Yep good report Thomas
Deserved at least a point today. We held our own for the 90 Min’s against a very physical Eastwood team. Lads put in 110% and were very unlucky to come away with nothing from the game.
Thought Lawless did well and looked a very good addition to the team, took his penalty well.
Overall very good performance.
Before the last 3 league games I would have been happy with 2 or 3 points from them. 4 Points I would have been ecstatic. We got 6! Thats far beyond what I could have imagined against the likes of Marine, FC Utd and Eastwood, so I didn’t go down expecting anything today, and points wise we didn’t get anything, BUT we did get a fighting spirit bigger than I personally have seen at any point this season. So don’t know about you lot but after these 3 tough games I’m well happy and very confident we will survive.
Bring on Buxton!!
Gary Finleys Red and White Army!!
We certainly deserved a point today - we were the team playing the football - Eastwood are a big physical team which is what you need to get out of this league. Just wish that Greg would let these type of goals in when we are 3 up and not when it really punishes us but not blaming him he has been tremendous all season.
MoM - Pritch
Totally agree with Thomas and Danny and others, the character of the side in the second half was superb. We deserved a point.
Eastwood have however cottoned on to the fact that like Telford, Burscough and Fleetwood before them that to get out of this league is about being all over 6ft, strong and physical. I certainly would not want to watch that every week. I’ll settle for playing football in the Unibond if that is the alternative.
dont know what game a few of you were watching today but think you must have gone to the wrong game ,physical side ??your lads didnt mind leaving a foot in on a few occasions they were lucky not to recieve cards for some over zealous challenges ,and as for we dont look like a top of the league side , well read the papers thats excactly what we are top of the league,admitted we didnt play particularly well today but we were deffo good value for all 3 points the goal anton scored and had dissalowed was a joke ure 2 centre backs wrestled our centre foreward not the other way round ,we made hard work of it thats top and bottom of it , having said that you have deffo improved since our visit to your place , so be lucky
i guess that after reading the eastwood report on the match, is what makes non-league football interesting.
i hope your reporter at eastwood makes a full recovery?.
report below.
Eastwood 2 Witton 1
Sat, 31st January 2009
Paul Cox was able to field virtually an unchanged team from the one that beat Bradford Park Avenue last week.
Paul Robinson’s enforced change allowed Alistair Asher to reclaim the usual right back slot. Witton brought in new signing John Lawless to make his debut, while Neil Black returned after being cup-tied in midweek.
Richard Dunning tried his luck from 25 yards which custodian Greg Smith made a hash of but recovered before any Eastwood forward could take advantage. The linesman’s flag spared Lindon Meike ‘s blushes after he failed to convert a good cross from Ian Holmes after Ross Gardner, Anton Foster and Alistair Asher had created the space.
A free kick from John Lawless almost deceived everyone but Shane Redmond was on hand to push the ball out. The effervescent defender Brian Pritchard was alert to prevent Holmes from getting a dangerous cross in. Shane Redmond spared the Badgers with an acrobatic save from Lee Thompson whose overhead kick from six yards out was palmed away for a corner.
Holmes went close with a flicked header after good work from Anton Foster and Andy Todd. Minutes later he was inches away from meeting a lovely Meikle cross. A moment of brilliance almost unlocked the dogged Witton rearguard as Todd took the ball on his chest 25 yards out, turned and volleyed a dipping shot that just cleared the crossbar. When two Eastwood players got in each other’s way trying to get onto Hume’s flicked head the referee gave the first of a serious of inexplicable decisions as he awarded a free kick to Witton.
From a corner Sturdy, Gardner and Todd all had shots charged down as the Badgers tried to press their superiority. The goal finally came in the 30th minute and it was an opportunist goal from Ian Holmes that broke the deadlock. Lindon Meikle chased a lost cause and won a corner. Richard Dunning found the head of Simon Sturdy which was stopped on the line. As the Witton players failed to clear, the ball spun loose to Ian Holmes who rolled it into the corner of the net, for the opening goal.
Matt Rhead replaced Ross Gardner who was ill at half time, and he came close to doubling the Badgers lead seconds into the second half but Pritchard was on hand to clear up. Hume did well to clear a good Lawless cross and when Holmes squared to Foster it seemed the Eastwood midfielder would score his first goal but Smith saved well. Pritchard did well to take the sting out of Rhead’s shot after Foster had won the ball.
Lawless tried his luck from 35 yards but failed to test Redmond, and Scott did well to tip the ball away from Rhead’s head as the big striker seemed destined to score.
Witton were enjoying a lot of the ball without over stretching the Badgers defence but it was the Badgers who were enjoying the best of the goalmouth action. A carbon copy of the opening goal almost doubled the lead but Paul Booth cleared. Greg Scott saved Witton with a superb save from Matt Rhead after Lindon Meikle’s back heel had released Richard Dunning.
Thompson should have equalised for Witton with a free header from a corner but he won the penalty that got Witton back into the game moments later. From a free kick both Thompson and Black had shots charged down and as the ball balloon up into the air, Thompson on the edge of the box knew what he was doing and backed into the onrushing Cooke, crumpling as though he had been shot. The referee bought it and Joe Lawless sent Shane Redmond the wrong way.
It didn’t take the Badgers long to restore their lead when Lindon Meikle won a corner, Brian Pritchard cleared Dunning’s corner but Meikle won the ball, slipped it to Holmes who cut inside the fullback and curled a delightful shot over Scott into the corner of the net.
Time and time again the referee and his linesmen frustrated the Badger’s faithful, a quick interchange between Todd and Homes directly in front of me saw the official on the far side flag a fully three yards back from where we stood.
