N C East Prem Div                              Sat 12 March 2005

GLASSHOUGHTON WELFARE                  1                      MICKLEOVER SPORTS                          1    

WELFARE’S BEST SPELL CAME IN THE OPENING QUARTER WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE THE POINTS SAFE, FROM THEN ON THE GAME SINKING TO A LEVEL OF MEDIOCRE WITH NEITHER SIDE PRODUCING ANY CLEAR CUT CHANCES.

In the opening minutes the lively Mark Newton scraped the top of the crossbar and then the same player pressurised visiting defender Tom Leighton forcing him to head past his own keeper from Remo Nesa’s pinpoint cross.

Lee Parker then failed to react quickly enough with the goal at his mercy and keeper Tony Penty saved a good effort from Chris Newton.  Although Welfare were well on top in the early stages they were relieved when Bevan Hudson drove wide from Sports first attack.  Mickleover then had a purple patch during which they threatened to open the scoring but Welfare finished the half well on top with Lee Parker failing to beat Penty in a one to one situation after being released with a glorious through ball from Chris Newton.

Within minutes of the restart the visitors levelled, a free kick awarded somewhat dubiously diverting wickedly off a home defender for David Middleditch to race in and make doubly sure of the score.

Both teams were failing to excite the spectators although Welfare had a claim for a penalty denied when Martin Woolford was taken out by Penty, the referee failing to see the late challenge.

Both teams huffed and puffed and constantly threatened to open out but never produced the goods and the game petered out to a stalemate, this being Welfares eleventh league draw of the season, seven of which have seen them surrender a lead.  

Team: Tom Morgan, Gareth Liversedge, Richard Dobson, Paul Mattison, Darren Leech, Remo Nesa (Andy Seed), Chris Newton (Jamie Thomson), Lee Parker, Mark Newton (James Russell), Martin Woolford,