DROYLSDEN 5 - 3 HUCKNALL TOWN

Nationwide North, Saturday 18th November 2006

Report by Gary Owen

This eight goal thriller saw Droylsden exchange places with Hucknall at the top end of the table.

The scoring started in the 6th minute, when Gareth Morris received a pass from Daniel Warner and beat Lee Crockett in the Hucknall goal from outside the box, but that was not before Terry Fearns had twice gone close for the hosts.

On 18 minutes, the Bloods doubled their advantage, when Steve Halford showed clever feet on the left wing to cross for Jody Banim to glance a header beyond Crockett and into the far corner.

Banim recorded his brace on 31 minutes when he benefitted from a great knock-down by Fearns to turn inside, beat two defenders, and shoot past Crockett from 20 yards.

Fearns then beat Crockett to a long bal, and selfishly sqaured for the onrushing Chris Denham, but he was denied by some excellent defending from Andy Legg, who threw his body in the way of an otherwise certain fourth goal.

With the Bloods in the ascendancy, and the visitors seemingly still on the team coach, the home side attempted to hit the self-destruct button when Paul Phillips failed to collect a simple ball, and Olaolu Oramipkun gratefully tapped home.

This gave the visitors renewed hope, with Michael Briscoe heading over, and Chris Denham having to clear from the feet of Liam Hearns with Hucknall looking to reduce the arrears further before the break.

The Nottinghamshire side began the second half in much the same vein, with Phillips saving well from Laurie Wilson, but Droylsden turned defence into classic counter-attack, when Fearns and Warner combined to free Denham on the right flank. His low cross found Kevin Lynch, who's deflected shot beat Crockett to surely make the game safe for Droylsden at 4-1.

Indeed, Halford almost made it 5-1, but his effort was just wide of the mark from a Morris free kick, hurting his knee in the process in his first full start after returning from a similar injury.

However, Hucknall had other ideas, and credibly took the game to their hosts with a couple of inspired substitutions by Kevin Wilson.

Michael Fox almost made an immediate impact, only to be denied at the last minute by Craig Robinson, but visiting skipper Paul Dempsey made it 4-2 when he struck home a low shot from Fox's cross.

Denham then went close on two ocassions for the Bloods, before a diving header from Dempsey went straight at Phillips in the home goal.

On 77 minutes, Gary Ricketts got behind the Droylsden defence to hook past Phiillps to set-up a grandstand finish.

Whilst Hucknall continuted to press for the equaliser, the better of the late chances fell to Droylsden, with Banim and Denham both missing the target, but Steve Jagielka beat Legg out on the wing to slot past Crockett from a tight angle, thereby sealing matters with virtually the last kick of the game.

DROYLSDEN: Phillips 6, Halford 7, Warner 8, Robinson 7, RUFFER 9, Morris 7, Jagielka 7, Lynch 7, Fearns 7, Banim 8, Denham 7.

SUBS: Daly (not used), Tandy 7 (for Fearns, 82), Williams J. 7 (for Halford, 59), Howard (not used), Rapley (not used).

HUCKNALL TOWN: Crockett, Hanson, Legg, Cooke, Briscoe, Dempsey, Oramipkun, Wilson, Ricketts, Hearns, Williams D.

SUBS: Handyside (not used), Fox (for Williams D., 58), Burns (not used), Akers (for Hearns, 58), Moore (not used).

SCORERS:

DROYLSDEN - Morris (6), Banim (18 & 31), Lynch (47), Jagielka (90 + 3)

HUCKNALL TOWN - Oramipkun (34), Dempsey (64), Ricketts (77)

REFEREE: Mr. P.Tierney (Wigan, Greater Manchester)

ATTENDANCE: 367




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