CHATSWORTH CUP 3rd ROUND AFC Walton....2 Hopflower Utd....3 (played @ Castle Viia Bolsover)
AFC Waltons Chatsworth Cup / League DOUBLE hopes lay in tatters after a mixture of poor play, inconsistency, lack of respect for opponents and a bizzare decision all came together at Bolsover today. Benny had to tweak his side around following continued injury problems within the squad. The game went ahead after a Refs pitch inspection following overnight frost, and with AFC starting with a 3-1-3-1-2 formation, things started pretty well, with Hopflower struggling to cope with Mitchells pace up front. AFC went close on 5 mins when Bettney fired a free kick narrowly wide. A smart 1-2 between Brown and Bonson almost came off, but the wingers touch was too heavy and the ball went for a goalkick. Utd went close with thier first real chance of the game on the quater hour after some nice play, but the shot went well wide. They didnt have to wait too long however as they began to get back into the game when they took a suprise lead. With Bonson suffering a toe end of a boot under the chin, Utd broke forward swiftly and caught the visitors defence flat footed, and the ball was fired home for 1-0.
AFC snapped straight back into the game within 2 minutes when Furniss found Bettney who's long ball saw MITCHELL collect and control the pass, turn his marker smartly, and race away. He held off the defence before ramming his snap shot in between the near post and the keeper. Furniss had to be aware on 23 mins after a mistake at the back saw the keeper parry the shot to safety. Within a minute the Utd keeper was called upon as he fumbled a Bettney free kick, but grabbed the ball at the 2nd attempt. On the half hour Furniss again saved smartly from another Utd effort, as the game swung from end to end. Goodwin went close soon after, picking the ball up out wide, turning and firing in a crisp looping shot, that the keeper managed to flap away. Brown went close on 35mins after the hosts defence stuttered at the back. There was an unsavory incident on 38 mins that saw 3 players recieve YELLOW CARDS, but was dealt with swiftly by the Referee. HALF TIME AFC Walton...1 Hopflower Utd....1
A free kick on 48 mins caused Utd a headache, as they struggled to clear the danger, before Lee Walton fired over. Bonson picked out Mitchell just outside the box with a clever through ball, but the striker lost his footing as the pitch had started to soften up, and the chance was lost. More great team play by AFC on 52 min unfortunatly saw Hopflower nick the ball off them, break away, and take the lead slightly against the run of play. The play from then on became sporadic and patchy. Hopflower grabbed a third soon after following a mistake at the back and hesitency by Furniss proved costly, leaving AFC a mountain to climb to get back into the game. The defining moment of the game came around the hour mark, a Utd player went down injured and the game was stopped, after treatment Mitchell was instructed to kick the ball back to the keeper from a dropped ball, as he did this the Keeper slipped and ended up on the floor and the ball went past him into the net. The "GOAL" was dissallowed and to the frustration of th AFC players Mitchell was instructed to knock the ball back again to the keeper.
The returning Scott Bennett, who was making his first start of the season since August following a long injury, was replaced on 62 mins bringing Higginbottom into the back 3 and pushing Bettney forward to try and inject skill and pace up front and to find a way back into the game. A free kick went inches wide soon after. Bonsons snap shot from just outside the box was well saved at full stretch by the keeper, and Mitchell was constantly knocking at the door as Hopflower threw everything into protecting thier lead. Acorner was headed onto the bar with AFC claiming it had crossed the line on the way down, but the pleas were correctly waved away. BETTNEY grabbed a lifeline on 84 mins after great play by Megyessi picked him out. Time however ran out for AFC despite the Referee having to add on a MASSIVE 10 minutes for hold ups and yellow card a further 2 Utd players for various incidents Hopflower hung on to make the quater finals. FULL TIME AFC Walton....2 Hopflower Utd....3
