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Home > 2008-09 Season > Match Reports > Harrogate Railway Athletic (20.09.08)

MATCH REPORT

Harrogate Railway Athletic 1 Bamber Bridge 5

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at Station View

Saturday 20th September 2008

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge went to the top of the First Division North table after making short work of strugglers Harrogate Railway Athletic in this highly entertaining ‘Roses Clash’. After going in at the break two goals to the good, the visitors went on to totally dominate proceedings in the second-half and ran in three further goals for good measure. It was their fourth consecutive win in the league and impressively, three have been away from home.

Fifth placed Bamber Bridge arrived in the picturesque North Yorkshire town of Harrogate hoping to extend their winning sequence in the league to four games. The South Ribble side were also looking to repeat the success of their last visit to Station View, when, almost twelve months previously, a single Sean O’Neil strike was enough for Brig to take all three points. On the other hand, ‘The Rail’, were looking to get back on track following a slow start to the new campaign, which sees them struggling next to the bottom of the table; without a win in their opening seven games.

Brig boss Phil Entwistle kept faith with the line-up that had done so well at Rossendale United during the week. Sean O’Neil, Neil Zarac and Steve Flitcroft remained unavailable through injury. Newcomer, Jamie Henders, was named as one of the substitutes.

Harrogate Railway Athletic kicked off in the beautiful autumnal sunshine wearing their distinguished traditional apparel of red and green, and, following a quiet opening, created the first chance on goal when Ben Jones went close on 7 minutes, shooting just wide with a drive from the left.

The visitors responded and a few minutes later Stephen Brown put Alex Porter away, but ‘Rail’ goalkeeper Lee Williams was alert to the danger and saved Porter’s drive comfortably.

The home side looked lively and right wingman Brighton Mugadze volleyed narrowly wide following an enterprising run at the Brig defence.

However, the visitors opened the scoring after quarter-of-an-hour with a truly magnificent strike. Alex Porter found STUART HOWSON with a smartly taken free-kick and with the home defence back-peddling Howson sent in an bullet-shot from fully 30 yards out which flew beyond Williams and just inside his left-hand post.

The home side were stunned and almost went two down on 20 minutes when a Porter volley struck the crossbar after Howson had sent in a long distance through-ball which caught the home defence square at the back. Porter again went close firing inches wide from an astute Danny Mahoney pass a few moments later.

‘Rail’ rallied well enough and enjoyed a short period of dominance. The industrious Mugadze went close with a rasping drive following a neat lay-off by Ben Jones and then Jones should have done better on 25 minutes, shooting just wide when well placed. Jones missed the target for the second time in as many minutes, failing to capitalise on some fine work by Mugadze, as the home team searched for the equaliser.

Brig regained the initiative and Williams was called upon to make two fine saves on the half-hour mark. He brilliantly blocked a fine Ryan-Zico Black drive following a Porter lay-off, before tipping the follow-up around the post from a close range effort by Porter. Then he made a great save from a Brown blockbuster on 35 minutes following a Tom Ince cross from the left and shortly afterwards kept out a Tong shot following an Ince corner-kick.

At the other end, the ever dangerous Mugadze went close when volleying inches wide from a Ryan Haig cross and then turned provider with a lay-off for the inrushing Danny Forrest who forced Brig goalkeeper Andy Banks into saving with his feet.

Brig increased their lead on the stroke of half-time with a piece of good fortune. Tong headed a Brown corner from the right towards the goal, and BEN JONES, back helping out his defence, stuck out a foot and the ball looped over Williams and into his own net.

The second period opened in a more lively fashion with Brig again on the offensive. Fleming put Mahoney away down the left on 52 minutes, but Black was unable to get on the end of the resultant cross and the danger was cleared. Williams saved a fine drive by Porter at the near post following some intricate work by Black, before the visitors increased their lead with a third goal just before the hour. Some fine interplay between Porter and Ince down the left-flank, tore holes in the home defence and Ince cleverly laid the ball into the path of RYAN-ZICO BLACK, who fired home from close in.

The visitors were controlling the game with some excellent football with the Yorkshiremen left chasing shadows. However, Mugadze, who had been a constant thorn in Brig’s side all afternoon, again went close with a well struck free-kick in the 65th minute.

Alex Porter went close with a back-post header from a Black cross before the visitors once again increased their lead in the 71st minute. A Tong free-kick found Black inside the box and the former Lancaster City man dribbled his way through before laying the ball off for substitute MIKE MASON to fire home from close range with his first touch of the game.

Brig ran in a fifth three minutes later when Mark Edmeads sent in a cross from the left and substitute JAMIE HENDERS fired home at the back post with the home defence all over the place. The game had turned into a rout.

‘Rail’ substitute Guiseppe Downing came close at the back post from a Magadze cross as the homesters vainly tried to stem the tide, whilst at the other end, Williams brilliantly tipped away Henders full-blooded pile-driver on 78 minutes from a Porter cross.

The home side were presented with a consolation goal in the 84th minute when Fleming needlessly brought down Downing as he went for a Magadze cross, and WILL RYDER stepped up to send Banks the wrong way.

Bamber Bridge: Banks, McCann (Fleming 26mins), Howson, Steel, Tong, Edmeads, Brown (Mason 71mins), Mahoney (Henders 71mins), Black, Porter, Ince. Unused sub: Peterson GK

Goals: Howson (15mins), own goal (44mins), Black.R (58mins), Mason (72mins), Henders (74mins)

Team: Lee Williams, Ryan Haigh, Matt Morgan (Steve Ball 55mins), Joel Etienne, Rob Morgan, Lee Ryan, Brighton Mugadze, Nathan Cartman (Will Ryder 55mins), Danny Forrest, Ben Jones (Guiseppe Downing 75mins), Scott Ryan. Unsed sub: James Riley

Goals: Will Ryder - pen (84mins)

Attendance: 109