Robins Scrap It Out

Terry Smith maintains stalemate. Report by David Robinson

An uninspiring encounter finished goalless at a sunny Hurst Cross as Terry Smith in the home goal denied Brady Hickey’s second half penalty. The visitors made the brighter start as Niall Rowe turned on to a through ball and was forced wide before his cross was eventually put over by Declan Towers. Montel Gibson then put over a decent ball which Nathan Edgington caught on the volley forcing Smith to tip away before another corner led to Rowe’s shot being blocked.

At the other end Richard Smith’s forward pass saw Lee Knight pick up possession but fail to get sufficient contact to beat the keeper and just past the midway point of the half Smith dispossessed Smith-Varnham in the canaries’ goal but saw his goal bound effort cleared to safety by Rowe. Mark Lees’ ball into the area then found Lee Gaskell hitting the side netting and Nigel Julien sped into the area for the Canaries and forced Smith to palm away his shot from a tight angle.

The second half opened with a decent move from the hosts which ended with Gaskell slicing wide after Knight and Matty Chadwick had been involved but after five minutes Richard Smith saw a red card for an apparent elbowing incident but the Robins still almost moved ahead on 70 minutes as Cavell Coo’s pull back found Matty Chadwick firing just wide of the near post with Smith-Varnham nowhere. Immediately play switched to the hosts’ penalty area where Owen Story’s run was halted by Daniel Cowan with Terry Smith providing his second spot kick save of the season.

Barwell could have still nicked the points as Edgington’s ball picked out Simeon Cobourne’s run into the area as he cut inside before dragging wide of goal and Ashton’s closest threat saw Lee Gaskell progress along the by line from where his cross hit full back Cleveland Taylor before deflecting into Smith-Varnham’s arms. With time running out Cobourne volleyed Story’s cross wide and Gaskell sent a 35 yard free kick whistling wide.

Team: T.Smith, Coo, Mason, Cowan, Frost, Lees, R.Smith, Dorney, Gaskell, Chadwick, Knight (Murray). SNU: Lofthouse, Steenson, Andrew.