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Home > 2008-09 Season > Match Reports > Garforth Town (01.11.08)

MATCH REPORT

Garforth Town 3 Bamber Bridge 4

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at The Genix Healthcare Stadium

Saturday 1st November 2008

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge took the spoils in this thrilling cliff-hanger in West Yorkshire, when a brace from both strikers Alex Porter and Neil Zarac, proved to be just enough, despite being reduced to ten men late on. Bamber Bridge were cruising at 3-0 until just before the hour mark when their hosts made a spirited fight back to claw their way back with two goals. Brig found themselves hanging on for a while before scoring a fourth. However, after having had a man sent-off late in the game, and then conceding a third goal, Brig were forced to withstand a desperate late barrage by their hosts.

Second placed Brig arrived at Cedar Ridge looking to extend their winning run to three games following recent home wins over Wakefield in the First Division North and Chorley in the League Challenge Cup. The South Ribble side were also keen to maintain some pressure on their rivals in the leading pack at the top of the division. West Yorkshire side Garforth Town meanwhile, were also hoping to achieve their third consecutive win following success at home against Lancaster City last weekend and a fine win at Harrogate Railway Athletic in the West Riding County Cup during the week. ‘The Miners’ were also keen to pull away from their position just above the relegation zone in the First Division North.

Brig deputy boss Neil Crowe made four changes to the side that had done the business against Chorley on Tuesday evening. Midfielder Tom Ince was moved to fill-in at full-back in place of the injured John Kennedy who took a knock in the Chorley game and Dave McCann retuned to the defence in preference to new boy Krystian Liptrot. Danny Mahoney returned to midfield replacing Ryan-Zico Black who was named as one of the substitutes. Neil Zarac came in to lead the line, replacing the injured Sean O’Neil. Leading goalscorer Alex Porter was preferred to new signing Anthony Murt, who took his place on the bench. Mike Mason came in to fill the vacancy in midfield created by Tom Ince’s move to full-back. Still missing were influential pair Stuart Howson who was suspended, and Steve Flitcroft who is injured.

Garforth Town kicked off at their well appointed Cedar Ridge ground on a sunny but rather cool afternoon, and took the initiative, but it was the visiting Lancastrians that drew first blood. Brig full-back Colin McAllister took a throw-in on a line with the Garforth penalty box and Neil Zarac back-headed the ball over the home defence. ALEX PORTER sneaked in unmarked at the back post to nod home.

‘The Miners’ were stung into action and responded quickly; going close twice within as many minutes; both from ‘dead ball‘ situations. A well directed free-kick by full-back Duncan Williams was only partially cleared by the Brig defence and Jason St Juste took advantage to send in a finely struck low drive, which brought out the best in visiting goalkeeper Andy Banks. Under pressure, Brig conceded another free-kick, which was again expertly delivered by Williams, but Wayne Harratt headed just over at the back post.

Bamber Bridge pushed forward in strength and forced a flurry of corner-kicks, but failed to make any of them count. The homesters came close to an equaliser on 20 minutes when Williams turned and shot from just inside the box, but Banks was alive to the danger and made a good save. Further home pressure created another opening and a Greg Kelly shot from the edge of the box was tipped over in spectacular fashion by Banks. The threat posed by ‘The Miners’ strike-force was continually kept in check by the resolve of Dave McCann, Adam Tong and Colin McAllister who were rock-like in the Brig rearguard.

Bamber Bridge increased their lead on 39 minutes with a lightening strike that caught the Yorkshire side completely off their guard. ALEX PORTER latched onto a defence splitting through-ball by Neil Zarac and outpaced the floundering ‘Miners’ back-line to run clear before drawing home goalkeeper Gavin Phyllis from his line and confidently dispatching the ball home for his second goal of the game and his11th strike of the season. Mike Mason almost made it 3-0 just before the break when his header, from a Porter free-kick, was deflected narrowly over the Garforth crossbar by a defender.

Brig opened the second-half brimming with confidence and forced the pace. Porter put Mason through on goal on 50 minutes but Phyliss closed him down bravely and saved the shot at point blank range. However, within a minute Brig were three goals to the good. A Porter free-kick was deflected into the path of NEIL ZARAC and the big striker kept his cool to neatly fire home past the stranded Phyllis.

Any thoughts that the West Yorkshire side would just simply roll over and die were dispelled in the 56th minute when they pulled a goal back with a well constructed move. Loan signing Oliver Hotchkiss from Leeds United, threaded a neat ball through to the lively JASON ST JUSTE who delicately sidestepped a couple of defenders before shooting home past Banks.

The goal galvanised the home side who visibly grew in confidence and began to put increased pressure on the Brig defence. A lofted through-ball by full-back Mike Piper unhinged the visitors, hitherto resilient back-line, on 65 minutes, and GREG KELLY stole in to send a header against the crossbar before nodding in the rebound.

From cruising, Brig were now desperately defending to keep the home side at bay. ’The Miners’ surged forward and Banks was forced to make a double save from Andrew Hayward before the same player shot over at the back post following a Kelly free-kick. Despite this, Brig always looked dangerous when going forward and forced a series of corner-kicks. It was from one of these that they registered a fourth and decisive goal. In the 77th minute Brown floated across a perfect flag-kick, which was powerfully headed home by NEIL ZARAC at the back post.

Any idea that this would be the hammer blow that would break the Yorkshire side’s spirit, was a misnomer. They came battling back with two near misses when first, Kelly shot across the face of goal following a Nathan Kamara through-ball, and then when Banks pushed a Brett Renshaw header onto the goalpost, before safely collecting the rebound after a Williams free-kick. At the other end Ryan-Zico Black robbed a defender just inside the penalty-box but frustratingly shot across the face of goal. A couple of minutes before the scheduled full-time whistle, Brig were reduced to ten men when Danny Mahoney got a straight red card from referee Mr Adam McIntyre for fouling a Garforth player as the teams lined up to receive a free-kick. Almost straight after this, the Yorkshiremen scored a third, when their skipper BRETT RENSHAW powerfully headed home a Williams corner. Although the referee ordered seven minutes to be added, it was Brig who came the closest to scoring again, despite a late surge from the home side, when Phyllis was forced to make a fine save from Glenn Steel following good work by Mason. However, in the end it had been a close run thing.

Garforth Town: Phillis, D.Williams, Piper, Wilkinson, Renshaw, Jagger (Kamara 29mins), Hotchkiss, Harratt, Hayward (Blair 80mins), St.Juste, Kelly (Rowan 80mins). UNUSED SUBS: Connor, G.Williams

Goals: St Juste (56mins), Kelly (65mins), Renshaw (90mins)

Bamber Bridge: Banks, McAllister, Ince, McCann, Tong, Glenn Steel, Adam Tong, Brown (Black 85mins), Mahoney, Zarac (Murt 85mins), Porter, Mason. UNUSED SUBS: Edmeads

Goals: Porter (6,37mins), Zarac (51,77mins)

Attendance: 148