Failsworth FC 1 - 4 Shawdale

‘The Cream Eventually Rose To The Top….’ In a ding-dong game Shawdale produced some dazzling football through out but just couldn’t get the ball in the net in the first half. Shot after shot, header after header but they couldn’t find the net. Not until the second half, when the ‘Cream Rose To The Top’ and they scored four unanswered goals of top class finishing.

Sean Connery might have sadly passed away but Shawdale have their own 007, calm collective with a killer strike, Holmes was nothing less than sensational, moving the ball around the park like pawns on a chess board all game, without a blemish of mud on his kit, come the final whistle.

Man Of The Match Morrow caused havoc on the wing, running, dancing like a gazelle, fooling the opposition with the ball at his feet. New Comer Mason, young at 41 yrs, won ever tackle and every header and held the midfield together stupendously. ‘The Rock’ battled all morning, running up and down the pitch, fearless in the tackle and rewarded with a goal late on. Trippier, Allot and the Two Ryan brothers protected Wrigley in the net as if he was the crown jewels.

It got off to a swashbuckling start and this is how it played out…..

On four minutes, Shawdale were awarded a penalty for a hand in the box. Durrant usually reliable, sent the ball flying over the bar into the farmers field.

On twelve minutes Holmes hit a screamer of a free kick, the keeper could only parry the ball, Wylie following up, pushed his shot wide.

On Fifteen minutes, the ball again fell to Wylie, who this time hit the woodwork. Seventeen minutes, a great ball from Morrow, saw an out stretched Durrant see the ball skim past his foot. Then on twenty minutes, Holmes saw his strike whistle passed the post.

Was it going to be one of those days, when the ball was never going to hit the back of the net? At times it was like the Alamo, ball after ball into the box, but the visitors not capitalizing on their chances.

Again, on forty minutes, a great corner from Morrow, found Allott on the back post unmarked, only to see his header go wide.

Then the ridiculers happened, a hole appeared in the visitors defence Wrigley rushed out, only for the home side winger to beat him to the ball and daintily chip the ball into the back of the net. In to the second half and Shawdales luck still didn’t change, Durrant having a shot saved and Morrow having a ball cleared off the line, then minutes later struck wide again.

Then…….On sixty one minutes, Wyllie fought like a tiger in midfield to secure the ball, put an inch perfect ball through to Durrant, who coolly slid it under the on coming keeper.

Now the visitors were back in the game, On sixty-one minutes Durrant beat his man in the box and laid the ball squarely for ‘Tommy The Rock’ to blast home to the cheers of the following fans. By now the home side were going down like ninepins, a muddy greasy pitch coupled by a frantic Shawdale display was taking its toll on the home side.

With the visitor totally on top by this stage, the impressive Mason, showed a clean pair of heals, shot round the back of the defence to put in an inch perfect pass for Durrant to volley home.

On eighty one minutes, Wilkinson put the game to bed with what looked like a slow motion shot, strategically placed in the corner of the net.

Credit were credits due the home side never stopped trying until the final whistle, it was a credit to them.