Another point on the board.

One thing I have noticed about this league in my two years involved in it is that any team can get a result off any other team within the division. You only have to look at the last few weeks’ results and the league tables to see that. Take Rochdale Town for example, they have been bottom of the league since October and yet last week they drew 2-2 with table toppers Stone Dominoes. Just a couple of games before that they went to Valerie Park and beat many peoples pre season favourites AFC Liverpool by a goal to nil. It is a tight league and two wins could see you right up there fighting for a top 5 finish whereas two defeats and you could equally be right down there fighting against the bottom sides.
With that in mind Barnoldswick Town came to EGS looking to return to the top of the table after being replaced by Stone Dominoes on Tuesday. Barnoldswick won 2-1 at Chadderton on Monday night to go to the top of the pile before Stone pegged them back 24 hours later defeating Eccleshall by the same score.
Barnoldswick must of thought that the football gods were shining down on them in the early parts of the match. After 6 minutes, and without either goalkeeper being involved, Barnoldswick played a long ball through for one of their forwards to chase. Gary Doyle got his body between the ball and the attacker and attempted to usher the ball back to the safety of the Lee Novak’s arms only to have a rush of blood and in a moment of indecision and madness between Doyle and Novak the former played a back pass to the latter who then picked up the ball. The indecision continued and the referee looked at his linesman who signalled for the indirect free kick 14 yards from goal. Ashton got their wall set up but as the free kick taker rolled the ball across to his right the wall broke and Chapman made light work of side footing it into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
A few minutes later Doyle was brought off and replaced by Sykes. I don’t think it was the substitute that kicked Ashton on, but from here Ashton controlled the game until half time. The equaliser came when Lee Green broke down the left hand side and blasted a shot (which looked like a cross but I’ll give Lee the benefit of doubt on this one) across goal and the wind caught hold of the ball and it swerved past the goalkeeper and clipped the underside of the crossbar on it’s way in.
Unfortunately Christian Baxby’s afternoon was cut short when he tried to hold up a ball with his back to goal only for the Barnoldswick Centre half to try and go through the back of him. I don’t think there was any malice in the challenge and credit to the lad he did ask how Baxi was after the game. News on the injury is that it didn’t look good and Chrisitan was taken to Southport hospital for an x-ray. If, as first thought, it is ligament damage then that may be the last action he sees this season. Hopefully he gets well soon.
Half time arrived and at 1-1 the game was still in the balance. Barnoldswick received a, well let’s just say their manager wasn’t very happy. After hearing the hair-dryer I thought Barnoldswick would come straight at us from the off, but they didn’t and it was Ashton who took the lead 5 minutes after the break when Mike Atherton slide in to sweep a shot past the Barnoldswick Keeper. Cue the onslaught. Almost immediately Barnoldswick went 3 upfront as they new a defeat at EGS would seriously harm their title hopes. Their pressure almost paid off when a cross from the left hit Sykes on the arm and although his arms were down by his side and the ball was blasted at him from 5 yards the referee pointed to the spot. However, in my opinion, justice prevailed when the resulting penalty hit the top of the crossbar and bounced over.
The equaliser did come though on 80 minutes when Chapman was played through to be one on one with Lee Novak. Novak advanced off his line but Chapman slotted the ball past him to make it 2-2. Barnoldswick were not content with a point though and pushed another man forward to make it a 4-2-4 formation. That soon became a 3-4-2 formation when the Barnoldswick left back didn’t agree with a decision and then told the linesman his true feelings for him. The referee then showed him the red card and off he went. Being reduced to 10 men didn’t deter them though and they had a number of clear chances to take the game including one being cleared of the line by Lee Green and also another resulting in a great save by the feet of Lee Novak. At the opposite end Ashton could of stolen it too. Ash Dineley had a first time shot palmed away by the goalkeeper and in the last minute the Barnoldswick keeper made the save of the day low to his right when a shot was blasted hard and low only for him to get down and tip it wide.
At the final whistle it finished 2-2 which took Barnoldwick joint top as Atherton scored a 90th minute winner for Atherton Cols at home to Stone. For Ashton it left us with another point to add to our tally and still the FA cup places are in our sights.
Onwards and Upwards