BOYTHORPE....5 AFC GROUSE....0
Boythorpe at last kicked off this seasons league campaign with a home game against newly relegated AFC Grouse. With manager Benny back from his globetrotting he faced a selection dilema with central defenders Miles and Whitehead,along with striker Megyesi out with long bans, and Paul Walton and Phil Lawrence still injured, he had to shuffle the pack a litle.
The blues had the best of the early exchanges, and made the first serious attack on goal after 5 mins when Lee Walton found Wright who slipped a clever through ball that just evaded Scott Bennett. Good work by Brown a few minutes later set Lee Walton free but he pulled his shot just wide. Grouse then won a corner when Hardy made a timely block but the corner was claimed by Furniss. Superb work by Bonson almost claimed the 1st goal,but his rasping shot just missed the target.
The Grouse keeper came under pressure again on 17 mins, when he missed catching a corner floated in by Shane Bennett but the ball struck his head and went to safety. Boythorpe kept pushing forward and a Brown free kick hammered against a defender but again went safe. Higginbottom then set Wright free but his shot was dragged wide.The Blues eventually took a well deserved lead on 21 mins, a great ball sliced the Grouse defence open, and WIDERMAN was on hand to slide the ball past the stranded keeper.
Boythorpe then gave a needless free kick away 2 mins later wide out on the right, a dangerous ball was floated to the far post, but the striker headed over and a great chance was lost. Boythorpe made them pay for this 6 mins later Wright worked his way into the box but was felled with a rash tackle and BROWN put away the spot kick beating the keeper easilly.
Grouse themselves thought they had won a spot kick after 31 mins, the striker claimed he had been impeded as he steddied himself for a shot, but the ref waved it away. Down at the other end a good team move ended with Shane Bennett shooting just wide from 30 yards. Grouse still made chances themselves, Higginbottom shielded a run from the Grouse striker well and his shot went over the bar. A superb break from his own half by Goodwin saw Widerman put his effort just over. It was end to end stuff as the half drew to a close, Higginbottom was beaten from a good run but the cross was well claimed by Furniss. The final attack of the half saw Higinbottom release Scott Bennett but a defender just got his toe to the ball and lifted it over his own bar for a corner. HALF TIME Boythorpe...2 AFC Grouse...0.
More of the same followed in the 2nd half, within a min of the restart Wright hassled a defender into losing the ball, he found Brown who shot just over when well placed. The 3rd goal wasnt long in coming, Widermans persistance won a corner on the left, the same player floated the corner into the box and striker WRIGHT rose like a young salmon leaping up a waterfall to power his header home for his ELEVENTH goal in 10 games so far this season. Boythorpe pushed forward at every opportunity and a great crossfield pass from Bonson to Walton unfortunatly later broke down.
A Shane Bennett free kick on the hour caused panic in the visitors defence, leading to a shot being stabbed towards goal, the keeper fumbled the effort but managed to grab the ball as it was set to embarrass him by rolling over the line. Within a minute Bonson made a rare mistake but he got back to superbly clear from off his own goal line.
In the 70th minute a classic raking pass from Brown freed Lee Wright to sprint beyond the Grouse defence, but he unselfishly squared the ball across the box for a simple tap in for SCOTT BENNETT to register his first league goal for the club and give Boythorpe a comfortable 4-0 lead. In the 73rd minute the entire Boythorpe back four fell asleep for a second, and Grouse crossed into the box, but the unmarked player headed over.
The best goal of the game came in the 83rd minute, Brown, not for the first time set the move up, and the classy WIDERMAN did the rest, weaving into the box past the entire Grouse defence before drawring the keeper out and sliding the ball past him. Grouse almost stole in 2 mins later, Bonson again slipped up attempting to clear the ball and the effort was put inches wide. Johnson replaced Walton out on the wing for the last 4 minutes, but the game was way over as a contest. The result leaves Boythorpe in SECOND place in the league as Masons Arms beat Winster Wasps 6-1 to lead the table on goals scored. Other scores in this division Boythorpe 5 AFC Grouse 0, Chesterfield Phoenix 2 Bolsover Old Boys 1, Hopflower 6 Nth Wingfield MW 2, Masons 6 Winster Wasps 1, Renishaw MW 3 Holmbrook Tav Res 0, White Swan Res 2 AFC Hare & Hounds 3.
