Shawdale 2 - 2 Glossop Wasps

A Thriller At Newbarn…. For The Opening Game of the Season…..

If you thought this might of been a dull affaire? Well you were sadly mistaken.

It was a great testimony for Sunday League football.

It was a swashbuckling affair, with end to end action. Mostly from the home side after a shabby start and going two nil down within the first twenty minutes.

All the way through the game, both teams had ample chances to score but either great defending or superb goal keeping kept both team at bay.

Shawdale struggled to get out of the blocks and were early punished, as from a corner Wasps little number 7, produced an overhead kick, to guide the ball into the left hand corner of the net.

Every time the home side got the ball, the visitors were a very pacey side and pressed at every opportunity and under pressure Shawdale relinquished possession time after time to the fury of Coach Wylie.

It got even worse ten minutes later, as the Wasps were awarded a free kick just outside the box, which was hit with pace and curve and flew in to the back of the net.

Shawdale were at sixes and sevens at this point and needed a leader.

Morrow was that man, he took control in the middle of the park and everyone followed. On twenty five minutes, as someone had switch on the light Shawdale stepped up to the mark. Passes started to find their man. Allot, Ryan, Temple and Trippier made the defence a fortress. With Holmes, The Rock starting to make inroads in to the Wasps defensive circle.

For the majority of the rest of the half, Shawdale started to get on top and produced some great interchanges of play.

After a stern talking too at half time, the home side threw down the gauntlet and started to ooze quality and chances.

With the visitor’s rumbled and arguing with each other, the home side could sniff a goal coming.

It did, through an innocuous free kick by Holmes, who hit a low drive, only for the keeper to fumble and watch it trickle through his hands and into the back of the net.

Shawdale were back in the game, they pressed and pressed. The Rock made his usual surging runs from midfield, Dawson was a tricky customer on the wing, causing umpteen problems for the Wasps defence.

Dawson also, made inroads in the second period.

Then on 65 mins, a great ball from Barnes found Holmes free in the box, who nonchalantly dinked the keeper with a perfect lob.

The large crowd went into raptures after a great come back and wondered if they could snatch a winner in a finger biting last ten minutes.

Durrant, The Rock and Holmes came close in sealing the game. But it wasn’t to be. But a great 60 minute performance and perhaps on the day a draw may have been a fair result, as Glossop did have chances too, to win the game late on.

MOM - Matty Williams

Coach Wylie… "After an unsettled start, we got into our stride and played some great football. We fought hard, the lads could of dropped their heads after the first 20 mins…but they didn’t and got on with the task in hand and did me proud"