1874 Northwich vs Bootle

Recap

200TH GAME ENDS ALL SQUARE
By Garry Clarke

1874 NORTHWICH 1-1 BOOTLE HSL PREMIER 1ST APRIL 2017

An 85th minute equaliser denied 1874 Northwich a deserved victory over championship chasing Bootle at St Luke’s Barton Stadium in the club’s 200th competitive game.

Defences were on top throughout an open entertaining game in which, despite play switching from end to end, clear cut goal scoring opportunities for either side were at a premium.

Bootle’s Michael Ordish whipped a 2nd minute cross into the 1874 area which Ben Hodkinson could only turn into Greg Hall’s hands. In the closing minutes off the first half Ordish drilled in a low shot which Hall saved. In between these two saves the 1874 custodian, assisted by two outstanding centre backs in Ryan Mitchell and Jack Lever, comfortably caught or cleared a number of Bootle crosses and corners.

Scott McGowan had a shot blocked by a Bootle defender in the 25th minute while five minutes later Tom Bailey shot wide of the target. 1874 had a penalty appeal turned down by referee Thomas Kirk in the 35th minute when the ball appeared to strike a Bootle defender’s arm.

1874 survived an opening minute scare in the second half. Hodkinson charged down an attempted Hall clearance and with the goalkeeper and defenders frantically trying to get back to block the goalmouth, the Bootle man instead of shooting squared the ball to a colleague who was prevented from shooting by Matt Russell who cleared the ball to safety.

1874 took the lead in the 51st minute. Joe Woolley’s pin point cross found Sam Hare unmarked in the Bootle area, finishing with aplomb Hare blasted the ball home from 12 yards.

Twenty minutes later Hare swooped on a loose ball to play in McGowan who lifted his shot over the bar from the edge of the area. Jordan Bove had a shot blocked and Jason Carey headed over Bootle’s bar as did Tony Rendell at the other end while Steve Jones fired inches wide of the 1874 goal.

Five minutes from time Bootle sent in a cross from the left into the 1874 penalty area where it struck Mitchell on the arm, referee Kirk pointed to the penalty spot. Diving to low to his right Hall saved Liam Loughlin’s penalty kick, however the Bootle man reacted first to nod the rebound into the opposite side of the net.

Looking for a winning goal to maintain the pressure on the league leaders, Bootle, top scorers in the Hallmark Security League Premier Division with 110 goals, pushed forward for a winner in the closing minutes. Cameron Dalton headed over 1874’s bar, while Steve Jones hit a free kick from the edge of the area into Hall’s hands.

The last minute of action saw Carey thread a ball through the centre of Bootle’s defence, however Bootle goalkeeper Ryan Jones won the race to the ball scooping it up just before Bailey could reach it.

1874: Hall, Connor, Russell, Mitchell, Lever, Hare, J Woolley, M Jones, Bailey, McGowan (Bove 78), Hind (Carey 67). Subs not used M Woolley, L Jones, Kennerley.

BOOTLE: R Jones, Rendell, Hoy, Coulton (S Jones 66), Powell, Woolcott, Haligan, Loughlin, O’Connor (Peers 56), Hodkinson, Ordish (Dalton 82). Subs not used Murphy, Carberry.

GOALS: 1874 Hare 51 Bootle Loughlin 85

REFEREE Thomas Kirk Attendance 241

Man of the match selected by match sponsors WYN & MIKE TALBOT BUTLER = Sam Hare

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