Home

Club

Events

Contact

History

News

2007-08 Season

Fixtures

Results

League Table & Stats

Players & Staff

Player Statistics

Match Reports

Reserves

Sponsorship

Matchday

Club Shop

Commerical

Links

Archive

Home > 2007-08 Season > Match Reports > Ossett Albion (24.04.08)

MATCH REPORT

Ossett Albion 0 Bamber Bridge 5

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at Queens Terrace

Thursday 24th April 2008

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge went nap in the second-half against their shell-shocked Yorkshire hosts to win this vital promotion battle at Dimple Wells in some style. After dominating the first period, Brig went in at the break with nothing to show for all their hard work. However, the South Ribble side stepped up another gear in the second period and gave an awesome display which produced five goals to send luckless Albion reeling. It was a vintage performance.

Brig arrived at Queens Terrace for this crucial game needing a win in order to leapfrog their hosts into the fifth position play-off place in the First Division North. Their promotion push has faltered of late following two defeats within a week. They were also determined to avenge the defeat against the West Yorkshire side at Irongate last Saturday. Brig were looking for their first ever win against their hosts. Albion were hoping to get back on track following the 0-2 reverse suffered against Bradford Park Avenue on Monday night when their impressive run of eleven games without defeat came to an end after a somewhat tasty encounter at the Horsfall Stadium. Brig’s match at Queens Terrace took on the appearance of a cup tie with so much hanging on the final outcome.

Bamber Bridge boss Phil Entwistle made two changes to the starting line-up from the game at Wakefield on Tuesday night. Martin Crowder returned at full-back replacing Tom Ince who picked up a knock at Wakefield and leading marksman Ryan Salmon came in to lead the front line with Ryan-Zico Black named as one of the substitutes.

Albion kicked off on a beautiful sunlit evening, but it was the visitors who took the initiative with some powerful sorties that would set the pattern for the rest of the game.

A swirling cross from Alex Porter on the left just evaded the far post on 6 minutes as Brig began to menace the Albion back line with some incisive attacking play and eight minutes later Steve Williams came close with a header following a well struck Danny Mahoney free-kick.

The visitors almost got their noses in front on 20 minutes when Albion goalkeeper Neil Bennett did well to get his fingertips to a Porter free-kick after Ryan Salmon had been brought down on the edge of the box. Then Stephen Brown nearly scored direct from a corner-kick when his in-swinger was headed off the goal-line by full-back Kyle Cook.

As at Wakefield two days earlier, Brig were encamped in the opponents half for long periods and little was seen of the home team as an attacking force. The Lancastrians should really have gone in front on 35 minutes when Brown headed over from a good position following a Porter cross.

Albion struck back with their first meaningful raid just before the half-time whistle when Andrew Catton put Shane Kelsey in the clear with a fine cross from the right wing, only for the striker to side-foot onto the goalpost when it looked easier to have scored. Brig escaped another scare on 45 minutes when goalkeeper Terry McCormick brilliantly pushed aside a bullet header from Darrell Jenkinson following an inch perfect centre by David Syers.

Bamber Bridge got the crucial first goal five minutes after the interval when Porter found STEPHEN BROWN on the right of goal with a neat free-kick. The young Liverpudlian thundered a full-blooded drive in off the underside of the crossbar with Bennett left groping thin air.

The goal gave Brig a tremendous boost and they went two up on 56 minutes when RYAN SALMON curled a shot past Bennett from the edge of the box from a defence splitting cross from the right by Brown.

With the two goal cushion, the visitors grew in confidence and began to rip their hosts apart with some finely crafted moves. Full-back Glenn Steel began to power down the right flank causing Albion’s defence all sorts of problems and Ryan Bowen controlled midfield with guile and kept the front runners busy; supplying them with opportunities to run at Albion’s overworked defence.

Neil Zarac had the ball in the net on the hour mark but his effort was ruled off-side. Three minutes later Bowen set Porter away down the left and the flying wingman found Salmon in space, but Bennett blocked Salmon’s drive with a superb save.

Albion responded and Stephen West came close with a couple of headers; first from a Joe Thornton free-kick and then from a corner from the same player. However, the home side were playing second fiddle to a rampant Brig.

Indeed, the visitors increased their lead on 77 minutes when Steel broke up an Albion sortie in midfield before advancing with a towering run down the right. His angled cross found SALMON on the corner of the 18-yard line and Brig’s leading marksman showed great composure and skill when lashing his shot beyond Bennett into the far corner of the net for his 28th goal of the season.

McCormick pulled off a brilliant save at full stretch to keep out a pile-driver from Joe Thornton as Albion vainly tried to get back into the game, but Bamber Bridge were now ripping their stricken opponents apart.

The South Ribble side were simply unstoppable and added two further goals in the last four minutes. Bowen found ALEX PORTER in space down the left with a neatly weighted volley on 86 minutes and the Brig skipper shot home across the stranded Bennett with a powerful low drive into the far corner. Two minutes later Brig got a fifth goal when Black found BROWN on the right corner of the Albion penalty box. Brown wriggled his way passed two defenders before unleashing an unstoppable shot with great aplomb beyond Bennett to the joy of the travelling support behind the goal.

The stage is now set for a grand finale at Clitheroe on Saturday when Brig will need a single point to secure a place in the end of season play-offs.

Bamber Bridge: McCormick, Steel, Crowder, Williams, Tong, Bowen, Brown (Fleming 89mins), D Mahoney, Zarac (O’Neil), Salmon (Black 85mins), Porter

Goals: Brown (50,88mins), Salmon (56,90mins), Porter (87mins)

Attendance: 162

HT: 0 - 0