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25th August 2007
Gillford Park 2 - 1 Cramlington
The two promoted sides met in Carlisle
today, knowing that the winner would take the mantle of leaders on goal
difference. All other Premier Division teams were in action in the League
Cup and with both of these sides, expected to be amongst the poorest at
the start of the seasons, level on nine points and in second place,
today’s game proved to be a feisty affair between to evenly talented
squads.
Gillford included in their line-up Wigton Harriers midfielder Ian
Johnstone, deputising in the absence of the injured Steve Skinner and
long-term absences Marc Green and Chris Grainger, while Lee Otway was
partnered by Dan Rayson up front, playing his fourth game in five days
having also turned out for Workington Reserves on the Tuesday and Friday
before.
The fickle nature of football fans was displayed by the 100-man drop in
attendance from Wednesday nights 3-1 win against Carlisle City, but those
few on the sidelines were treated to a competitive, if not pretty, game of
football.
Gillford’s first chance came two minutes into the game after good work on
the right between Lee Otway, Ian Johnstone and Stu Moffat produced a cross
shot by Otway that Butler just failed to turn into the net, while a minute
later another shot by Otway was turned wide by Rayson after the original
effort had been touched onto the bar by visiting custodian, Martin
Coleman.
The visitors, leading Gilly with a four-superior goal difference at
kick-off, saw their first effort on goal glance wide after David Atkinson
shot from twenty-four yards, while two minutes later Keiran Parsons
watched his cross shot also fly past the goal after shooting from the edge
of the box.
With a quarter-hour played Crammy conceded a free-kick and Butlers set
piece was sent out wide to Palmer, from whose cross Dan Rayson was unlucky
not to connect with his head, and a minute later Ian Johnstones well
sighted through ball picked out the run of Addison whose deep cross was
swept from the boots of Palmer at the back post.
There were further chances for Cramlington, who attacked down the left
through Brian Hutchinson after a powerful header from Number 9 Otway was
punched away, but Danny Palmer was on hand to clear the original cross and
after it was powered back in Gillford stopper Gavin Armstrong was fouled
by Parsons.
With thirty played a good ball by Moffat set up some fancy footwork on the
right by Ian Johnstone, but the cross from the ad-hoc signing found the
keepers arms just as Rayson tee’d up the header.
With the ball played up field possession once again found Gilly through
Ally Lang, and a combined effort through he, Addison, Short and Allen saw
a good chance open up for dangerman Lee Otway, but under pressure from two
defenders his shot flew wide of Colemans goal.
As half-time loomed into view Robbie Short conceded a free-kick
twenty-five yards from goal, but Rogersons chipped set-piece was easily
taken by Armstrong who had dominated the goal area in this first
forty-five, while a minute later Robbie Short levelled the stats as his
set-piece was too high to mark the scoresheet.
That they did, though, soon after, when a string of passes through
midfield culminated with Dan Rayson pinpointing Palmer with some clever
footwork, and the left-back cut into the box before shooting high and to
the keepers left with a perfect strike to the top-right corner.
Gillford could have been forgiven for sitting back, protecting their lead
and ensuring they go in at the break on top, but instead they went forward
looking for the second, and were nearly rewarded when the combination of
Addison, Lang and Moffat saw the latter square the ball to Rayson, whose
cross was headed just wide by Otway.
With regular time all but expired there was one final chance courtesy of a
Mark Butler free-kick. The set-piece accurately found young Dan Rayson on
the six-yard line who, with a twist and turn to grace any football league
ground, he created the space to power his shot high and into the roof of
the goal.
There were no further chances and Gillford went in at the break on the
right end of the two-nil scoreline.
The sides emerged from beneath the Brooks Mileson stand having left the
field ten-minutes beforehand, and there was one change on the part of the
visiting side. Cramlington's Number 9, Steve Elsey, had continued the
ongoing battle between he and Gillford’s Ian Johnstone in less than
sporting fashion, having head butted and then kicked the home-sides
stand-in midfielder as they retreated down the tunnel, and although the
referee was unable to act having not bore witness to the incident, the
Northumberland outfit graciously substituted the player, one of their top
scorers so far, who was thus committed to the changing room for the
remainder of the game.
Gillford, shooting towards the Railway End in this second half, were again
the first side to threaten the goal, when Mark Butlers fifth minute
free-kick was headed on by Otway to Moffat, but the winger was unable to
keep it in play at the left corner of the eighteen-yard box.
And then, in the fifty-second minute, Crammy reduced the deficit courtesy
of some sloppy defending by the men in white that allowed a ball from the
right to find its way perfectly to Number 5 Rogerson, who hit it first
time to the keepers left and low into the bottom corner.
Now facing a less difficult task early on this second half, the visitors
surged forward and under pressure Gillford conceded a free-kick shortly
after the goal. Atkinson took the opportunity twenty-five yards to the
right of goal and found one of Cramlington’s forward men, but he couldn’t
find the chance and the ball back out wide to Atkinson came to nothing.
With the free-kicks allocated to Mark Butler in the absence of Skinner,
there is another set-piece for the P.E. Teacher in the fifty-sixth minute,
and the ball bypasses both Addison and Rayson to find Otway, but as his
head clashes with that of a defender the ball breaks free and Rayson’s
shot is screwed wide.
The game then dies down as both sides cancel each other out, but there are
further chances for Mike Cooper, after Hutchinson goes on a run down the
right, and on the counter attack for Darren Addison, and Darren Lee
replaces Stuart Moffat during this spell of play, in the sixty-first
minute.
Darren’s first taste of the game comes soon as the player, more defensive
than his counterpart Moffat, moves up the left in possession before
sending a long ball that is chased by Otway, who in turn sees his
cross-shot well saved.
Possession quickly returns to the home side as Rayson intercepts a forward
ball from the visitors, and he played it right to Otway on the edge of the
box. He takes it past one, moving in on goal before it appears he is
brought down, but referee Steven Poole is certain there is no foul and the
game is moved swiftly back upfield.
On seventy-one minutes the ball is again played out wide, this time to
young Dan Rayson who again links up with Lee Otway, but as the hardworking
striker battles on the right edge of the box the ball is cleared out by
visiting captain, George Home. Robbie Shorts flag-kick is knocked out by
the first man and the following corner ends up in the keepers arm with no
resistance.
In the dying stages Cramlington have a couple of close attacks as, on
thirty-eight minutes a ball into the box is cleared out. Although Gilly
attempted to counter the visitors again reclaimed possession and
three-minutes later their final chance comes courtesy of a David Atkinson
corner that goes out of play at the far post.
With three minutes left Darren Addison is tripped to the left of the goal,
but Robbie Shorts free-kick falls straight to the keeper, and the game
rather dies an anti-climax, as the scores stay the same. Nevertheless, the
win shoots Gillford to the top of the league, with their lead, over
Gateshead Leam Lane, a condition of goal difference.
Gillford Park: |