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

HYDE UNITED 1 - 2 DROYLSDEN

Nationwide North, Saturday 28 April 2007

Report by Gary Owen

The Bloods arrived at Ewen Fields by open top bus, having toured their home town first, to celebrate their status as Nationwide North Champions, whilst Hyde desperately needed a win in the hope that other teams lost to enable a scrape into the play-offs.

As it was, both teams were disappointed as the visitors through away a goal lead by conceding twice in the last five minutes, whilst victory for the Tigers proved irrelevant as other results did not go their way.

The game itself proved to be a pretty scrappy affair overall and only really came to life in towards the end of the second half. For the most part the visitors were happy to let the Tigers have much of the play in the tiring conditions.

The hosts started the stronger with Nicky Clee and Gareth Seddon both going close before Dale Johnson struck a post when through on goal. There were a flurry of bookings around half-time with Gareth Morris, Jimmy Kelly and Steve Pickford incurring the wrath of the referee before half time and Nathan Wharton and Paul Phillips soon thereafter as players began to lose their cool in the hot sun.

The champions took the lead on 52 minutes when Hyde lost possession deep in the Droylsden half, before the ball was quickly sent upfield for substitute Jody Banim, with virtually his first touch, to score with an exquisite lob over the stranded Craig Dootson.

Seddon again went close for Hyde as he attempted to equal Terry Fearns' total for the season, whilst Clee almost scored after a long clearance from Dootson.

Hyde seemed to be running out of ideas and the game looked to be fizzling out until Carl Ruffer was cuaght out of position high up the filed, enabling Johnson to break clear on the right with five minutes remaining. His inch perfect cross allowed Nicky Clee to fire home from eight yards.

Suddenly the Tigers came to life, as they streamed forward. After a close shave, the ball was scrambled away and from the resultant corner, Paul Gedman, on for the tiring Seddon, headed home at the near post for an unlikely winner to at least give Hyde some consolation for missing the play-offs.

But the result mattered not to the majority of the partying fans in the away segregated enclosure, which was an unneccessary measure. The Bloods brought out the trophy to parade in front of their jubilant spectators, with sporting applause from much of the Hyde contingecy, too.

HYDE UNITED: Dootson, Lynch, Caldecott, Davis, Taylor, Wharton, Harrison, Pickford, Johnson, Seddon, Clee.

Subs: Gedman, Adams, Warner, Rick, German.

DROYLSDEN Phillips 7, Robinson 7, Warner 5, Ruffer 6, BURKE 8, Morris 6, Tandy 7, Kelly 8, Fearns 5, Daly 7, Denham 7.

Subs. Norton, Lynch 7, Jagielka 6, Fowler, Banim 7.

ATTENDANCE: 656