HORRIFIC INJURY AND TWO SENDING OFFS EACH, BLIGHT AFC WALTONS SUPERB RESULT !!!
Charlie's Bar...3 AFC Walton...8
It all started well for AFC Walton @ Tupton Hall School this afternoon (sunday).With Manager Dave Bennett away on holiday, plus Billy Furniss and Shane Bennett missing, the changes were rung in the team. Striker Lee Wright went in goal for the first half, and what a start it was, with the blues going 1 up inside 2 minutes. Jez Mitchell was pushed in the back yards from goal, Lee Walton stepped over the ball and CHRIS BETTNEY fired in the free kick leaving the keeper watching the ball sail past him. Within a minute it was 2-0, Scott Bennett laid the ball on for Mitchell, who played BETTNEY through and he slotted the ball past the keeper. Tragically however in the build up Scott Bennett fell awkwardly under a challenge and after going to hospital, found he had broken his collar bone..ALL AT THE CLUB WISH HIM A SPEEDY RECOVERY!!
This affected his team for a while and gave Charlies Bar a way back into the game. Wright punched a ball clear under pressure to a striker just outside the area, the Blues defence hesitated and the striker got his shot away and the ball nestled in the net. Moments later a free kick from inside his own half by Dean Brown, put the hosts under pressure but they managed to smuggle the ball away for a corner. Lee Waltons defence splitting pass set the returning Danny Brown away, and after a fine run he dragged the ball across goal, but wide of the target. Charlies went close, but fluffed the chance firing wide when well placed in front of goal. Chances were being created by both sides but AFC were just having the better of the play, with Paul Walton working tirelessly in the middle of the park as usual. Charlies had the best chance however but wasted it by firing over with just Wright to beat.
They were made to pay for this on 28 mins, Danny Browns through ball found MITCHELL, and he slipped the ball past the advancing keeper for 3-1. Just after the half hour Megyesi's super ball down the line found MITCHELL, and the on form striker collected he pass wide out on the left, before cutting inside the defence and firing across the keeper and into the corner of the net. He struck his THIRD consecutive Hat-trick just 6 mins later on 38, after the ball found him in the box, he controlled the ball before hooking it into the net. Tempers amongst the home side were becoming a little frought with AFC well and truly in the driving seat by the break. HALF TIME Charlie's Bar..1 AFC Walton..5
Changes were made at the break, with the main one Martyn Higginbottom going in goal, meaning Lee Wright going into the hole behind the front two. The half started nervously with a couple of niggly tackles from both sides. Mitchell went close on 48 mins, firing inches wide, then after a long ball upfield by Taylor, Danny Brown had the ball in the net only to be halted by the linesmans flag. Things were getting a tad ugly and a Charlies player had to be substituted for comments made on the pitch. It blew up however on 55 mins, an altercation between 2 players saw others from BOTH sides needlessly joining in, sense was restored pretty quickly, and it was then down to the Referee (who handled the situation very well) to dish out the cards, resulting in TWO dismissals from both sides, meaning we had 35 mins to play with 9-a-side. Things calmed down, but for a while there was a strange feel to the game. Paul Walton worked his socks off in midfield as well as pushing up front to help out Wright. He got his reward on 70 mins, after a well crafted team move saw Wright slip the ball across to him and PAUL WALTON did the rest slipping the keeper, and thus earning MOTM award.
A mistake by Higginbottom, who previous to this had, had a fine game saw him try to push a long range effort over the bar, but he didnt get a strong enough hand on the ball, and it went up and over him into the net. They reduced the arrears even more just 4 min later on 76 mins, a looping header saw Higginbottom flat footed, and it looped into the net for 6-3. It was getting a little too hot for AFC who had looked totally in control up till then, but they knuckled down, and a mistake by the host keeper misjudging a ball back and seeing it hit the post and fall into the path of MILES, who gleefully rolled the ball home. As the time wore away, the hosts knew the game was beyond them and SILCOCK wrapped it up completely after another great passing move saw Bettney find the lad in acres of space to finish. FULL TIME Charlie's Bar (clay x)...3 AFC Walton...8 A great result against a team that had competed and won at the level AFC are now at, but it came at a price with Benny without 4 KEY players when the League starts on 4th Sept.
