Droylsden F.C.-The bloods on the net!

SCARBOROUGH 1 - 0 DROYLSDEN

Nationwide North, Saturday 10th March 2007

Report by Gary Owen

The Seadogs became the first team to record the league 'double' over Droylsden with this battling 1-0 victory at the McCain Stadium.

It also meant that The Bloods' lead at the top of the table has now been cut to four points with ten games remaining. This was also the third away game in successsion that The Bloods have lost, and with half of the remaining ten games on the road, a change of fortunes will be required if Droylsden are to come out on top of the pile. Indeed, they face tough trips to Nuneaton and Hucknall before returning to the Arms on the 24th.

On Saturday, the home side began very well and controlled matters for the opening half hour, with the championship contenders delivering a rather inept display until they fell behind. Even then, only a slight improvement was forthcoming and discipline again haunted Dave Pace's men on a bobbly pitch, but Droylsden were second best in almost every area.

The home side could have opened the scoring as early as the second minute, when Steve Halford underhit a back-pass allowing Ged Dalton through, but Paul Phillips saved with his legs from the 16 year old winger.

Chris Denham shot just wide, but the Seadogs were on the attack again, this time Carl Ruffer had to block Tony Hackworth's goal-bound effort.

On 23 minutes, Scarborough forced a couple of corners, and Chris Thompson was denied by an outstanding save by Phillips.

On the half-hour mark, Denham charged down a clearance by Carl Cook, but the Bloods failed to capitalise, and moments later Terry Fearns had a shot blocked as the visitors finally seemed to wake up.

The Bloods' best effort of the game so far came on 35 minutes, when Fearns lobbed Mark Wilberforce, but his effort ended-up on the wrong side of the upright.

However, just a minute later, Scarborough were awarded a penalty kick when Dalton went down easily from Blake Norton's needless challenge, and Phillips guessed wrong from the spot kick enabling Thompson to score what proved to be the winner.

Droylsden almost equalised 6 minutes before the break, but Jody Banim's clever shot hit the bar, and Fearns' overhead kick also struck the woodwork from the follow-up.

Norton tried to make amends just before half-time, but his shot from Banim's neat pass was charged-down.

Droylsden's afternoon took a turn for the worse on 63 minutes when Denham was dismissed for seemingly striking-out at Cook. This not only meant a one man disadvantage for the remainder of this game, but the winger will now miss a significant number of crucial games on the promotion run-in.

Fearns twice went close to levelling matters, and Halford headed a corner kick straight at Wilberforce. Fearns then missed a great opportunity to level matters, but he fluffed his lines in front of goal with ten minutes remaining.

Halford shot over before he, too, was dismissed for another incident with an opponent, but on this ocassion he seemed to be rather harshly treated by the card-happy Teesside official.

Jimmy Beadle screwed wide from a Scarborough attack in injury time, and at the death Fearns' header flew wide from Steve Jagielka's free kick with Wilberforce beaten.

Fortunately, only Kettering of the chasing pack were able to record a victory. Surely, the Bloods cannot rely on others' misfortunes much longer, but at least their destinty is still in their own hands.

SCARBOROUGH: Wilberforce, Lyth, Cook, Cartwright, Hotte, Ingram, Blott, Vermiglio, Hackworth, Thompson, Dalton.

SUBS: Thornton (for Dalton, 56), Amos (not used), Beadle (for Blott, 85), Davis (not used), Patterson (not used).

DROYLSDEN: Phillips 7, Halford 7, Warner 7, RUFFER 9, Robinson 6, Morris 5, Norton 5, Kelly 6, Fearns 5, Banim 6, Denham 6.

SUBS: Daly 6 (for Norton, 64), Lynch (not used), Fowler 6 (for Morris 79), Williams (not used), Jagielka (for Kelly, 79).

SCORER: SCARBOROUGH - Thompson (Pen 36)

REFEREE: Mr. Neil Sharp (Hartlepool, Cleveland)

ATTENDANCE: 836