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

WORKINGTON 0 - 0 DROYLSDEN

Nationwide North, Tuesday 24th April 2007

Report by Gary Owen

The Bloods recorded their fifth consecutive clean sheet and their seventh game unbeaten with this point in a rather damp West Cumbria.

This was somewhat a game of two halves, with Droylsden shading matters in the first period, and the Reds pressing hard in the second for a winning goal to boost their position in the play-offs.

After surviving early shouts for a penalty, Dorylsden began to assert themselves and attempted to show their championship credentials. Steve Daly twice went close before Blake Norton shot tamely wide.

Steve Jagielka then found Terry Fearns in behind Joe Kendrick, but Adam Collin got his angles right to make the save. This was followed moments later by a Garry Burke header which landed on the roof of the net after Fearns had been fouled.

An acrobatic effort by Derek Townsley flew over the bar from Matt Henney's cross, before Townsley saw his header strike a team-mate before rolling out for a goal-kick.

Eight minutes after the re-start, Jimmy Kelly lost possession in midfield allowing Craig Johnston to bore down on goal, forcing Paul Phillips into a low one-handed save. Kevin Lynch, filling-in at right back for the injured Steve Halford, picked-up the pieces but failed to clear his lines, presenting Anthony Wright with a chance, which Phillips also saved at the expense of a corner.

Following another Workington corner, a clearing header ricocheted back towards the goal, but Craig Robinson was on hand to hook off the line for Droylsden.

At the other end, Daly almost got a full connecting header to a free kick, but Collin smothered the ball at the second attempt.

Robinson then stood on the ball on the tricky surface, allowing Kendrick a run at goal, and his low cross was just too far ahead of the onrushing Wright for the Reds.

On 71 minutes, Daly and Fearns exchanged passes in front of goal, but neither really had a satisfactory shooting chance, and Workington were able to clear.

With five minutes remaining, Kelly was unlucky to see Workington come away with the ball and Johnston turned Burke inside-out before unleashing a dipping shot which went just too high.

The Bloods will now be looking to end their season in style at Ewen Fields with an extension of their impressive run of results at the end of this monumental season.

WORKINGTON: Collin, Gray, Kendrick, May, Edmondson, Henney, Anthony, Birks, Johnston, Townsley, Wright.

SUBS: Hopper (not used), Hewson (not used), Nicholson (for Townsley, 71), Gordon (not used), Summersgill (not used).

DROYLSDEN: Phillips 8 Halford 6, Warner 6, Robinson 6, BURKE 8, Jagiekla 5, Fowler 7, Kelly 8, Fearns 7, Daly 8, Norton 7.

SUBS: Lynch 6 (for Halford, 28), Tandy 7 (for Norton, 63), Morris (not used), Denham 7 (for Fowler, 63), Fitzpatrick (not used).

REFEREE: Mr. B. Parry (County Durham)

ATTENDANCE: 565