8.3.2008
The Garforth Town home support who braved the heavy rain on Saturday weretreated to a late flurry of goals from red-hot Luis de Melo that sent Rossendale back to Lancashire on the back of a dominant five goal mauling. TheYorkshire outfit overcame their shock over facing a team from Lancashire, a rare occurrence, and produced a display that eclipsed that of the visitors for work rate, determination and the clinical conversion of goal scoring opportunities.
Rossendale claimed the first near-miss of the game, when a miss-hit crossalmost drifted over the returning Karl Spratt, aided and abetted by the gusts of wind that would drastically affect play throughout. The reunited centre-back pairing of Brett Renshaw and Richard Carrick would thenceforth deal with all subsequent pressure from Rossendale’s attack assuredly, two suspicious goals notwithstanding.
The match took on an unpleasant edge, as both midfield’s upped the ante in thetenacious manner of their possession gaining, and tempers came perilouslyclose to boiling over in the first twenty minutes of play. The official responsible for the game behaved commendably in the first half, awarding several bookings’, ensuring that player’s remained composed and preventing ugliness from overshadowing the match, at this point played under a glowing sun in warm climate. The forceful referee even responded firmly to the barracking he received from one particular supporter, and soon enough the fixture commenced without anything resembling the earlier malice.
Phil Eastwood managed to evade the grasp of the Town defence, and his swift turn was followed by a shot the Rossendale striker powered past Spratt, though his effort struck the conjoin of crossbar and post, and the ball was cleared. Soon after, Ben Small, buoyed on by his near-goal from ludicrous distance against Radcliffe Borough, attempted yet another ambitious shot from 35 yardsthat sailed narrowly wide.
With ten minutes left in the half, Chris Kamara dispossessed a Rossendalemidfielder before bursting through the centre. Evading a challenge, Kamara looked to shoot but his promising break was ultimately unsuccessful when he was shepherded out by the last defender. However, with such attacks beingimplemented, a Garforth goal appeared imminent.
A Rossendale attacker was cheered by the home supporters when rising from Carrick’s seemingly innocuous challenge, after which a life-support machine appeared necessary for the stricken visitor. This miraculous recovery of the Lancastrian of Italian descent was followed by a period of Garforth dominance, as Town immediately countered from the questionable free kick and de Melo was put through on goal. The Portuguese striker could have shot yet elected to unselfishly cut the ball inside for Adam Clarke, whose shot was saved. The cleared ball was returned through the Rossendale defence releasing Greg Kelly,yet the Town man was bundled over when through on goal. The consequent free kick was ten yards outside the United penalty area, yet Duncan Williams managed to fire the ball with conviction into the top right corner of the Rossendale net, to the delight of the elated home support.
The final act of the first half confirmed Garforth’s superiority, as a goal kick was superbly controlled by de Melo into the path of Williams, whose curled pass found Kelly in an advanced position. The Town veteran found Chris Kamara on the edge of the box, but the midfielder was unable to convert the brilliantly executed move to further Garforth’s lead. The first period thus ended with Rossendale gratefully hanging on to the losing deficit they had.
The visitors would help enliven the game further by performing marginallybetter in the second half, as the downfall of rain began and both sidesdoggedly battled for the points. A Rossendale free kick was curled wide by a whisker, and a Town counter attack saw Williams run down the right and cross for Chris Brown, whose headed attempt flew just over.
Garforth probed and occasionally pierced, but the defenders of Rossendalecontinued to hold out in hope of an unmerited equaliser. These hopes were dashed however, when Greg Kelly burst forward and avoided the lunge of a centre back to slide the ball back across the United goal, where it nestled inthe corner of the net. This all but confirmed a third home victory forGarforth Town, the self-professed ‘world’s most famous amateur club’.
Rossendale would respond with a goal from Watson, whose well placed shot found the bottom corner, but the visitors were being clearly outplayed.
The rainfall was worse than ever, and clearly reflected Rossendale’s mood, asthey spectacularly imploded in the final five minutes to allow Town a commanding lead, though one that fully reflected the difference in quality and application on show between the teams. In the 85th minute of play, with the score still 2-1, Luis de Melo was released into space by Chris Brown and powered home to the far left post in a near carbon copy of Greg’s earlier effort. The recent assailant of Unibond defences is proving an astute signing, and a highly effective footballer at this level of the domestic game.
This was highlighted a mere two minutes later, as de Melo fed the ball toGreg, and was released on goal once more by a back heel from the latter. Luis allowed the goalkeeper to move first before coolly slotting the ball inside the near post, furthering the deficit and forcibly affirming the superiority of Town.
Mark Piper, in acres of space on the left wing, cut inside in the 89th minute and in shaping to shoot, drew the now desperate defenders out of position. Piper unselfishly squared the ball to the now unmarked Luis, whose characteristic slotted finish from eight yards completed an impressive five minute hat-trick, and an impressive rout of a capable opponent by GarforthTown. Neither the heavy rain nor the noticeably offside consolation goal, rolled in by Phil Eastwood in the ninetieth minute and charitably accepted by the officials, could dampen the spirits of the Town supporters who cheered their appreciation at the climax of play, for their side who will undoubtedly launch a serious assault on this league in the season to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment