Northern League Division 1
24 March, 2009
Team: Peter Jeffries, Arjun Purewal, Kyle Anderson, Joe Grant, Martin
Langley, Paul Moss (Luke Gilbert 43mins), Gavin Parkin, Stephen Salvin, Gavin
Barton, Joe Fairish (Adam Strong 55mins), Amar Purewal
Bishops slumped to defeat in this vital relegation battle when the
defensive frailties of previous weeks returned to allow Shields two
unchallenged headers inside two minutes with 20 minutes to go.
Kyle Anderson returned to the team after missing Saturday’s
game, and Joe Fairish made his first start after seven games out through
injury. Steven West and Craig Thorn made
way.
Both sides struggled to play any decent football on the hard
high bouncing pitch and it took a while for anything of note to happen. When it did, on 15 minutes, it came from a
defensive mistake when a clearance was sliced to Barton who fired in a fierce
shot from 25 yards which the ‘keeper did well to tip round the post.
On 26 minutes Shields had their first chance of the half when
their No.7 blazed over the bar after the ball fell to him from a corner.
In the 30th minute Bishops were on the attack again,
and when the ball bounced up high into a defender’s arm, Amar Purewal reacted
quickly to gather the ball before cutting inside and firing over the bar.
On 36 minutes a long throw from Anderson was flicked by Salvin
to Barton whose first time volley went straight into the ‘keeper’s arms.
Two minutes later and Anderson was in the action at the other
end when his error gave the ball away but the resulting shot was well saved by
Jeffries low down.
Barton had his third chance of the half on 41 minutes when his
first time shot from a tight angle flew just inches over the bar.
The crucial moment of the game came on 43 minutes when Moss
chased back a high ball and headed to Jeffries before pulling up with what
looked like a hamstring injury. Gilbert
replaced the injured defender. Early in
the second half Adam Strong replaced Joe Fairish.
Bishops were on the attack on 62 minutes and Strong and Barton
combined well but the resulting shot from Strong was blocked by some desperate
defending.
A deep cross on 65 minutes was headed goalwards by Amar Purewal
with the ball dipping towards the far top corner before the ‘keeper clawed it
out for a corner. The corner resulted in
a huge goalmouth scramble before the ball was hacked out for another corner. Two corners later, and Bishops still couldn’t
force the ball into the net.
Bishops were behind on 70 minutes when Ramsay rose at the far
post to head home a free kick. Two
minutes later and another free header, again from Ramsay, made it 2-0, and it
was effectively game over.
Bishops should have been thrown a lifeline on 74 minutes when a
ball across the edge of the area to Strong was handled away from the
midfielder. Once again the officials
failed to notice the handball offence and play continued.
The game petered out to a close, with