CHESTERFIELD ARMS F.C....3 AFC WALTON....6.
It was very much a case of lethargy setting in after the Christmas break, as both teams took to the field at Highfield Park this morning. The first real chance coming on four minutes for the visitors, following a foul on Mitchell, saw Bettneys well taken free kick however saved by the hosts keeper. The game in the early stages seemed to lack any sort of patten, as both sides struggled to string any passes together. Mitchell went close on 10 minutes after Higginbottom, returning to the starting line up, picked outthe run of Brown, who in turn flighted a fine cross over, but Mitchell lashed his shot wide. Higgibottom played Brown in again a few moments later, but the keeper blocked the wingers effort.
The hosts were gifted the lead on the quater hour when AFC, AGAIN messed around at the back, and found the ball robbed off them with the strker rounding Furniss, before rolling the ball home. Silcock went close on 20 mis after Bettney picked him out with another well taken free kick, but he fired just wide. AFC began to get a grip of the game and were justly rewarded just before the half hour, a superb crossfield pass by Paul Walton picked out a fine run by DANNY BROWN Who collected the ball in his stride and slid the ball in past the keeper. Within a minute there was a horror tackle on Mitchell, who was left limping but was able to continue after treatment, and the miscriant was yellow carded. There was another incident on 30 minutes with both Goodwin and another Chesterfield Arms player both seeing Yellow after a tangle between them. Arms broke clear on 34 mins after a poor clearence, the striker beat Furniss with his effort, but Goodwin made a superb last ditch save on his own line as Arms were looking to celebrate.
Arms were to rue the missed chance, and were punished straight from the corner, another Paul Walton pass found MITCHELL who weaved into the box and firing past the hosts keeper for 2-1. They almost made it 3-1 a coupe of minuts later, but the chance was wasted firing wide. Chesterfield Arms went close on 44 mins, but they also put the chance wide. Yet AGAIN the hosts were punished for not taking the chance within a minute after Wrights probing run found SHANE BENNETT a good 25 yards out, and he cooly lobbed the keeper with the ball going in cannoning from the underside of the bar. HALF TIME Chesterfield Arms F.C...1 AFC Walton...3.
Not for the first time again this season, AFC failed to start the second half with any sort of authority, with Chesterfield Arms grabbing a goal within a minute of the restart. A cross into the visitors box was well headed home, to make the score 3-2. AFC then had a great 10 minutes when they took a complete strangle hold on the game, and putting it well out of the reach of the spirited hosts. On 50 mins a great weaving run by Wright found Silcock, who picked out PAUL WALTON who drilled in a fantastic long range effort. Within a minute Bennett played a crisp through ball for MITCHELL to run onto and round the keeper again before rolling the ball home. HIGGINBOTTOM certainly used up a whole seasons luck, with a freak goal on 54 minutes. He had the ball WAY OUT on the right hand touchline, before looking up and playing in, what looked like a fine cross into the box, as the keeper came to gather, he completly mis-judged the ball, and it bounced and looped up over him and into his unguarded goal for 6-2.
The game seemed to calm down after that as the hosts looked ba beaten side, and the break seemed to take its toll on all the players. On the hour Arms got a free kick 30 yards from goal for a foul, but Furniss made his trademark save. Bonson came on for Mitchell on 72 mins as the striker suffred from the foul on him in the first half. Walton was pushed up front to put pressure on the hosts defence. AFC went close TWICE within a couple of minutes. On 74 mins Wright who was a constant thorn in the Arms side all day picked out Brown who fired wide, the Walton robbed a player 25 yards out before lashing his chance across goal, and narrowly wide. AFC then allowed Arms to grab a concellation on 76 mins, a corner to the visitors saw them beng caught too far upfield, and the hosts broke clear at speed and a fine pass allowed the striker draw Furniss before rounding him and firing home. Bettney went cose with a 25 yard drive after MOTM Wright had picked him out with a crisp pass. It proved to be his last action of the match as Lee Whitehead came on for him with just 10 mins remaining after his recent injury began to catch up with him. As time bgan to run out Walton was dismissed after a tangle with a defender, as he seemed to just try and wriggle free, but he was deemed to have used his elbow and saw Red to spoil an otherwise match winning performance. Scott Bennett replaced Brown on 86 mins making a welcom return to the team after a lengthy lay off with injury picked up during a pre-season Friendly. FULL TIME Chesterfield Arms F.C...3 AFC Walton...6.
