BackSat 26 Sep 2026
Rossington Main
Handsworth FC
2
2
Williams wonder strike earns Ambers a point at Rosso
Ian Robinson
Despite being reduced to ten men for over an hour, The Ambers were more than worthy of their point ….
The Ambers were back to full strength after their midweek League Cup exit and were looking to extend their unbeaten run against Rossington Main to five games, and with both sides on decent unbeaten league runs, it promised to be a tight game and so it proved.
It was The Ambers who started the better as they created a number of early opportunities that should really have put them ahead in the opening fifteen minutes. A Toby Kenyon strike wiped out a Main defender who got in its way, before Rion Arbouin’s driven effort was deflected away for a corner, and Mitch Dunne’s wriggling run into the box was only halted at the last minute by a good recovery tackle.
The first big chance came when Cameron Hough got his head onto Charlie Booker’s long throw and the ball looped over Rossington keeper Johnson but was cleared off the line by a defender, before Booker got his head onto an Alfie Dodsworth free kick but saw his goalbound effort tipped around the post by Johnson, and from the subsequent corner, it was Booker who rose unchallenged but his close range header somehow flew over the bar in a real let off for the home side.
There was then an early blow for the visitors when Dodsworth was unable to continue after taking a knock, with Johno Williams brought on to replace him forcing a slight tweak to the formation as Arbouin stepped out of the number 10 role and moved over to the right, and he was soon at the heart of things as he raced clear and fired in a great cross which was just too far ahead of his fellow strikers.
Up until this point, the hosts had shown very little as an attacking force, but ex-Amber Currie found some space in the box thanks to a clear push that went unseen by the officials, but his header was tipped over by Jim Pollard, and from the corner Hannah’s front post header didn’t miss the target by much.
The balance of the game was then suddenly tipped on its head, as The Ambers, having dominated the first quarter of the game, were for the second time in four days, reduced to ten men when former Rosso favourite Hough tangled with Gibbons as the Main striker raced towards goal, and with the referee deciding that the coming together was instigated by the Handsworth man, it meant an early bath for the unfortunate centre half.
As the game evened out, the next chance fell the way of The Ambers as Luke Magham broke clear down the right channel but his well struck effort could only find the side netting, whilst at the other end Hannah sent Gibbons clear but he suffered the same fate.
The deadlock was finally broken after 31 minutes when the hosts gained the lead, Fielding diving to head home from close range at the back stick following the award of a very soft free kick which understandably frustrated the Ambers bench.
With Williams having dropped into the back four, The Ambers were a man down in the middle of the park, and the unlucky Arbouin was the one sacrificed in order to bring on Sam Fewkes to bolster things centrally.
A nasty collision in the centre circle then saw Mason Smith and home player Warren both hit the deck, and the Rosso man succumbed to his injury shortly afterwards, with Smith limping on until half time, which The Ambers reached with just the one goal deficit thanks to Pollard’s fine stop after Nowak’s driving run and shot which looked destined to find the bottom corner until the keepers intervention.
Owen Haigh replaced Smith at the break, with Ben Harriott shuffling across to fill the right back berth and the substitute earned the games first yellow card early in the half for a cynical pull back as the hosts broke clear after an Ambers corner.
Despite being a man down, The Ambers were more than holding their own and were constantly pushing forward at every opportunity, with Dunne going close but being denied by Johnson, whose parry in the six yard box somehow evaded every Handsworth player in the vicinity.
Suddenly, and completely against the run of play, Rossington doubled their lead when ace marksman Hannah turned and finished neatly after Currie had picked him out at the back post, and at that point it looked a long way back for Handsworth.
However, the men in red clearly thought no such thing and they continued to attack, with Dunne the leading protagonist down the left, aided and abetted at every opportunity by Tyler Williams, whilst Harriott on the other flank was virtually playing as a right winger at times. Dunne fired just wide before his back post header from Harriott’s cross was pushed around the post by Johnson.
Kenyon then volleyed over from a J Williams cross before T Williams picked out Harriott at the back post but he flicked his header wide of the target as the chances continued to be created. However, the constant waves of attack allowed Rosso the chance to break forward and on one such occasion, Pollard was forced into a save from Wainwright’s shot, with Currie blazing the loose ball wide.
The Ambers introduced James Simmonite from the bench to enhance the attacking options and the move paid off handsomely within five minutes, as the youngster opened his Ambers account when he headed home from close range after Harriott and Haigh had combined in the area after a Williams free kick.
It was game on now for the final twelve minutes, and the hosts did manage to re-gain some control of the game as they slowed things down at every opportunity, and they almost sealed the victory but Pollard tipped Holloway’s effort wide and somehow a chance in the box went begging as what looked like a goalbound effort spun away to safety.
As the game ticked over into added time, and with it looking like the herculean effort from The Ambers might just fall short, Mangham was put through in the left channel and with everyone expecting the ball to be played to Dunne who was cutting in from the wing, the striker instead rolled it across towards Johno Williams who, from more than 20 yards out curled it first time beyond the keeper and into the top corner of the goal in the most dramatic of endings, prompting wild celebrations in the corner such was the relief of rescuing a point with everything seemingly against them.
