From Spalding…
A disallowed last-minute Kern Miller goal denied the Tulips a share of the points in this Evo-Stik NPL First Division South play-off scramble at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field.
So the points went home to deepest Cheshire with second placed Witton Albion, thanks to a speculative 11th minute strike by Bradley Bauress. It was the raised flag of a match official in the 90tyh minute which left the Tulips empty-handed, the lino ruling Bradley Wells to be just inches offside as his cross was powered past Albion ‘keeper Calvin Hare from close in by Kern Miller.
The game, however, hard-fought as expected, did not really live up to expectation being devoid of quality football and littered by regular interuptions from the referee.
For the best part Witton were the more dominant of the two teams but the third placed Tulips, particularly in the second-half battled manfully, and in fact had been within a whisker of going ahead in the first minute. Matt Varley threaded the ball through to Cenk Acar who cut through the defence before pinging a super ball over the Witton area towards the far post where Wells, by a fraction, failed to make contact.
But Bauress’s goal, clipped in from an angle 20 yards out was neatly taken, giving home ‘keeper Michael Duggan no chance. It was almost 2-0 to the visitors two minutes later with William Jones’ effort from the edge of the area clipping the Tulips bar.
Clear scoring chances at both ends of the pitch were in short supply with a gritty battle taking place in midfield.
The best effort however, did come from the Tulips. Lee Beeson’s free-kick from 35 yards found skipper Nathan Stainfield charging in towards the far post but ‘keeper Hare managed to pluck the ball from his head as the pair ended up locked together.
Early in the second-half a free-kick awarded just outside the Witton area offered hope for an equalising goal, but Leon Mettam, usually deadly in these situations, fired the ball high over the bar.
The pattern of rugged play continued, with Witton content to defend their single goal advantage and the Tulips unable to make a meaningful impression until the closing minutes when they were to be denied by that raised flag