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No buses for ages then half a dozen come along!
The first half hour wasn't too memorable; neither side looked overly interested but as usual Whaley constructed well in the middle third and delivered well from either wing but failed to make any real chances.
5 minutes later the home side were 3 goals up!
Jack Kelly back after weeks on the treatment bench popped up in the right place and at the right moment to direct the deftest of headers into the far corner from a clever Lee Morris cross, 1 - 0.
Next up and in quick succession the boy Burgess made it 2-0. Joe will be the first to admit that he hasn’t been too clinical in front of goal this term but he certainly made no mistake today rising at the far post to properly attack the ball and head home powerfully from a Sutton corner.
So game on at last… and Tom Scorer, another not yet quite firing on all four cylinders, latched on to strike partner Kelly's through ball only to be pulled down in the box by Jamie Scott in a genuine attempt to get the ball; Sutton dispatching the penalty with his usual aplomb.
Injuries to both wing backs, Leadbetter and Gregory, caused Darryl to reshuffle a bit not long into the 2nd half. Sutton moving back to the right berth and the experienced Kay coming on left side to support Lee Morris. Circumstances were now also ideal for the influential Adam Barlow to return after another long-standing injury and get some game time under his belt and he didn't look too far off the pace.
The home side, now 3 goals to the good, lowered the pace and dropped deep allowing the visitors a bit more possession until ultimately a well-deserved goal smashed in by Liam Bowden upped their confidence to make it 3 -1, still comfortable but another would have meant panic stations.
However Burgess, always a threat down the right and particularly effective on the top wing, created several more chances and following a bit of interplay with Pete Wigg the ball fell to Adam Barlow who reacted first to tap in to restore a 3 goal advantage.
Two almost identical free kicks in quick succession killed off any hope the visitors may have had to retrieve anything from the game; both dispatched by the tenacious Dan Gilbride - his cultured left boot giving the keeper Anderson no chance form 20 yards... the ball passing him by first on his left and then on his right. Whaley's regular super supporters won't see better this season!
Darryl unceremoniously took Jack Kelly off for his own sake after harassing the referee over something and nothing and after collecting a yellow card to boot; the last thing Whaley need is another enforced lay-off!
So, still undefeated and everything to play for Whaley are at home 'yet' again next week (the 9th home game so far!) to the in-form Crewe; still 3pm Kick Off.
Tattersall; Leadbetter; Newton; Streets; Gilbride; Burgess; Sutton; Gilbride; Kelly; Scorer
Barlow; Kay; Wigg |
