Saturday 20th November, 2010

KoolSport NCEL Division One The Colliery 1 Leeds Carnegie 2

For a home game it was disappointing to see that The Colliery were starting the game with only the one sub; and that was a player that they had only signed hours earlier, Zephaniah Thomas from Parkgate. The rest of the team remained unchanged apart from Carl Hastie who had decided that he no longer wanted to play for the team. Strange!!
The game started with little action in front of goal, Liam Charlton shooting just wide of the post in the first minute then McGrory, wearing number 2 but playing as a striker, seeing his strike tipped onto the post by Marek Niedomagala shortly before Hawthorne, wearing number 3 but also playing as an attacker saw his shot dealt easily by the home keeper.
Carnegie did go in front on 17 minutes. CAMPAGNA collected the ball on the edge of the area and fired through the defence and under Marek for 1-0.
The colliery fought back and straight from the kick-off Jason Stokes saw his shot go just wide after a good run. Straight back up the other end David Holvey was on hand to block a Hilton shot that looked destined for the goal.
Within minutes Tom Jepson saw his wild shot go well over the bar after a great cross was won in the air by Liam Charlton.
Another couple of chances fell at the feet of Colliery players as the half hour mark passed. Nathan Fraser saw his shot go straight into the visiting keeper’s hands and William McGhie shot well wide after some good build-up play. Marek was on hand a minute later, saving well to his left as McGrory ran through the defence and at the goal.
Just before the break Stokes could have levelled the scores after Charlton had made a great run into the area but the unlucky Stokes saw his shot finish in the keeper’s hands.
The early encounters of the 2nd half saw Carnegie having several chances to extend their lead. Scott McGrory saw his shot deflected by Jepson onto the post; Hawthorne was tackled at the last minute by Holvey as he lined up to shoot; Marek saving with his feet from the rebound and Thackray saw his shot sail well over after Briandt had made a good run down the left and put in a cross.
This seemed to spur The Colliery on and within a minute McGhie shot over after a great run by Bradley Billam. Charlton was unable to get enough on his header after some more good build-up play shortly before Marek was called upon once again, this time denying Campagna on 58 minutes.
McGhie’s secret, and probably untrue, campaign to have the crossbar raised continued when he shot well over after Stokes had made a good run at the defence and set McGhie up.
Current team Captain Michael Macdonald joined the shooting party after the hour mark had passed but, as the others had found, was unable to beat Giles in the away goal.
Within a minute the scores were level. CHARLTON received the ball on the edge of the area composed himself when he could have got the shot off several times then coolly placed the ball beyond the despairing Giles.
Winning the ball from the re-start Andrew Culshaw saw his header go just wide of the upright from a corner.
Rossington were dominating the play and had Carnegie on the back foot restricting them to the odd counterattack and even forcing them to replace attackers with defenders.
New boy Thomas was pushed into the action to try to find the winner and his opportunity came with 15 minutes to play. His goalbound shot from the edge of the area though was blocked.
With only 8 minutes to play Carnegie found an opening in the home defence when MCGRORY was allowed to run through the defence and fire across Marek.
Marek kept the scoreline down late on with three saves in quick succession before Jepson had a great chance to grab a deserved point in stoppage time but was unfortunate to not get enough on this header and see Giles pull off an outstanding save at the top corner of his net.
Rossington Team: 1 Marek 2 D Lodge 3 B Billam 4 N Fraser (12 Z Thomas 67’) 5 A Culshaw 6 D Holvey 7 T Jepson 8 M MacDonald (Capt) 9 L Charlton 10 W McGhie 11 J Stokes