N C East Prem Div                                   Sat 21 January 2006

SHIREBROOK TOWN                     4        GLASSHOUGHTON WELFARE                  1

WELFARE FAILED TO CONTINUE WITH THE RECENT IMPROVEMENT AND A VERY POOR PERFORMANCE SAW THEM WELL BEATEN BY OPPONENTS WHO MASTERED THE BUMPY UNEVEN SURFACE BY THE USE OF LONG BALL TACTICS ON ALMOST ALL OCCASIONS.

Welfare had their backs to the wall as early as the third minute when a speculative lob cum centre by the overlapping defender Martin Rowbottom dipped late under the crossbar to beat Welfare’s Ian Philliskirk and put Town in to an early lead.  With their tales up Town stayed on the offensive to give the visitors defence a thorough searching, Philliskirk requiring to bring off a reflex save from Town’s Dean Burrows.

Town had a strong claim for a penalty turned down when Burrows was unceremoniously bungled off the ball on the six yard line, a challenge from which the striker received an injury which forced his retirement, a replacement that was to have dire consequences for Welfare, the substitute Rob Orton going on to net a double for the home side.

Welfare were all of fifteen minutes before getting in their first attempt on goal, a flick on by Lee Parker being poorly struck by Alex Higgins and causing home keeper Darren Lomas little trouble. When the Welfare defence got in more disarray they were fortunate not to concede further, Jamie Morgan smashing a close range shot on to the underside of the crossbar with the rebound being headed off the goal line.  Town were not to be denied however and on 32 minutes Craig Wilson got wide to cross for substitute Rob Orton to drive in low and hard.  As the interval approached Lee Parker raised the visitors hopes with Welfare’s only effort of note but Lomas took the shot with ease.

From the restart Welfare resumed better and it was the turn of Town defence to hang on as a Simon Brooker effort was cleared off the goal line and Lee Parker drove over from close range and when Lomas failed to gather a corner kick with the ball bobbling about on the goal line no Welfare player could get a touch which would have produced a certain goal..  The introduction of substitute Ryan Harwood seemed to give Welfare more pep and on 77 minutes Simon Brooker headed in from a free kick to put Welfare back in contention.   It was not to be however as from a somewhat dubious free kick on the edge of the box Jamie Morgan bent a stunning drive past the wall and the hapless Philliskirk to restore the home advantage and in the dying moments with Welfare unable to clear their lines substitute Rob Horton took advantage to hit home and compound the visitors dismay.