Boots Wednesday battled to their first league win of 2012 in a 10-goal thriller against Notts Athletic, securing 9th place in the process thanks to a draw by Medics B, and sending Athletic down to Division Three next season.
Unfortunately it wasn’t all plain sailing as Boots were almost immediately denied a clear penalty when Ian was hauled down in the area, before Athletic drew the first blood inside the first five minutes; Frumpy’s clearance was charged down by their striker on the edge of the area, and the rebound dribbled agonisingly over the line despite Frumpy’s best efforts. To their credit, Boots began to snap into challenges and look for an equaliser with a renewed hunger, and it took only a few minutes before Rowan was hauled down on the edge of the area. SuBo stepped up and sent an unstoppable laser-shot into the top left corner, levelling the scores. Boots looked like they were getting on top of the opposition as Simon and Sicky saw a lot of the ball in midfield, finding Rowan and Griffin on the wings while Ian and Luke continued to look for balls over the top, but it was Athletic that struck next, as a counter-attack saw them stretch the Boots defence, and their striker finished superbly across Frumpy into the far right post. For the second time, Boots reacted almost instantly to going behind and from an Athletic corner, Rowan began a counter-attack down the centre of the pitch, releasing Luke into the area down the right wing, and he produced a pin-point cross that Ian nodded into the bottom corner. Boots could sense that they were in the ascendancy and after Griffin had been hauled down (for the umpteenth time) on the half-way line, Boots saw the chance to take the lead. Toobs launched a high free kick into the mix towards SuBo and Patto at the back post, but instead of finding a team-mate, he found the top right corner, with the outstretched keeper helpless to prevent a superb goal! Athletic began to bicker, and Boots were soon two ahead when Ian suddenly found himself through on goal from Patto’s clearance, and after shaking off his marker, Dean finished calmly under the keeper like the Ian of old! Athletic got a goal back just before half time when a break down the right resulted in their striker nodding home a free header in the centre as the Boots defence struggled to get back.
Boots had to soak up a lot of pressure in the second half as Athletic began to realise that they needed a win to survive, but Brett, SuBo, Patto and Hawrylak coped well with their movement and tricks. Frumpy had to make one fantastic point-blank save and tipped over a dangerous cross, although Athletic didn’t help themselves by missing an open goal! Despite seeing less and less of the ball in attack, the tenacious Staszkiewicz added a fifth when he nicked the ball of a dithering defender, and despite being fouled at least four times in the build up, he managed to wrestle his way into the penalty area and finish beyond the keeper to grab his first goal of the season. After Rowan and Luke had seen efforts saved at the back post, Athletic grabbed a fourth when their striker expertly half-volleyed Hawrylak’s headed clearance into the far corner. Nevertheless, Wednesday began to exploit the space as it opened up, with Bally and Daz coming on for a disgruntled Ian and Griffin respectively. Despite Athletic’s keeper coming up for one corner, it was Boots that grabbed the last goal of the game when Rowan’s corner was headed back across goal by SuBo, and Luke tucked away a volley for his ninth league and cup goal of the season.
SuBo picked up his eighth Man of the Match Award of the season for another solid defensive display and a strong presence in attack from set pieces, although this game saw Boots play some of their best football as a team, with positivity, simple passing and ruthless finishing a helping. A win in next week’s dead rubber against bottom-placed Medics B could help us end the season on a real high!
