on 38 minutes, but the home side were making more inroads as the first-half wore on. However, the South Ribble lads should have added a third goal just before the interval when Brown fired high and wide after being put through on goal by Salmon.

‘The Steelmen’ came out in a more determined mood after the break and a triple substitution in the 54th minute by manager Chris Wilcock, was undoubtedly, the defining moment of the match.

It was now the visitors turn to be pushed back on the defensive, with the introduction of the three eager new comers. The hitherto untroubled Brig rearguard, were forced to man the barricades as the new-look Woodley front line set siege to their goal.

Substitute, Sam Walker, saw a rasping cross-shot pushed to safety by McCormick in the 58th minute as the serried ranks of Woodley marauders went about their business.

Adam Tong nearly got a third for Brig however after 62 minutes, when his speculative free-kick from fully 60 yards out forced Higginbotham to tip the awkwardly bouncing ball over the cross-bar. Then a great chance to seal victory for the visitors was spurned following a fine cross on the break by Brown which was headed wide by Salmon.

Woodley took full advantage of this narrow escape and drew level with two goals inside three minutes. Walker worked his way down the left flank on 64 minutes and sent over a cross, that NEIL WRIGHT did well to meet, heading spectacularly beyond the reach of McCormick. Before the visitors had time to recover, substitute DANNY STUBBERFIELD hooked his shot home via the far upright on 67 minutes to put the home side on level terms.

The game swung one way and then the other, as both sides went in search of the winner. Salmon had a worthy effort deflected wide at one end whilst McCormick did well to save from Stubberfield at the other. A Danny Mahoney drive, following a Salmon lay-off, was tipped onto the crossbar by Higginbotham, whilst Stubberfield brought the best out of McCormick at the other end, with a rasping drive.

Danny Mahoney came close following a goalmouth scramble as Brig stepped up a gear in the closing minutes and Sean O’Neil had an effort blocked by Higginbotham after a Matt Mahoney overlap on the left. All frenetic stuff indeed, but somehow the game ended in a draw.

Bamber Bridge: McCormick, Steel, M Mahoney, Melling, Tong, Edmeads, Brown, D Mahoney, Salmon, Eaton (O’Neil 69mins), Ince. Unused subs: Spencer, Dashti

Goals: Edmeads, Salmon

Attendance: 170