Witton Albion 2 - 1 Blyth Spartans ATT. 494
Tuck
Gardner (Pen)
GET IN!!! clap
A hard fought win against a side which just wanted to kick and run (and that is not just the ball!), I thought that Rory Fallon and Shaun Tuck played really well, the team battled as best they could against a very physical team which stopped us playing our usual game, but can’t ask for much more than 3 points from our 1st game back in the Premier League!
Gosh, that was a hard fought game wasn’t it? Good start and a good 3 points! I thought that Blyth were quiet a decent team in parts, although they seemed to drop off in the second half a bit which allowed Witton to play a bit. Yeah, we probably deserved to win (just) ish, but I suppose if you were a Blyth supporter you could have been forgiven for thinking a draw was going to be the result. It was good to see some away support and the attendance of 494 was excellent. Well done to all. A great start. lookin forward to Chorley. SBL
Yes,first half theirs and second half ours by a mile.Ref couldn’t count to 10 as every wall was 9 steps away me thinks.
An entertaining and nerve wrecking second half of second half.Dont make a habit of it lads, just think of my dicky ticker .
We are up and on the roll.
UTA. :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:
I thought we played really well. Overall we hit the wordwork 3 times and their keeper made a couple of decent saves. I think they had a bout 3 shots plus the goal. Good win 3 points and up and running against a typical NE side. Big strong with some good touches, I think Pritch woud be well pleased tonight. As for the team they all played their part. sad to see Stevie C go off injured but Rory Fallon did well as did all the team. Shaun Tuck looks a great player and had a great home debut for us.
As for what the season holds well definitely too early to tell but on this showing its going to be more ups than downs.
Well done all !!!
Hello from the Witton Albion UNder 9’s!! Sorry we couldn’t come down today but what a start!
Well done fans who made it down though, 500 isn’t too shabby is it…?
Z Z Z Z Albion!
Andy!
Not too shabby at all - our gate was the second highest in the league (only bettered by FCUM at Grantham) … and guess who had the second lowest!
Thought we played pretty well today, wouldn’t have complained with a draw, but what swung it for us was the last few minutes - while Blyth seemed to have settled for a point, we were battling for the win, and that constant pressure earned us the pen.
Get in great start to the season was a very good match to watch and a good advertisement of the good football we play and hopefully drag a few more on the fence sitters into our home and show them what good people we are COYR UTA clap clap goal
a hard fought win against a decent side. they shadded it in the first half, when i thought we looked nervous. came out in the second half and every player ran their socks off to get the win which was looking unlikely due to some bad luck in front of goal. but the persistance paid off with a well taken penalty by gards. good to see a penalty to actually be scored. shaun tuck looked classy as did rory fallon when he came on for the unfortunate steve connors, who was beginning to look the business until his injury. great to star with a win, and what a promising season it could be with this dedicated group of players. we WILL definately go on from this, so just keep coming down to the h4h stadium to see things get better and better.
Great result, and the performance augers well for the season. I thought the early part of the game was like a cup tie between two differently ranked teams, Blyth harried us all the time, gave us no time to settle and the ball was played in the air an awful lot, giving them as a much bigger side the advantage. When it came to a passing game though they couldn’t live with us, and in that heat it was only a matter of time before their exertions took a toll. Sure enough in the last 15 - 20 mins I thought Blyth had gone, they just didn’t have enough energy to compete.
On chances we should have won comfortably, really unlucky with the three efforts against the frame of the goal, could have had a couple of pens before the one we got, which was a stonewall penalty; I’ve seen plenty given for less than when the keeper’s momentum took him flying into the back of Tuck’s legs in the first half, and in the second half Fallon almost had his shirt pulled from his back in the box, so overall justice was done when we got the winner.
Excellent attendance, well done to all those who have put so much effort into publicising the club, and the pitch looked absolutely immaculate.
The best I’ve seen us all season.
An excellent performance and result in front of a big crowd on a superb surface.
We definitely deserved the win because we withstood their dominance and responded with quality football and we played for all 93 mins which brought it’s reward.
Well done to all and especially Coops who made 2 superb saves at crucial times.
