Woodley Sports v Kidsgrove Athletic

Well it's nearly Ramsbottom v Curzon - but not quite ! You know what it's like - work, trains, family, shopping, cooking, etc etc - the list goes on. So it was for the 1857 train to Ashton - which arrived 8 minutes late thus cocking up my 1915 bus connection to Woodley - got the next one but didn't get to Woodley until about 15 mnutes in.. Didn't have to wait too long for a goal mind - a fairly "Route 1" clearance fell to Douglas-Pringle who casually chipped the Kidsgrove keeper to put the home side one up. I firmly believe the only reason this player has not "moved up" is due the the "names on shirts problem" he would cause !



"Three Flags Two Fans" - honest, there were more !!

Ten minutes later Kidsgrove had the ball in the net - but the goal was chalked off for some reason - no offside flag, can only assume pushing. However three minutes later, some great work from Lennon on the right side of the box saw him square the ball for Byron Moore to have the simplest of tap-ins to level the scores. Lennon nearly did the same again a few minutes later, this time on the right, but the final ball let him down this time..



Some first half action - one of my few "in focus" - well almost !

Keeping an eye on the "Mossley old boy" - Adam Morning produced one moment of class when he received a short ball from a corner - he controlled, swivelled - but the shot went just over. As many were preparing for their half-time break (beer, bovril, bladder - you choose !), Gavin Salmon picked the ball up out on the right and then ran, virtually unchallenged, into the box to drill a shot past the Kidsgrove 'keeper (no name sorry - he's on loan from Port Vale though !) t give Woodley a 2-1 half-time lead. (I'd been checking names with the Kidsgrove fans, and one said "We're doing all right - but the defence is letting us down" - literally seconds before this goal !).

I had a half-time beer - and found myself chatting with another Mossley "old boy" i.e. Kevin O'Connell, who was with Mossley for a couple of spells in the early and late 1990's. His words as we left the club were "There'll be a few more goals yet" - prophetic !!



Kevin O'Connell - then and now (he refused to take hat off for picture - wonder why !)

Now I've had a quick peep at the Unibond site - and I've double-checked my notes - I reckon I've got the goalscorers in the right order and right names - but you never know ! After 65 minutes a corner from the right was headed in by Lennon (or was it Jones ?) to make it 2-2, and after this the confidence just seemed to evaporate from the Woodley players. Ten minutes later Byron Moore (on loan from Crewe apparently) scored with almost a carbon copy of the Salmon goal in the first half (although he finished with his left foot !) and a couple of minutes later another Moore/Lennon combination ended with Lennon chipping the Woodley keeper to make it 4-2 to the visitors - and there was no way back from that.



When you wish you had a good camera - look at his face - PANIC !!!


Man of the Match was undoubtely Michael Lennon - a quality performance full of hard work, hard running and a lot of skill - he's (allegedly) on £400 per week - but with performances like that, he's well worth it - he's scored over 40 goals this season already.

Managed a lift back into Ashton from Barry ("Ashton United cum local groundhopper") - thanks mate - and then found a bus to Stalybridge where I had a little time to discuss the Cricket World Cup - the Buffet Bar has a "Private League" in the Sky Sports Fantasy League Competition - look out for the "Bernard Chutney All Stars" - my squad !! Home to Mossley - a bit of "Alice Through the Looking Glass" (God that bloke must have been on serious drugs !) - and then - to this ....