Valuable points dropped in disappointing game at Barton

There were six changes from Saturday’s starting eleven as The Ambers faced up to surprise strugglers Barton Town Old Boys who have had a massive change in staff and playing personnel since the end of last season and are clearly in a state of re-building the team.
The Ambers started out in promising fashion, knocking the ball around well and looking especially productive down the left flank with Connor Smythe and Danny Buttle linking up well, with the winger providing a series of crosses which were not capitalised on.
Sam Denton, Danny Holland and Simon Harrison all had shots from distance which either missed the target or gave the home keeper catching practice, and at this early stage it seemed like only a matter of time before the floodgates opened.
Jon Froggatt then had the ball in the Barton net but was penalised for a push, and as The Ambers became more frustrated with the lack of a breakthrough, the home side started to gain a little confidence, and against the run of play took the lead six minutes before the break. Rogerson found himself in space on the right and his cross was clipped in off the underside of the bar by Tennant. The half ended with a Harrison volley whistling wide of the post.
The second half was just ten minutes old when Holland beat the offside trap to race on to a Ben Starosta pass and blasted home the equaliser but unfortunately, that was as good as it got as the remainder of the game followed the same blueprint as the first half, with The Ambers totally dominating possession but being unable to get behind the determined Barton back line where skipper O’Malley stood firm.
Substitute Kieran Wells had three late efforts which were denied by the keeper or the woodwork, and as The Ambers became more desperate, so the holes began to appear at the back, and it took last ditch blocks by Richard Tootle and Archie Sneath to keep The Swans at bay.
The final whistle blew to signal the end of a bad few days for Handsworth, and we must now see a reaction, starting on Saturday, if we are to start clawing back the deficit from our rivals.

Belgrave Motor Company Man of The Match – Connor Smythe