Ambers beat Rec in eight goal thriller

With Alex Varley unavailable, Josh Dacre was recalled to start alongside Logan Chappell at the back, whilst there was also a start for Leon Osborne, despite the striker being involved in a bad car crash on his way to the game.
In a lively start, Leon Howarth cut in from the left and had a goal bound effort blocked before Rec raced up to the other end, ex Amber Spencer Sheppard failing to connect to a Kelsey cross by a matter of inches. Osborne then had an effort blocked before Swinburn forced Ben Townsend into action as chances came and went at both ends. Howarth flashed another effort wide after being released by a super cross field ball from Ehsan Mohammed, but it was the visitors who took the lead after 20 minutes when Slater crossed from the left for fellow debutant Swinburn to convert on the stretch.
The goal certainly rocked The Ambers but they responded in the most positive fashion and levelled things up just three minutes later when Ant Mackie was on hand to steer the ball home after an excellent effort from Osborne came back off the inside of the post.
The game continued in the same positive manner with both sides looking dangerous going forward. The influential Mohammed had a cross-shot deflected for a corner before Kelsey headed a good chance over for Rec, and it was the visitors who edged in front as half time approached. It was Swinburn again who got his name on the score sheet, but he was fortunate to see his drive from outside the box deflect past a wrong- footed Townsend. The Ambers almost equalised again on the stroke of half time, but Howarth’s snap shot from an Alfie Eagle cross was cleared off the line and Rec reached the dressing room with an unexpected advantage.
Handsworth started the second period much more positively after what had been a surprisingly flat opening half, and Howarth and Mohammed both drew saves from keeper Pritchard, before the midfielder picked out Eagle whose pinpoint delivery into the box was expertly met by a leaping Osborne who levelled things up for a second time with a well placed header.
Within two minutes The Ambers overturned the lead when Mackie picked out Howarth in the left channel with an excellent pass, and the striker raced on to slot the ball past Pritchard to claim his 11th goal of the season. A limping Darius Smith then left the field and was replaced by Harry Bamforth who was making his first appearance since his Summer return to The Ambers, having suffered an injury in the first game of pre-season.
Handsworth were now well on top and increased their lead further with a third goal in eight minutes when a corner was only punched out as far as Marley Grant who needed no invitation to volley home his third goal in two games. That proved to be Grant’s last contribution as he was withdrawn, young Callum Walton taking his place on the right wing to further test a tiring Rec defence.
Pritchard was then on hand to smother the ball at Mohammed’s feet after Mackie had picked him out in the six yard box and Walton had a shot deflected away for a corner after being fed by Osborne. At this point, it looked like The Ambers were home and hosed, but a Kelsey breakaway almost caught them out, with Dacre on hand to clear the danger at the last minute.
A free kick conceded on the edge of the Ambers box earned Bailey Hobson a yellow card, but the maximum punishment was meted out when Swinburn lifted the ball over the wall and past Townsend to earn himself a debut hat trick.
Kelsey then forced Townsend into a low save as Rec sniffed an unlikely point, but the game was almost put beyond them when some great footwork from Osborne earned him the room to get his shot off. Once again the woodwork denied him, but this time Pritchard was on hand to bravely keep Walton’s follow up effort out at the expense of a corner.
The relief was short lived however, as a clever flick from Jamie Austin following a short corner saw Walton drive into the box and smash the ball high into the roof of the net to open his senior account for The Ambers and seal the victory, although there was still time for some late drama when a coming together involving both sets of players saw Bamforth dismissed deep into injury time.