ALL SQUARE IN CLOSE AFFAIR
VIC RANGERS 3 – 3 WOODLANDS ATHLETIC
A confident Woodlands side travelled to Parkside to face Victoria Rangers on the back of three straight wins. Rob Butler continued at centre back after last weeks performance and was joined there by stalwart Tom Kinghorn who returned. Heywood and Young were left and right back respectively. The back 4 full of quality started nervously with Kinghorn in particular unable to kick a ball and looking in a worse state than he did on the last train home from Doncaster the night previously. Stiggy Isle made a return in goal and Vic could have put two past him in the opening 5 minutes after the ball was given away cheaply. Before ten minutes had been played it was 1-0 to the home side after the pressure paid off and Wheldrake was allowed to finish from close range. A typical bad start from Woody’s who have gone behind in each of their 6 games this season so far.
This seemed to wake Athletic up with the returning Kyle ‘G-Star 631 Battle Squadron’ Gawthorpe linking well on the left hand side with Heywood. Caldwell playing in more of a free role week after week broke behind the defence on the left hand side a number of times but each time was tackled by a tight Vic defence. Woodlands first real opportunity came on 25 minutes when Chafer turned Jon Newton inside out and dispatched a shot that hit the post and out for a goal kick.
Woodlands were in full flow with super sperm Chappell and Hollywood Sharphouse nullifying the Vic midfield threat and frustrating the opposition into giving fouls away. A number of free kicks were crossed into the box but each time the resilient Rangers defence were able to clear their lines. There was some quality football on display from both sides, unfortunately the same could not be said about the referees performance who seemed to react to whoever shouted loudest…maybe something to do with the way he was treated by the Athletic players the last time he refereed them against Oddfellows.
Amazingly half time came with Rangers still one nil in front despite the pressure from Woodlands. The Gaffer and backroom staff assured the Woody’s boys that it would come if they kept going. However, Woodland’s began the second half the way they started the first with Vic easily taking control of the game. It was 2-0 before the hour mark when Wheldrake scored a with a quality first time strike on the turn.
Woody’s kicked off facing a tough task to come back from 2-0 down but immediately went on the attack with Chafer once again threatening down the right but the resilient Harrison made a last ditch tackle. It was all Woodlands and they got their rewards in the 65th minute after a corner wasn’t cleared and Nuke Heywood was allowed to score an excellent overhead kick from 12 yards out.
The pressure continued to come from Woodlands with Sharphouse running the midfield and dispatching some excellent balls in behind the defence. More chances came and went for Athletic and it looked like it wasn’t going to be their day when Chappell was tackled in the Vic last third, the ball fell to Sharphouse on the edge of the area and he struck it superbly on the half volley to draw the sides level.
The game was open and it could have gone either way with both sides looking to get that all important goal. It was going to take something spectacular to separate the sides and that came in the form of Luke Caldwell’s goal. Chappell, now running on empty and looking like he may go into cardiac arrest at any time, played the ball to Gawthorpe who found Caldwell. With nothing else on he had a go from just inside the touch line in level with the edge of the area. The shot was spectacle and looked like it was going harmlessly over when all of a sudden it dipped, hit the underside of the bar in the far top corner, bounced on the line and back up into the roof of the net. The Woodlands side line went crazy and there were comments such as ‘The greatest goal in Sunday league football’ that could be heard coming from the spectators.
At 3-2 were in for a nervy last ten minutes but looked like they could hold on. It wasn’t to be. Young gave away a free kick which was lumped into the box, the now semi-disabled Butler made the call but missed the header allowing the Vic player to head at goal and wrong foot the keeper in the process.
At 3-3 Woody’s still could of won it have a corner tipped over the bar and a free kick which hit the bar from Sharphouse.
3-3 the final score. At 2-0 down Woodlands would have taken the draw but after dominating for much of the game and being 3-2 up with ten minutes to go no one will blame them for being disappointed. Still undefeated but probably the worst result them and the Vic could have hoped for allowing Goods Office to pull clear at the top. Man of the match went to the tireless and inspirational leader Sim Sharphouse who led by example and buoyed his players at 2-0 down.
A week off for the Spice Boys this week due to a Bye in the cup.
