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Home > 2008-09 Season > Match Reports > Sheffield (04.10.08)

MATCH REPORT

Sheffield 5 Bamber Bridge 3

Football Association Challenge Trophy, Preliminary Round

at The Bright Finance Stadium

Saturday 4th October 2008

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge kicked off at a very windswept Coach and Horses ground and were the first to show when Ryan-Zico Black threaded a neat through-ball into the path of Alex Porter who was immediately closed down by a couple of defenders before he had chance to get in a shot at goal.

The home side responded with a slick sweeping move down the inside-right position, and full-back Gavin Smith shot narrowly wide from distance.

Bamber Bridge almost got their noses in front after six minutes when a Stephen Brown cross was headed back across goal by Adam Tong and Sheffield goalkeeper Leigh Walker got down quickly to bravely block a Stuart Howson shot from six yards.

The visitors were knocked back on their heels however, when Sheffield snatched the lead two minutes later. Former experienced Football League player Scott Partridge, cut out an opening down the right, before expertly laying the ball off for the inrushing MATT OUTRAM to firmly shoot home beyond the despairing outstretched hands of Brig goalkeeper Andy Banks.

The goal lifted the Yorkshire side who began to play some cultured football with Matt Outram, Michael Goddard and Scott Partridge particularly impressive.

Brown worked tirelessly for Brig down the right but was constantly checked by some resilient defending. However, he was instrumental in the visitors grabbing an equaliser in the 25th minute. From his free-kick from deep on the right, Tong headed across the face of goal and full-back STUART HOWSON was on hand to tuck the ball home neatly on the half-volley from close in.

The goal galvanised the visitors who put together some flowing moves and seemed to have knocked the sparkle out of Sheffield for a while. However, Brig got caught out with a sucker-punch on 33 minutes. Danny Mahoney went close with a long range effort, as Brig drove forward in numbers, and Mike Mason brought a fine save out of Walker. However, Gavin Smith cleared the danger with a long punt out of defence, which caught the visiting rearguard flat-footed. The ball found Partridge who got away down the right flank. and his lay-off was put away clinically by STEVE WOOLLEY; the shot brushing a post on its way into the net.

Brig were stunned and nearly went further behind shortly afterwards when Tong hacked a Goddard effort off the goal-line following a fine cross by Partridge.

Despite the setback, the visitors came storming back and nearly equalised for a second time just prior to the break when Black put Mahoney away down the right and Mahoney’s cross was just missed at the back post by the inrushing Mason.

The game was put beyond the visitors reach within just six minutes of the restart with both goals coming from set-piece moves. Sheffield skipper Steve Hawes sent in a free-kick from a deep inside-right position on 47 minutes and MICHAEL GODDARD rose high to glance a header over the defence and beyond Banks. Four minutes later an unmarked GODDARD headed home at the near post, for his second of the game, following a Steve Woolley corner-kick.

To their credit, Brig kept plugging away and Walker was forced into making a couple of fine saves, first from Black following a neat Mason lay-off and then from a Howson header, following a Brown free-kick.

Sheffield went further ahead with a fifth strike on 74 minutes when substitute MATTHEW RONEY drew Banks from his line, before shooting home through the keepers legs, after a superb Matt Outram through-ball had completely unlocked the visitors defence.

Still Brig kept plugging away and reduced the deficit on 81 minutes when Tong sent a long ball down the right to Porter and the resultant cross was headed powerfully home by STUART HOWSON for his second of the game. The visitors then survived two near escapes, when both Woolley and Roney missed good opportunities before scoring a third in the dying seconds when RYAN-ZICO BLACK sneaked in at the back post to prod home a Mason corner from the right.

In time added-on Banks saved a Goddard effort with his feet as the striker bore down on goal.

Sheffield: Walker, Smith.G, Smith.P (Davy 45mins), Cochrane, Wright, Winter (Lipka 76mins), Outram, Hawes, Goddard, Partridge (Roney 45mins), Woolley. Unused subs: Gascoigne, Furness

Goals: Outram (8mins), Wolley (33mins) Goddard (47, 51mins), Roney (74mins)

Bamber Bridge: Banks, Fleming, Howson, Steel, Tong, Edmeads (O'Neil 60mins), Brown, Mahoney (Henders 60mins), Black, Porter, Mason. Unused sub: Nay, Peterson (GK)

Goals: Howson (26, 81mins), Black (90mins)

Attendance: 245