Ambers winning run ended by Albion

The Ambers’ six match winning run, which had propelled them up the table into second place, was ended after a 4-2 defeat by a still unbeaten Albion Sports, but there were plenty of positives that could be drawn in a game which could have gone either way.
The home side have assembled a strong and effective unit that will undoubtedly give them their highest ever placing this season, and the impressive, albeit slightly odd surroundings at their new home which they share with Bradford Park Avenue will provide the backdrop to what should be an eventful season for The Lions.
With Cooper and Cropper unavailable for The Ambers, there were a number of changes including returns to the starting eleven for Johno Williams, Owen Haigh and Mason Barlow, but it was business as usual as the visitors started the game positively. An early effort from Kieran Wells was handled well by Albion keeper McMahon before a fine move saw Mitch Dunne get in on the left but he was flagged offside. In response, Albion’s main man Fox had a speculative effort saved by Dylan Parkin, but The Lion’s front man got his revenge when, against the run of play, he was fed down the left channel, and whist Parkin saved his initial shot, the striker was alert enough to nod the ball into an empty net to give the home side the lead.
Handsworth responded well, with Wells going close after being picked out by Alfie Dodsworth’s free kick, before robbing a dallying defender and racing clear only for the ball to run away from him into the arms of McMahon.
At this stage, there was nothing between the two teams, but it was the hosts who suddenly doubled their lead, and it was Waddington who did the damage, albeit his shot did appear to take a deflection on it’s way past Parkin. Again, the response from The Ambers was positive, with makeshift right back Henry Carne seeing his effort from outside the area just miss the target, before Tom Bishop’s header from another Dodsworth set piece delivery, was safely gathered by the Albion keeper.
A positive start to the second half by The Ambers saw Dodsworth’s free kick met by Williams at the far post but his header was scrambled away by Albion, and in a similar situation minutes later, Wells was just unable to get a clean enough connection and again Albion cleared their lines.
The home side were then unlucky not to extend their lead when a thumping effort from Fox rattled the crossbar, but The Ambers’ luck ran out two minutes later when Parkin was caught out dealing with a back pass by Waddington who dispossessed him and ran the ball into an empty net.
Saturday’s goal hero Brandon Bagley was then introduced from the bench, and within two minutes, he had made an impact when he blasted the ball home from the edge of the box after the keeper had punched the ball out under pressure from Bishop, the home side showing their displeasure at the referee’s decision not to award a foul.
Gorji then went close for Albion as Parkin spilled his effort at the near post, but it was soon Handsworth back on the attack, and when Silva failed to deal with a through ball, Bagley raced away down the right wing and sent in a fizzing low cross which was despatched at the back stick by Dunne to celebrate his 100th Ambers appearance in style.
Albion were creaking at the back now as The Ambers doubled their efforts to try and get back on level terms, and this approach was always likely to leave holes at the back, and from one such opportunity, Moke’s long range effort after a fine run, whistled just over the bar. Parkin then saved a good effort from Fox before Moke’s clever chip just cleared the bar, and Haigh made a fantastic headed clearance on the line to divert Fox’s thunderbolt away from goal.
As the game moved into added on time, The Ambers kept pushing and Bagley saw his fierce effort well blocked before a long ball by Basi found an unmarked Gorji who raced clear and steered his shot past Parkin to seal the victory for the hosts.
It was a cruel end for The Ambers who had given the home side a good run for their money but just come up short at the end. With two home games in the next week, The Ambers now need to put this one behind them and start to lay the foundations for the next unbeaten run.