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

HINCKLEY UNITED 1 – 0 DROYLSDEN

Blue Square North – Monday 9 March 2009

Report by Gary Owen

Against a team which had shipped eight goals in their last two games, Droylsden offered little to give the Hinckley rearguard a fairly easy ride, and so slipped to a disappointing defeat.

The Bloods began well enough, with Jake Speight getting in a shot almost from the kick-off, but much after that the first half belonged to the home side.

Droylsden fought much better after the break, but by that time they were chasing the game, so that was somewhat inevitable, but they did do enough to have got something from the game, but when their chances did arrive, they were allowed to go begging.

Nicholas Pollard could have opened the scoring for the hosts after just five minutes, but he pulled his shot wide when he found himself unmarked at the far post.

Jamie McGuire then put a dipping volley over the bar, and Speight shot wide from Carl Lamb's cross. Tony Gray was also off target from a fine ball by Sean Newton, but a spell of pressure from the home side reaped rewards.

Neil Cartwright shot from the edge of the box, and the ball struck the foot of Craig Mawson's left hand upright. There appeared to be a couple of chances for Droylsden to clear, but Hinckley full back Dominic Roma stabbed home the loose ball.

Droylsden failed to heed the warning, and Adam Webster was unlucky to see his rising drive strike the crossbar wth Callum Lloyd was unable to convert the rebound.

Hinckley commenced the second period as they had finished the first, with Liam Brownhill forced into a fine goal-line clearance from Andy Hall after the Knitters' winger had exchanged passes with Pollard. That was not before Roma had tried his luck once again, but he hooked his volley over the bar from a corner kick.

However, Droylsden at last began to show some creativity up front, but two gilt-edged chances were missed just after the hour mark, and they proved to be costly ones.

Firstly, Brownhill crossed for Lamb at the far post, and the big forward tried to steer his header back across MacKenzie, but the home ‘keeper held firm on the line – in fact, this was the first time he had been really stretched.

Moments later, Jamie McGuire was guilty of a bad miss, when he found himself unmarked in a central position just 5 yards from goal. However, he headed Newton's pin-point cross too firmly downwards, and it bounced up and over the bar.

Droylsden continued to press, but found Hinckley's box well marshalled and had great difficulty breaking through. The hosts did look capable on the counter-attack, and the home fans thought they had doubled their lead on 72 minutes when Pollard re-directed a Webster header towards goal, but with Mawson caught flat-footed, the ball flew inches wide of the upright.

Neil Prince then had a great chance to punish Hinckley and level matters, but he could only shoot at MacKenzie when through one-on-one.

Newton saw a free kick blocked, but the ball fell kindly to the left back, whose follow-up strike flew just wide

With time running out, Gray headed wide at the far post from Prince's diagonal ball.

It felt as though The Bloods could have played all night and not scored – they just didn't have that cutting edge, and they somehow need to quickly find their pre-Christmas form – a glimpse of which was seen at Vauxhall Motors last week – if they are to be in the end of season shake-up.

TEAMS:

Hinckley United

MacKenzie, Roma, Franklin, Storer, McIlwain, Carwright, Hall, Gooding, Webster, Pollard, Lloyd.

Unused Subs: Smith, Bradshaw, Dozie, Taylor

Droylsden

Mawson, Brownhill, Newton, Byron, Cryan, Beck (Morris, 73'), Pickford (Brown, 52'), McGuire, Gray, Speight (Prince, 60'), Lamb.

Unused Subs: Halford, Townson.

Referee: Mr. Nigel Smith (Chesterfield, Derbyshire)

ATTENDANCE: 351