EMCL - v- Barrow Town FC (H) Saturday 23 April

[ianwilliams483]

GEDLING MW...........3 (Brown 28 pen, 40, Hatfield 78)
BARROW TOWN.......2 (Noble 25, Walker 31)


MINERS MOVE TO SECOND SPOT

The Leicestershire side arrived at Plains Road in glorious sunshine having already all but put paid to Heanor Towns’ title aspirations in recent days. The Miners, however were having none of it and had to draw on all their deep resources to come from behind to claim maximum points.

Early claims for a penalty as early as the first minute were waved away by Mr Hawkins as Steven Cox was bundled over following a through ball and at the other end Reuben Joseph-Walker tested Cherry in the home goal. Gedling took the game to their visitors and twice in the space of 5 minutes Ash Winfield tried his luck with shots that just failed to meet their target. The visitors opened the scoring on 25 minutes when skipper Craig Noble was allowed far too much space, not closed down and fed Liam Fitzpatrick who slotted home low for his sides first.

The lead lasted barely 3 minute as Liam Corrigan powered into the area only to be tripped up by Ade Adelukan. The referee had no hesitation in awarding the spot kick which Jamie Brown tucked away for his 11th of the campaign. Again the momentum swung the other way and the lead once again was restored as Walker was left unmarked to head home a floated cross from strike partner Adelukan.

A very entertaining game was developing with good chances falling to both sides with Warren Hatfield just failing on a one to one with Wilcox and Liam Fitzpatrick hitting the post for Barrow.

Forty minutes in and the sun soaked crowd arguably witnessed the goal of the season. Brown picked the ball up in the inside left channel and strode into the area. He executed a delightful lob which nestled in the top corner with Wilcox groping air. Sky Sports would have been replaying it over and over again had the cameras and satellite truck been in attendance such was the quality of the finish.


As news was filtering through from the Moat Ground that rivals Gresley were well in command and leading against Graham St Prims, the Miners strode forward in search of the winner and a precious 3 points. Cox and Baz Payne combined well to put in Hatfield but the winner was a fair time in materialising. Barrows attacks were becoming more and more sporadic and the introduction of former Miner Ben Greenhalgh did little to help.

It was all Gedling now and they got their just desserts with 12 minutes remaining. A pinpoint free kick from Brown on the left was headed back across the area by Danny Hayes and Hatfield was on the spot to fire home low into the corner.

Barrow could have snatched a last minute equaliser as Paul Yeomans stung Cherry’s fingers and the keeper recovered to save the follow up effort.

All that was now was needed was to hold on, bank the points which saw the yellow and blues move up to second spot in the table. A gutsy performance from the entire squad showing a never say die attitude.



ATT: 84

REFEREE: Harry Hawkins

Gedling MW: ~ Cherry, Corrigan, Marlow (Ibrahim 82) Nightingale (C) Winfield (Roberts 55) Hayes, Brown, Hall, Payne, Cox (Peberday 55) Hatfield.
Subs not used:~ Clarke, Boulton.

Barrow Town:~ Wilcox, Merryweather, Stabik, Munn, Coppard, Fitzpatrick (Mclennan 75) Paparozzi (Greenhalhgh 70) Walker, Adelakun, Noble
Subs not used:~ Beazeley, Folwell, Yeomans.

[Talk about biased]

A slightly different view of the game from Barrow ! -

Riversiders slip to defeat in five goal battle
Barrow Town travelled to Plains Road in glorious sunshine for their second clash in three days against a title contending squad,
having already all but put paid to Heanor Towns’ title aspirations on Wednesday night. However, once again, holidays and personal commitments meant the Riversiders travelled with a threadbare squad, with Neil Stringfellow, Connor Hardy, Josh Stevenson and Adam Slater all unavailable.

Early claims for a penalty from the home side were rightly waived away by the match official, who appeared to be on first name terms with all of the Miners squad, before Adelakun tested Cherry in the home goal with a low shot. Fitzpatrick nearly weaved his way through the home defence, just before Gedling responded with a speculative shot from Winfield that easily cleared the bar. With both sides appearing to try to conserve energy in the sweltering heat, the Riversiders eventually opened the scoring on 25 minutes when Adelakun and Craig Noble combined to play in FITZPATRICK on the right, who fired the ball past Cherry from 15 yards.

The lead lasted barely 3 minutes however as the home side received the first of several favourable decisions from the match officials. Corrigan broke into the area but lost control of the ball when challenged by Adelukan and threw himself to the floor more in hope than expectation. The referee had no hesitation however in awarding the spot kick despite the home benches apparent embarrassment, which BROWN rolled in the to the bottom corner. Despite the decision, the Riversiders responded in the best possible way by quickly retaking the lead. JOSEPH-WALKER was left completely unmarked at the far post to power his header back across Cherry from a deep cross from the left to give the away team a 2-1 lead.

Chances fell to both sides, but it was the Riversiders who came the closest to extending their lead when another pile-driver from Fitzpatrick beat Cherry all ends up, only for the ball to rebound off the inside of the post and across the goal with no-one able to turn the ball in to the empty net. Fitzpatrick seemed to be at the heart of everything positive for the away team, and the winger came close again from a free kick when Noble was scythed down on the edge of the box. However, from the resulting goal kick, the Miners found a way back in to the game with the simplest of goals just minutes before the interval. A goal kick from Cherry was flicked on by Hatfield for BROWN to chase on to and lob over the advancing Wilcox.

Half Time: Gedling Miners Welfare 2 Barrow Town 2

The second half began with the Miners becoming increasingly desperate for the three points, and the players and team bench appealing for anything and everything. However, as both teams were visibly wilting in the heat, neither team created many chances of note to take all three points.

Hatfield went close for the home side, before Greenhalgh raced on to a minuts backpass from Payne, but his low shot was tipped around the post by Cherry. Stabik then headed over from a Paparozzi corner, before Noble failed to take a chance that presented itself to him as the home sides defence opened up. Adelakun had a great chance to win it, but disappointly allowed himself to run offside from Nobles through ball as he slotted in from 10 yards. Once again, the away teams inability to take their chances came back to haunt them with 12 minutes remaining. Corrigan again tumbled under a innocuous challenge from Adelakun, and from the resulting free kick the ball was headed back across the area to the unmarked HATFIELD who swept home from eight yards past an unsighted Wilcox for the winner.

With time running out, and the home side trying to run down the clock, the Riversiders created one last chance to take a share of the spoils. Craig Noble burst past a tiring defence to sting Cherry’s fingers from eight yards, and the keeper recovered to smother the ball before the midfielder could slot home the rebound.

With that the referee blew for full time, and the Riversiders were left again thinking what if. The recent flurry of games had taken their toll on a small and injury hit squad, and the run of fixtures shows no sign of abating with fixtures on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday this week. Worryingly the game finished with a number of players carrying a number of knocks, and with little time for respite, changes appear likely over the next few games.