It was a fitting ending to a hugely entertaining game that saw both sides extend their recent unbeaten runs, and next up for The Ambers is the long trip to Pickering next Saturday with the hope that we can put an end to our run of five successive defeats at Mill Lane.
It was The Ambers who started the better as they created a number of early opportunities that should really have put them ahead in the opening fifteen minutes. A Toby Kenyon strike wiped out a Main defender who got in its way, before Rion Arbouin’s driven effort was deflected away for a corner, and Mitch Dunne’s wriggling run into the box was only halted at the last minute by a good recovery tackle.
The first big chance came when Cameron Hough got his head onto Charlie Booker’s long throw and the ball looped over Rossington keeper Johnson but was cleared off the line by a defender, before Booker got his head onto an Alfie Dodsworth free kick but saw his goalbound effort tipped around the post by Johnson, and from the subsequent corner, it was Booker who rose unchallenged but his close range header somehow flew over the bar in a real let off for the home side.
There was then an early blow for the visitors when Dodsworth was unable to continue after taking a knock, with Johno Williams brought on to replace him forcing a slight tweak to the formation as Arbouin stepped out of the number 10 role and moved over to the right, and he was soon at the heart of things as he raced clear and fired in a great cross which was just too far ahead of his fellow strikers.
Up until this point, the hosts had shown very little as an attacking force, but ex-Amber Currie found some space in the box thanks to a clear push that went unseen by the officials, but his header was tipped over by Jim Pollard, and from the corner Hannah’s front post header didn’t miss the target by much.
The balance of the game was then suddenly tipped on its head, as The Ambers, having dominated the first quarter of the game, were for the second time in four days, reduced to ten men when former Rosso favourite Hough tangled with Gibbons as the Main striker raced towards goal, and with the referee deciding that the coming together was instigated by the Handsworth man, it meant an early bath for the unfortunate centre half.
As the game evened out, the next chance fell the way of The Ambers as Luke Magham broke clear down the right channel but his well struck effort could only find the side netting, whilst at the other end Hannah sent Gibbons clear but he suffered the same fate.
The deadlock was finally broken after 31 minutes when the hosts gained the lead, Fielding diving to head home from close range at the back stick following the award of a very soft free kick which understandably frustrated the Ambers bench.
With Williams having dropped into the back four, The Ambers were a man down in the middle of the park, and the unlucky Arbouin was the one sacrificed in order to bring on Sam Fewkes to bolster things centrally.
A nasty collision in the centre circle then saw Mason Smith and home player Warren both hit the deck, and the Rosso man succumbed to his injury shortly afterwards, with Smith limping on until half time, which The Ambers reached with just the one goal deficit thanks to Pollard’s fine stop after Nowak’s driving run and shot which looked destined to find the bottom corner until the keepers intervention.
Owen Haigh replaced Smith at the break, with Ben Harriott shuffling across to fill the right back berth and the substitute earned the games first yellow card early in the half for a cynical pull back as the hosts broke clear after an Ambers corner.
Despite being a man down, The Ambers were more than holding their own and were constantly pushing forward at every opportunity, with Dunne going close but being denied by Johnson, whose parry in the six yard box somehow evaded every Handsworth player in the vicinity.
Suddenly, and completely against the run of play, Rossington doubled their lead when ace marksman Hannah turned and finished neatly after Currie had picked him out at the back post, and at that point it looked a long way back for Handsworth.
However, the men in red clearly thought no such thing and they continued to attack, with Dunne the leading protagonist down the left, aided and abetted at every opportunity by Tyler Williams, whilst Harriott on the other flank was virtually playing as a right winger at times. Dunne fired just wide before his back post header from Harriott’s cross was pushed around the post by Johnson.
Kenyon then volleyed over from a J Williams cross before T Williams picked out Harriott at the back post but he flicked his header wide of the target as the chances continued to be created. However, the constant waves of attack allowed Rosso the chance to break forward and on one such occasion, Pollard was forced into a save from Wainwright’s shot, with Currie blazing the loose ball wide.
The Ambers introduced James Simmonite from the bench to enhance the attacking options and the move paid off handsomely within five minutes, as the youngster opened his Ambers account when he headed home from close range after Harriott and Haigh had combined in the area after a Williams free kick.
It was game on now for the final twelve minutes, and the hosts did manage to re-gain some control of the game as they slowed things down at every opportunity, and they almost sealed the victory but Pollard tipped Holloway’s effort wide and somehow a chance in the box went begging as what looked like a goalbound effort spun away to safety.
As the game ticked over into added time, and with it looking like the herculean effort from The Ambers might just fall short, Mangham was put through in the left channel and with everyone expecting the ball to be played to Dunne who was cutting in from the wing, the striker instead rolled it across towards Johno Williams who, from more than 20 yards out curled it first time beyond the keeper and into the top corner of the goal in the most dramatic of endings, prompting wild celebrations in the corner such was the relief of rescuing a point with everything seemingly against them.
It was a fitting ending to a hugely entertaining game that saw both sides extend their recent unbeaten runs, and next up for The Ambers is the long trip to Pickering next Saturday with the hope that we can put an end to our run of five successive defeats at Mill Lane.
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