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

DROYLSDEN 0 - 0 SALISBURY CITY

BLUE SQUARE PREMIER – Saturday 11 August 2007

Report by Gary Owen

These two Blue Square Premier newcomers produced a stalemate, although it will be the hosts who will be most satisfied with the point having played for 85 minutes with ten men.

Gareth Morris saw red for The Bloods after just five minutes when he went in studs showing on Wayne Turk after his own free kick had been blocked by the wall.

Afterwards, Bloods boss Dave Pace was clearly upset by what had happened. "All of your plans go out of the window when something like that happens so early on in a game" he said. "He has let me down, and his team mates and he's let the fans down. Having said that, I also thought that the referee got it wrong when he failed to award a penalty for the trip on Terry Fearns, and then only showed a yellow to their guy when Fearns would have been clean through. I consider that two points dropped today and am disappointed."

Salisbury, though, failed to capitalise on their man advantage. They did enjoy spells of possession, but Paul Phillips in the Droylsden goal was rarely tested. Luke Prince provided many crosses into the Bloods' box from his left wing berth, but all too often they failed to find a colleague, although Robert Matthews almost connected to a Prince cross on 6 minutes.

Chris Denham then screwed wide at the other end, with Fearns almost connecting to turn the ball goalwards.

Craig Robinson headed over from a Jamie Tandy corner, and then Tandy himself wasted a good opportunity from a free kick for the hosts as the half came to a close.

Droylsden's first shot on target arrived just shy of the hour mark, when Denham's weak effort was easy for Ryan Clarke, before a towering header from Tim Bond flew just over the angle of post and bar for City, but Phillips looked like he had it covered.

Tubbs then saw his header fly inches wide from Robinson's cross before he wastefully volleyed over when well placed from 14 yards.

Paul Sales, on for Tubbs, found a yard of space in the box to plant a header goalwards, but it went straight into the arms of Phillips when a yard either side may have broken the deadlock.

Droylsden's best effort came with ten minutes remaining, when Clarke just managed to tip Daly's far post header over the bar.

Salisbury boss Nick Holmes was realistic afterwards. "We'd have expected to win against ten men, but it's a start. The football from both sides was disappointing, and the ball was in the air a lot, yet it was a nice pitch. We should have tried to get the ball down more, and maybe we took the easy option, playing down the channels. It was a typical opening day fixture, played in 75-80 degree heat, and to be fair to Droylsden they acquitted themselves well after going down to ten. We'll have better days, and we'll have worse ones."

The Bloods are now on the road for their next two fixtures – at Northwich Victoria and Aldershot Town.

TEAMS:

DROYLSDEN: Phillips, Murphy, Murray (Warner 29), Cryan, Robinson C. Morris, Tandy (Gibson 66), McGuire, Fearns (Banim 62), Daly, Denham.

Subs. not used: Hotte, Senior (GK)

SALISBURY CITY: Clarke R., Bass, Robinson M. Cook, Bond, Fowler, Clarke D., Turk, Tubbs (Brown 73), Matthews (Sales 73), Prince (Feeney 62).

REFEREE: Mr. R. Joyce (Middlesbrough, Cleveland)

ATTENDANCE: 821