Wright Also Bags Goal In His 150th Landmark Appearance For Club. AFC Walton...3 Dronfield Woodhouse...3.
AFC faced Dronfield Woodhouse @ Eastwood Park this morning (sunday), with the visitors needing ALL 3 points to clinch third spot in the table. The hosts welcomed back talisman striker Jez Mitchell into the fold after a FIVE match ban for a sending off earlier in the season. The game started off pretty even, and took a good 10 minutes before the first real chance was carved out, with a cross from the right bobbling across the AFC 6 yard box, with a host of players from both sides missing the ball. Seconds later Dronfield went close, but a long range effort went wastefully over. AFC profited from the resulting goalkick, Bettneys long kick was expertly flicked on by a Mitchell header for WRIGHT to run onto, before superbly lobbing the onrushing keeper and into the net.
Woodhouse drew level however within a minute, a ball across was forced into his own net by the unfortunate Megyesi. It was end to end stuff, and parity only lasted 2 minutes until a fine cross by Brown saw MITCHELL rise in the box, and power a header home for 2-1. The hosts started to force home thier advantage and on 18 minutes a long raking crossfield pass by Mitchell found Brown on the wing, his cross won a corner that was headed inches wide by Mitchell. The hosts gained a 2 goal cushion with just 22 on the clock. MITCHELL latched onto a through ball from Wright and found his heels clipped as he raced into the visitors box. He dusted himself down before firing the spot kick hard and low into the corner to register his 50th personal goal of the season, and AFC's 100th LEAGUE GOAL of the campaign.
Brown went close soon after when Walton and Mitchell combined and picked him out, he raced past his marker before firing across goal, but just wide. From a corner just after the half hour, the ball fell to Bettney who passed to Walton but his stinging shot was parried by the keeper. Dronnys next real chance came with just 10 mins of the half remaining, but a fierce shot from a corner was expertly headed over by Goodwin from under his own crossbar. A move involving many AFC players ended with Mitchells shot well saved. And on 38 mins Furniss had to be alert when a deft header from a cross saw the keeper at full stretch to tip away the danger. HALF TIME AFC Walton...3 Dronfield Woodhouse F.C....1
Benny kept the same 11 to start the 2nd half and both sides had a good chance within 5 minutes. First following a foul on Wright, Bettney crossed for Goodwin to put his chance narrowly wide Straight to the other end and a swift breakaway by Dronfield, but that was also put narrowly wide. Dronfield pulled back a well deserved goal, although a little fortuitous, a cross come shot from the right, and Keeper Furniss was caught out by the flight of the ball and it looped over him and into the net. As he landed however he injured his shoulder in the fall, but luckilly could continue after treatment.
Dronfield knowing that ONLY 3 points would do pushed on, spurred by the goal and were causing problems dwn the flanks. They went close again on 55 mins when a rasping shot crashed back off the post after Higginbottom had lost his man. On the few times AFC got forward, Bettneys shot from a corner looked goalbound, until a timley deflection steered it wide of the post. Mitchell went close again after Megyesi picked him out with a crisp pass, he rounded the keeper but lost control and the keeper recovered to claim the ball. Benny then reverted to a more defensive 4-4-2, with Bonson coming on for Higginbottom at the back to try and stem the Dronfield waves of attack. Mitchell who started to feel the strain if the long lay off was next to be substituted, with the impressive Silcock moving onto the wing with Walton going up front.
Dronfield however were'nt to be denied and went close on 68 mins, but Furniss first parried the shot then claimed the loose ball, it didnt put them off for long though and following AFC's inabillity to clear from the back Dronfield took full advantage and Furniss was left exposed as they made it 3-3 with still a quater of the game to go. The visitors had a full head of steam and looked the more likely to grab a winner. With 15 mins left Whitehead, who had an impressive game thursday night, came on for Megyesi, then Jerome Silcock went on a bursting run, and his fine cross was fired narrowly over by Walton. On 77 mins Waltons stinging free kick 20 yards out was well tipped over b the Dronny keeper. For the last 10 mins it seemed like backs to the wall for the AFC defence with Dronfield firstly Bonson making a fine block on the line with his chest and Furniss grabbing the loose ball. Then another rasping 25 yard drive crashed off the other post with Furniss well beaten. That now remained only the crossbar to be hit, they dly did that just2 mins later with 5 left on the clock, a first time shot crashed off the underside of the crossbar and out. AFC certainly happier to hear the final whistle. FULL TIME SCORE AFC Walton....3 Dronfield Woodhouse F.C....3 History was certainly against AFC as they in thier 6 season existance have NEVER won the LAST League game of the campaign.