Paul Williams’ outstretched leg stopped Meikle adding to the lead, and Rhead headed wide from Todd’s cross. At the other end, Lawless sent Kieran Lungsden through but he chipped well over (the referee gave a corner!) Foster had the ball in the back of the net after Gary Scott stopped Ian Holmes determined run but one of the officials saw something that escaped the 546 crowd.
Another three points were secured without the Badgers getting out of first gear. We are certainly making a habit of winning important games without playing at out best. The bad news for our neighbours Matlock, Worksop and Buxton is that although Witton were largely toothless up front, they play some decent football and will probably get out of trouble. They put up a spirited display but had the officials been stronger and clamped down on the theatrics’ it wouldn’t have been so close.
Eastwood: Redmond, Asher, Cooke, Dunning, Hulme, Sturdy, Meikle, Foster, Holmes, Gardner (Rhead 45), Todd. Unused subs: Smith, Knox, Swinscoe, Deakin.
Witton: Smith, Scott, Warner (Williams 63), Pritchard, Booth. King, Lungsden, Dunn, Black, Thompson, Lawless Unused subs: Dunne, Schwarz
Referee Darren England Sheffield
I don’t think the Guardian could have produced a more biased report!
Although Thommo certainly played for the penalty, the defender gave him a hearty shove in the back and it was most definitely a pen.
I think we did make them work for it, and a draw would have been the fairest result.
“had the officials been stronger and clamped down on the theatrics’ it wouldn’t have been so close.” I don’t know about theatrics, but I agree that if the officials had been stronger, then more of their players would have been cautioned, and possibly sent off due to a lot of late challanges.
One final point, I remember Paul Williams having a shot towards the end of the game which went wildly over. It may actually have gone in if it wasn’t for the horrendous slope on the pitch, which we were playing down at the time.
The report in todays NLP is lot nearer the mark.
“Neutral fans would have been puzzled as to which team was at the foot of the table”, Eastwood were “hanging on at the death”, “Witton persistently attacked”, Witton continued to press". Hardly reflection s from a game in which were battered according to the Eastwood report above!
No doubt they are well organised, physical and some players have good individual skills - but you would expect that from a team with a wage bill estimated at £8K per week and following an alleged investment of £400K by the chairman. Ian Holmes alone is “only” on £600 per week and £100 per goal - according to their own fans.
Make no mistake we were unlucky yesterday, matched Eastwood for effort and application and were undone by a fluke. It would have been no injustice if we had walked away with all 3 points.
Personally I don’t think they are an attractive team - or club - and no doubt at some point their rich chairman will move on. It will be interesting to hear what they sing then.
Onwards and upwards for us
I know its easy to keep going on about budgets but its worth remembering that 2 of their players weekly wage equals our total for the whole team. Another great effort by the lads and on the whole an excellent January, candidates for team of the month before yesterday!
here we go again that old chestnut ,wages this and high earners that,how the hell would you know what eastwood players are on,you presume coz this person said this or that person said that that its all gospel well isnt it a case of tea pot calling kettle coz if i remember right when you bottled the league last year your wage bill was 20 grand a week (or have i made that up)we were crap yesterday and u still couldnt beat us ,get back to the relegation battle ahead and let me go and throw some rumours around , no doubts you will be quoting some of them later :S
You do get to know the wage bills of other clubs as you chat in the boardroom
Picko wrote:
We don’t have any directors. Just one Chairman and one General Manager.
They come into the bar with us.
The people who take advantage of the hospitality are just old guys, who wear shirts and ties however everything they ‘know’ is hearsay gained from ‘directors’ of other clubs.
Knutsfordian wrote:
[quote]The report in todays NLP is lot nearer the mark.
“Neutral fans would have been puzzled as to which team was at the foot of the table”, Eastwood were “hanging on at the death”, “Witton persistently attacked”, Witton continued to press". Hardly reflection s from a game in which were battered according to the Eastwood report above!
[/quote]
Written by Paddy Farrell who never left the bar and the only part of the pitch you can see is the goal you was attacking second half.
Probably why he thought Holmes “let fly from 30 yards” when he cut inside and bent the ball into the top corner of the net from the edge of the box…
Your top so just enjoy it while you can Boey and Badger - so now " boing boing " off back to your sets.
Boey and Badger you are both full of so much s*** its untrue. You could not tell who was top who was bottom yesterday and Holmes’ shot looked more like a bad cross to me and fooled the keeper.
Yeah the wage bill makes a huge difference how thick are you.
Was good to see you have got some supporters now at least. I am sure it has nothing to do with your cup run because you brought plenty of fans to our place earlier in the season I saw the Taxi arrive at Wincham Park and I swear to you both that taxi was FULL. So well done for that.
Hednesford look far better than you and I’m sure will beat you to first place. But if you get as much LUCK as you did yesterday you might just pinch it.
By the way sort your ground it was the biggest sh*thole I have ever seen!!
Oh and stealing West Brom songs??? Get a grip of yourselves you sad badger b*****ds
Danny’s back!
Danny wrote:
[quote]
Was good to see you have got some supporters now at least. I am sure it has nothing to do with your cup run because you brought plenty of fans to our place earlier in the season I saw the Taxi arrive at Wincham Park and I swear to you both that taxi was FULL. So well done for that.[/quote]
So tell me where did the people come from at half-time that doubled your attendance? There was no more than 100 people there at half time the majority from Eastwood.
Complain about wage bills all you like chaps, the simple fact is if you had been a bit more prudent with your cash over the last two or three years, you wouldn’t be in the s**t now would you?
Like the majority of UniBond fans I speak to, I hope you are relegated as you might learn a bit of humility.
Danny wrote:
Get some teeth, you’re as toothless as your attack…
Badger some people are funny, but sorry your not. So shut up u d**k.