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

MOOR GREEN 5 - 2 DROYLSDEN

Nationwide North, Tuesday 22nd August 2006

Report by Gary Owen

The Bloods' excellent start to the season stuttered somewhat in Solihull on Tuesday evening, although the scoreline does not tell the whole story of an eventful evening in the West Midlands.

Few in the sparse crowd would have expected the hosts to have a man advantage for virtually 90 minutes, but this is what transpired following Paul Phillips' dismissal in the sixth minute. Phil Trainer played Dale Anderson through, who was adjudged to have been tripped by the Droylsden keeper's hands as he attempted to go around him. Phillips insisted there was no contact, but the referee ordered him from the field play, leaving Gareth Morris taking over to pick the ball out of the net following Darren Middleton's converted spot kick.

Just seven minutes later, however, Droylsden thought they had equalised, only to see the assistant's flag rule out Terry Fearns' effort for offside.

Moments later, though, Moor Green struck again when Jason Moore outjumped Steve Halford to plant a header firmly past Morris.

Dave Pace then decided that major surgery was required, and sacrificed Jody Banim and Jimmy Williams for Steve Jagielka and Craig Robinson to go with three at the back, and with Daniel Warner pushed further forward up the left flank.

Greens almost extended their lead, but a deep cross from Richard Scott was too long for David Morrison at the far post. However, Morrison got his reward on 35 minutes, when he made it 3-0 from a classic counter-attack after a Droylsden move had broken-down.

On the stroke of half-time, Steve Daly had David Lewis at full stretch from a 20 yard free kick after Fearns had been fouled, but Droylsden pulled a goal back in added time, when Scott tripped Fearns in the box, earning himself a yellow card, and Fearns duly scored from the spot.

After the re-start, Kevin Lynch shot over, but the Moors struck the bar through Middleton and Morrison should have scored from the rebound, but found Craig Robinson bravely heading away his shot.

Morris held on to a Trainer shot at the second attempt, and then Halford had Lewis flying accross the face of his goal at the other end, but the shot flew wide.

Moore was then guilty of another miss for the home side before Carl Ruffer also shot wide for the Bloods.

Droylsden twice came close to reducing the arrears, as a Fearns effort brushed against the post from a tight angle, and then Daly steered a difficult header wide at the far post from Robinson's deep cross.

Those misses were cruelly punished by the Moors, who broke away for Middleton to notch his second, which saw Morris cautioned for becoming involved in a heated discussion with some of the home support, no doubt due to the frustrations the Bloods were enduring.

With three minutes remaining, Anderson bundled home the fifth, before Fearns shot wide. In added time Fearns did notch his second to make it 2-5, but the game was lost way back in the first half.

Hopefully, the Bloods will re-grouped to get results against Barrow and Worksop over the Bank Holiday weekend.

If there are any saving graces, it is that bad nights like this are usually rare, and at least this once occurred in August, and not in April at the businees end of the season.

MOOR GREEN: Lewis, Scott, Midworth, Collins, Sanders, Fleming, Morrison, Middleton, Moore, Anderson, Trainer.

SUBS: Faulds (for Moore, 68), Bridgwater (not used), Follett (for Anderson, 86), Ayers (not used), Rachel (not used).

DROYLSDEN: Phillips 6, Williams 7, Warner 8, Halford 8, Ruffer 7, Morris 7, Banim 6, Lynch 7, Fearns 6, Daly 6, DENHAM 8.

SUBS: Talbot (not used), Jagielka 6 (for Banim, 20), Rapley (not used), Fitzpatrick 6 (for Warner, 61), Robinson 6 (for Williams, 20).

ATTENDANCE: 141

REFEREE: Mr. A. M. Newbold (Loughborough, Leicestershire)