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

DROYLSDEN 1 –1 WOKING

BLUE SQUARE PREMIER – Tuesday 22 April 2008

Report by Gary Owen

The basis of this performance would suggest that The Bloods would have been capable of existence in the Blue Square Premier had their earlier season form been better, as it will be the visitors form Surrey who will have been most pleased with the point.

Admittedly, this was a "nothing" game for The Cards, but the same could be said for Droylsden.

Indeed, Dave Pace's men should have held a two-goal lead at half time save for an erroneous flag from the referee's assistant denying Terry Fearns a second goal in first half added time.

It was the hosts who made the early chances, notably through Chris Denham, who firstly set-up Fearns only to see his team mate fail to get a proper connection with just Nick Gindre to beat.

Denham again put Fearns into a good position, but Gindre save his angled shot, before Denham himself shot straight at the Woking ‘keeper after a Bloods free kick had cannoned off the defensive wall.

All that Woking had to offer in the opening half was a long range effort by Guiseppe Sole, which was easy for Paul Phillips.

So, it was not against the run of play when Droylsden took the lead on 35 minutes. Again, Denham found Fearns in the inside right channel in the box, but with all expecting a cross, he neatly turned outside Jay Gasson to plant a rising drive past Gindre with the aid of a slight deflection.

Kevin Lynch was then inches away from connecting with a cross by Denham before Fearns was then the victim of the daylight robbery in the guise of the assistant's flag with his far post header from Danny Ellis' pinpoint cross.

Fearns and Ellis both went close shortly after the break, the latter electing to shoot with others better placed, before Ellis' tenacity won the ball on the left flank. His cross was headed down by Jamie McGuire and Fearns forced Gindre into a fine smart low to his left with the ball destined for the inside of the post.

Both sides then made substitutions, with Dave Pace seeing fit to replace the energetic Ellis with Robbie Talbot, and Cards' boss Frank Gray exchanging the ineffective Liam Marum for Goma Lambu, and it was their switch that had an immediate effect.

Lambu collected the ball on the left flank and crossed low for the onrushing Jerome Maledon to convert first time from 12 yards.

With 14 minutes left, Talbot worked a great chance to re-take the lead from Sean Newton's long pass. He turned Gasson inside and out before attempting to chip Gindre from 10 yards when what was needed was simply a drive or placed shot past the Woking custodian, who was relieved to be able to simply field the ball from in front of his face, when he should have been picking it out of the back of the net.

Lambu shot over from the edge of the box and Marvin Morgan forced Phillips into a low save to his right as Woking countered from a Droylsden corner, but surely the best chance to steal the points was that of Talbot's, who showed a lack of composure when it mattered most – the difference between victory and otherwise in this division!

TEAMS:

DROYLSDEN

Phillips, Roche, Cryan, Strong, Halford, Lynch (Munroe, 89'), McGuire, Newton, Denham (Dugdale, 82'), Ellis (Talbot, 63'), Fearns. Subs. not used Williams, Murphy.

WOKING

Gindre, Batt (Gray, 75'), Bunce, Ruby, Gasson, Quamina, Maledon, Sole, Pattison, Morgan, Marum (Lambu, 63') Subs. not used Lorraine, Worner

ATTENDANCE: 301

REFEREE: Mr. R. J. Wigglesworth (Rotherham, South Yorkshire)

Word Count 544