Totally agree with the comment re the pitch - I think its the best it has ever been for the start of a season. fantastic effort by all the guys who have done the work - and don’t those sprinklers in the centre of the pitch look the business !!!
Firstly a big bowdown to all the players and management. The effort that the players have shown since Brian & Mike have been in charge has been nothing short of 110%. Every ball is chased down, nobody ever looks knackered or out of their depth - it’s a joy to watch and worth every penny of the admission.
Secondly, a big bowdown to eveyone involved with Witton Albion FC. I am very proud of our great club. The effort that goes in is remarkable, a massive massive buzz around the ground, everyone positive, the pitch is imaculate, everyone 
- we really are a club to be envied and to anyone that is thinking of coming down to watch just do it!
As for the game - Blyth were better than I thought they would be(especially in 1st half) after the big changes they have made in the summer - We looked a little rusty in the opening few minutes but soon settled down.
We were the better team over the 90 minutes and came very close on numerous occasions which could have made the scoreline 3 or 4-1 albeit they did have a couple of chances as well but Cooper was solid.
Tuck was man of the match, lots of class, never stops and would be a real handful if you had to mark him, am sure him and Stott will form a great patnership.
Who’s going on Tuesday? Can’t wait! will be a test, but I wouldn’t bet against us getting a point or 3. clap
A great start to the season. I was talking to a blyth fan as we left. He was full of compliments about our club- how we played, our supporters, the ground, really impressed with the pitch, also about the prices in the bar. All the hard work that everyone puts in isn’t just noticed by ourselves the away fans really appreciate it too.
UTA
Great result to start the season off against a very useful team, think the comments re the opposition (including the subject) are extremely harsh tbh, they certainly weren’t a hoof it side and I would wager that their centre halfs headed the ball as much as ours.
CJs point was absolutely on the money, they did look 1st half like a side from a higher league, but the games about 90 minutes and we were fitter and probably hungry in the end, and that late pressure brought about the penalty - I personally thought a draw would have been a fair result - but isn’t it great to get the rub!
Although its early doors I think it demonstrated that most of the players we have from last season are good enough to make the step up, which augers well, well done to Pritch, Mose, Deels and the board for making it possible.
This season I feel will be very like the seasons in the Conference, where nothing should be expected but every win is savoured! I hoped for 7 points from the first 7 difficult games, so to get 3pts from the first game is fantastic,
The pitch and surroundings were immaculate, well done to all concerned.
Final point, considering there were nearly 500 on the vocal support was poor, the players on a Saturday can’t hear you typing on your keyboard!
UTA - VFIOS
Fantastic day. Well done to everyone involved- on and off the pitch!
I think Blyth are a little hard on themselves. They were the better team in the first half although can’t remember too many clear cut chances. Their goal however, was a worldy, if he meant it, but we’re assured he did, so fair play.
There was no way, in that heat, that their forwards and midfield would have been able to keep up their pace and closing down of us that they did so effective in the first half and so it proved as they wilted in the heat. It was great to see that we kept going so strongly and with a little more run of the ball in the box, would have run out easy winners I think.
You’d have thought the promotion would mean better officials - hmmm
Good luck to Blyth for the season.
MOTM should have been Ben - he was a man mountain at the back and never put a foot wrong!
Yes it was a good performance. All the defence did well and both centre backs were rarely troubled! Thought Rory did well when he came on. My concern is if injuries occur up front we are a it light weight! I didn’t see Liam there on Saturday has he left the club?
As I was getting out of my car an old timer nodded to me and said 'I’m a Northwicher really but I thought I’d come and see how the reds get on today…". £9.00 in the bank thanks to Mr Rushe.
It was a great game imo fast lots of actions and the best team won just about, im glad gards won the debate over taking penalties thats how to hit them home and absolutely nerveless, we are close to being a very solid squad my worries are also the strikers - liam need to go out and play every week somewhere to get fit so we only really have tuck n stott, and with connors getting injured it raises the issue of his fitness to play every week no james so we are wiaitiong on shaw to get fit, acan he play with sheehan and i mean who will be the hard man ball winner ? anyway thats a debate for another day lets celebrate our first win in the premier division “are you watching northwich vics”
Blyth won 5 - 0 at home to Stocksbridge tonight, so definitely no pushovers.