Chesterfield Sunday League Division 3.
AFC made the long journey to Creswell today, (sunday), with a squad of 18 available players for selection, hoping to keep the fine 100% start to the season going. Coming back into the squad, was record breaking striker Lee Wright after his 3 match ban, along with Ricky Silcock who had recovered from illness. Both players had to be content with a place on the bench.
AFC started the game kicking into quite a stiff breeze, but this didnt hamper thier progress as they found themselves in the lead after just FOUR minutes. A fine corner was swung in by Bennett, Diamond struggled to clear thier lines and the ball ping ponged around in the area until Goodwin found DEAN BROWN lurking 15 yards out, and he smashed the ball home for 1-0, to continue his superb goal run going. They added to this on 10 mins as they put the hosts under the cosh. A fine ball up the line set Lee Walton free, he took the ball on before crossing for LYTHAM to take the ball in his stride and fire his shot across the keeper into the net. Megyesi swung over a cross on 22 mins that Lytham headed just wide of the target, and moments later Spencer picked out Dean Brown but he could only shoot over when well placed. He got another chance on 28 mins, after playing a crafty 1-2 off a defender, but could only produce the same outcome. Furniss was a virtual spectator up until now, after his defenders made short work of snuffing the Diamonds threat out. Thier first effort of note came on 36 mins when a speculative long range effort went harmlessly wide. A great three man move on 38 mins saw AFC go close again, Lytham fed Walton who found Brown, but the keeper made one of a number of great saves. A minute later a raking long ball from Bettney picked out Mason, but the keeper was there again to save..HALF TIME Creswell Black Diamond F.C..0 AFC Walton..2.
After such a blistering start Benny kept the same 11, and now AFC had the breeze behind them, they started again in the same vein as Walton pushed on down he wing before putting over a cross that Lytham fired over.Danny Brown went agonisingly close after a great run, his rasping drive just clipping the crossbar and going over. Bennett picked out Lytham on 51 mins, but the keeper thwarted the striker with another stunning save. He was there again as Lytham fired a stinging drive across goal, diving full length to tip the ball round the post. A quick Bettney free kick on 55 mins was nodded down by Lytham to Mason, but he put his shot inches wide of the goal. AFC were to rue the misses, as YET AGAIN it was the opponents who grabbed the first goal of the second half, a fact that have the AFC management team scatching thier heads to find a reason, a ball hooked over to the back post saw the striker head the ball over Furniss into the opposite corner of the net. Just fter the hour Mason raced clear before finding Walton but the keeper made another smart save, the ball dropped to Bennett who could only hook the chance over. Bettney and Bennett linked for another free kick on 65 mins with the former firing just wide as AFC contiued to press.
All the pressure came good for the visitors however when a trademark Spencer long throw was hauled into the box for MEGYESI to spectacularly bicycle kick into the net for 3-1. Bonson came on at this point for Bennett. Lytham went close to adding to the lead after Lee Walton cross following a long ball from Bettney had picked him out, but again he fired harmlessly over. Wright then made his first League game of the season on 71 mins, coming on for Dean Brown.who will unfortunatly be unavailable for the next 2 games. Benny made his last personnel change on 78 mins, when Danny Brown, who had again impressed down the wing made way for the returning Ricky Silcock. It had immediate dividends when AFC grabbed another on 79 mins following a tired foul on Lytham, and up stepped Club Captain CHRIS BETTNEY to curl a sublime free kick into the top left hand corner from 30 yards, leaving the keeper grabbing at air. Black Diamond then grabbed an unlikely goal after 82 mins. A throw in was'nt dealt with and the unlucky BONSON headed past his keeper in off the post after a brave attempted clearance had gone wrong. This wasnt he last of the scoring however, when up popped SHAUN GOODWIN stab home a Bettney corner that the Diamonds defence has failed to clear. FULL TIME Creswell Black Diamond F.C...2 AFC Walton...5.
