Drax 3 Woodlands Athletic 7
It was necessary for Woodlands to get back to winning ways following successive defeats in the league and cup, as they made the short trip to Drax. Despite the previous nights’ snowfall, the match was allowed to go ahead, although conditions at first made for a scrappy start.
Whilst the previous weeks performance was never matched, the away side looked comfortable for most of the game and opened the scoring on 7 minutes courtesy of Jackson.
The lead was short lived though as Drax came back strongly and equalised when Shaw beat the offside trap to slot past the advancing Cooke. It was soon 2-1 to the home side as they capitalised on a defensive error, the same player finishing from a tight angle. In what was the home sides’ best spell of the match they threatened further and had they been able to capitalise the outcome could have been somewhat different. As it was, they couldn’t and against the run of play they paid the penalty. Good work between Oldridge and Jackson unleashed Bottomley to fire an unstoppable shot past the despairing keeper. It was only to get better for Botto as he added two for the first hat trick of his career and earn the man of the match award. That would come later but the Woodlands were only level at this point.
Following good work from Greaves, James O’Donnell fed the livewire Pheasant, who was bundled over for the first of two penalties. Maundrill finished from the spot to give the visitors a lead they would not relinquish. By half time it was 5 -2 and effectively over as a contest but as with last week, Drax took great credit for never giving up. In the face of tremendous adversity, they showed steel and were rewarded when substitute Davis outpaced Costello to make it 5-3.
Hopes of a revival were quickly dispelled. The home side guilty of defensive naivety when pushing forward for another and were undone with some quick passing. Bottomley completed his hat-trick to send the small travelling support back to Goole with a smile on their faces.
