In association with:
ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
Chartered Management Accountant
Blyth Spartans 3-2 Rushall Olympic
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League
Croft Park
Saturday 14th March 2015
Attendance:
The first chance of the game fell to Spartans as Robbie Dale flicked on a crossfield ball from Alex Nicholson. That found the overlapping Damen Mullen and the full back played a neat one-two with Dan Maguire before lashing over the bar from just outside of the area.
Within a minute the visitors had their first chance and really should have taken the lead. A neat chip over the top of the Spartans back four released Jake Heath in on goal and the winger tried to go around Nick Thomson but the young keeper blocked his efforts and the chance was wasted.
That was punished in the best possible way by Spartans as they took the lead in the twelfth minute. Jarrett Rivers dazzled down the right, bamboozling Pics full back Callum Williams as he danced into the area. That gave him the chance to play in Dan Maguire and the striker was coolest person inside Croft Park as he cut inside the challenge of Gavin Caines before rolling home from twelve yards out.
However far from kicking on, Spartans were pegged back as the Pics came into the game and got a deserved equaliser in the twenty fifth minute with a classy finish from striker Aaron Williams. The striker got in behind the Spartans back four and was given time to cut inside the challenge of Ryan Hutchinson before curling home right footed from just inside the area.
Spartans, to their credit, regrouped and got back into the lead on the half hour mark with a wonder goal from Michael Richardson. The former Newcastle United youngster collected a flick from Rivers and from all of twenty yards, smashed the ball home on the volley with his left foot.
The midfielder extended Spartans lead two minutes later with his second goal of the game and again it came courtesy of a Rivers assist, his third of the day. The winger found Richardson on the edge of the Pics area and he struck a low drive that was taken past the visitors keeper Ryan Price by a deflection off the knee of Aris Christophorou.
Two injuries forced Tom Wade into an pair of substitutions either side of Richardson’s brace. Ryan Hutchinson and Matthew Wade were forced off, to be replaced by Dan Hawkins and Stephen Turnbull.
Turnbull almost annouced his arrival with a goal within five minutes of coming on to the pitch. A foul on Rivers gave the former Hartlepool United man a chance twenty yards from goal but he could only curl his free kick over the wall and against the outside of the near post.
Again Spartans were pegged back and again it was thanks to a goal from Aaron Williams, although it had a lot to do with the static defending from the home side. A nonchelant through ball by Carl Palmer released Williams in on goal and he made no mistake with a cool finish.
Dan Maguire almost reinstated Spartans two goal advantage with the half time whistle about to blow. A clever through ball from Robbie Dale took a bobble and the striker’s first touch saw the ball bounce up above his head, however Maguire improvised with an acrobatic overhead kick that drifted just wide of the near post. That miss brought down the curtain on an entertaining, if somewhat error-strewn first half
Spartans: Thomson, Nicholson, Mullen, Parker, Hutchinson (Hawkins 33), Hooks, Richardson, Dale, Maguire, Wade, Rivers Subs not used: Wearmouth, Lynch, Stp Turnbull, Hawkins, Davis Goals Maguire 12, Richardson 30, 32
Rushall Olympic: Price, Tolley, C Williams, Taylor, Christophorou, Caines, Heath, Palmer, A Williams, Melbourne, Leslie Subs not used: Duggan, Reid, Roberts, Austin, Smith Goals: A Williams 25 and 44
Referee: Barry Gordon