Chesterfield Sunday League Division 1
AFC Whitecotes....4 Renishaw MW F.C.....4
The curtain went down on AFC's first season in the top division against long time adversairies Renishaw MW today (sunday) at Rother Rec. The game itself was a pulsating end to end game despite it being a dead rubber. AFC started the brightest limiting Renishaw to long range strikes and set pieces for most of the first half. They in fact took a deserved lead as early as the 4th minute, Gee Pemberton hassled a visitors midfielder by the touchline just inside the AFC half, the ball squirted backwards where LYTHAM nicked the ball off a Renishaw defender and raced towards goal where he clipped his shot past the on rushing keeper.
AFC continued to press and on 13 minutes Harcourt went close flashing a header just wide from a Bettney corner. At the oter end Renishaw had a perfect chance after Bettney fouled 20 yards from goal, the free kick was smashed through the defensive wall and Wright intervened heading wide although Scothern appeared to have the strike covered. On 19 minutes a smart flick on from Lytham saw Mason fire wide when well placed to score.
With 10 minutes of the half remaining Renishaw thought they had grabbed an equaliser, the ball from a throw bobbled about in the box with a number of players getting a touch, the ball ended up on the near post and was prodded home, but a linesmans flag intervened and although the Referee at first signalled a goal, he dissallowed it after consultation. Almost immediatly AFC grabbed a 2nd with Wright feeding LYTHAM who grabbed his 24th of the season meaning he ended up the leading club scorer for the season.
HALF TIME AFC Whitecotes....2 Renishaw MW F.C. .....0 NO CHANGES MADE AT HALF TIME.
As the 2nd half started if was obvious the Renishaw had been pumped up by the half time break and went straight on the attack going close within seconds of the restart. It was AFC however who stormed into a THREE GOAL LEAD on 49 minutes, a scramble in the box saw Mason twist beyond a defender before his shot was blocked, the ball dropped to the edge of the box and WRIGHT steamed in to lash his shot in for what should have been an unassailable lead. Not for the first time this season however AFC's resolve began to crumble with individual errors creeping in.
The defining moments of the game came in a six minute spell that started with Wrights goal, within 2 minutes Renishaw grabbed a lifeline with a goal after a game of pinball in AFC's box saw them fail to clear the ball. Gee Pemberton was felled by the touchline and had to be replaced by Cartwright who almost grabbed what would have been a priceless goal seconds after taking to the field, but after the keeper fumbled the the free kick the substitute failed to make up the ground and the keeper regained control. Down at the other end Renishaws newly found impetus saw them within a goal of n unbelievable comeback. A hopefull strike from just outside the box took a wicked deflection that wrongfooted Scothern in the hosts goal sending the ball spinning agonizingly beyond him into the net.
It was a case of AFC trying to stem the tide of Renishaws attacks as the visitors went with 3 strikers in an attempt to grab an equaliser. Whilst they were always creating chances they were always prone to counter attacks from the hosts. Chances came and went for both teams but it was Renishaw who grabbed a deserved third after Bettney, instead of knocking a ball over him back to Scothern to clear, tried to control and clear a ball himself, he soon found himself crowded out by THREE attackers who robbed the ball off him and fired home past the exposed keeper. The game was now up for grabs with 15 minutes remaining, both teams saw chances come and go, and it looked like it would end up 3-3 but with just 4 minutes on the clock lytham fed MASON who raced cler and fired hard and low across the advancing keeper. He had a similar chance moments later but this time fired just wide. As it looked like AFC had stole the game Renishaw had other ideas. Bonson dwelled on the ball in midfield, was robbed of the ball and although Scothern forced the played wide by the dead ball ine he forced his cross over and the ball was prodded home for a last gasp leveller.
FULL TIME AFC Whitecotes.....4 Renishaw MW F.C......4
