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13th October 2007
Gillford Park 0 - 1 Walker Central
The night before the match, CFM pundit Colin
Seel ensured spectators an entertaining contest between two teams fighting
it out at the head of the league, and in many respects that was what they
got – with the points at stake prompting both sides to battle for the full
ninety minutes, serving a better fare than that which was provided at
Wembley. Rain had fallen in the build-up to the game and although
match-day was mainly dry the pitch still looked sodden and heavy.
There was no wait for the action to begin, with referee Stephen Poole
starting the game promptly at two-thirty and in the first minute Stuart
Moffat’s shot was turned behind by visiting ‘keeper Chris Bannon, while
three minutes later Dan Rayson played Moffat’s cross on to Butler whose
weak header was easily saved.
Walker pushed forward and forced Armstrong into saves in the ninth and
tenth minutes, as first an Ian Dunn cross-shot tested the ‘keeper before
strike-partner David Thompson’s effort was well saved. With
quarter-of-an-hour played Chris Grainger, forfeiting a trip to Yeovil in
the absence of Lee Otway with a broken arm, pounced on Stephen Burgon’s
mistake but couldn’t score from twelve yards, before Dan Rayson shot high
after a quick free-kick released Moffat on the wing, while at the other
end a great tackle by Craig Thompson thwarted the run of Walker namesake
David.
With twenty-six played Chris Bannon stole the ball from Short as he tee’d
up the header off a Dan Rayson cross, while a minute later a good passing
move from front to back set Ian Mills up for a shot that flew just wide of
the home goal, from sixteen yards. The action continued unabated as a
minute later both Butler and Grainger saw efforts blocked before Blakey
shot high, while at the Railway End Tyron Taylor got in front of Billy
Barron’s attempt, Armstrong saved easily from Cave and top scorer Ian Dunn
slipped while shooting wide in a five-minute period of end to end action.
There had been little to separate the teams in the opening half-hour, with
Gillford perhaps even looking the strongest but for the third week in a
row they instead let the visitors take the lead, in the thirty-fourth
minute. Stephen Burgon began the move that involved Dunn, May and
Thompson, whose accurate pass found Michael Cave easily carving up the
defence before shooting under Armstrong from ten yards.
The visitors almost doubled the lead a minute after Cave’s goal, when
midfielder Mills headed high from a Peter Stewart cross, and with Gillford
unable to threaten further they held on to the advantage to half-time.
Just as in the first period, the spectators were not left waiting long as
Mark Butler’s pass sent Dan Rayson through in the first minute, but he
shot just wide of Bannon’s left-hand post. Three minutes later Ian Mills’
free-kick was ordered to be retaken, but he again played it short to
winger Billy Barran whose cross was cleared, and that concluded the action
in the opening ten minutes.
In the fifty-sixth Dunn did well to battle to the touchline but Thompson
could not convert the cross, shooting over from almost point blank range,
while Jimmy McMurdo saw fit to replace Martin Blakey with Simon Clarke.
The game seemed more subdued in this opening period, and despite
Gillford’s best efforts going forward a combination of bad luck and a
strong visiting defence kept them from threatening Bannon’s goal.
Having stolen possession, the lively Ian Mills raced up the right flank
before a particularly strong tackle from Tyron Taylor saw the midfielder
pick up an injury that, after a bit of treatment, he was able to walk off,
but in truth neither side looked as threatening as in the first half,
despite their obvious attacking intentions.
With nineteen minutes of the first half elapsed, the Park once more surged
forward but the battling Butler was dispossessed on the right and Mike
Lamb raced up field. Another strong Taylor challenge only temporarily kept
Walker from the goal, but after a corner was played in the Blues shot
straight into Gavin’s arms.
On twenty-six minutes Grainger earned a corner on the right, and although
nothing came of the flag kick it was the catalyst for a good spell of
pressure that saw Rayson and Moffat link well on the left. The home side
continued to push forward and for six or seven minutes confined Walker to
their half of the field, but the visiting outfit read the game well and
were almost always able to snuff out the attacks, with the only clear shot
falling to Rayson, who blasted it high in the thirty-second minute.
However, just moments later a well sighted ball was played by Mark Butler,
on the left wing, to Simon Clarke on the right, but after cutting in and
using a neat bit of trickery to beat his man Clarke’s powerful shot flew
just wide.
With around seven minutes of normal time remaining Central manager Paul
Bennett brought on the fresh legs of Chris Anderson and Johnny Rees, (the
latter possibly Marc Davidson - writing on my teamsheet,) but neither
could make much of an impact.
In the fortieth minute Butler and Moffat teamed up well on the left wing,
but despite working the ball into the box there was no space to shoot,
while - with Grainger the only white-shirted player in the box - Dan
Rayson shot over a couple of minutes later after good work on the right.
The final few moments were played out in midfield as the game became a
physical battle on the still wet pitch, but Walker won through and as the
final whistle went there were joyous cheers on the visitors part, who, in
Heddon’s absence, rose back to top spot. |