12/10/2024
By Chris Gibbs
Another point gained in tough draw with Bootle
Newcastle Town 1 Avery (29) Assist: Dos Santos
Bootle 1 Harwood (49)
It wasn’t the win we hoped we’d get after two superb victories against Stalybridge and Runcorn, but a point was a good outcome for us after a really tough battle with a very hard working Bootle side.
We went into this game knowing that a third successive win would have taken us above today’s opponents, but the truth is that would have been very harsh on Bootle who despite being on a terrible run of results – five league defeats in their last six – played with a lot of confidence and determination.
The superb display which had seen us beat Runcorn 2-1 on Tuesday evening was always going to be a hard act to follow and this afternoon’s game didn’t come close to hitting those heights.
In a first half low on both entertainment and chances it was a surprise to many that the opening game came from a brilliant piece of play. It started with Jack Sherratt – how often do we say this – who seemed to have lost possession in a bad position but then did brilliantly to not only regain in but to pop a pass off to his left to Carlos dos Santos.
Carlos then played a lovely long ball down the touchline which Jake Avery ran on to and seeing Bootle’s captain and goalkeeper Tony Thompson off his line, Jake lifted a superb finish over the stranded stopper and into the net. A fine goal indeed.
You would think that Bootle having struggled for results in recent weeks might have allowed their heads to drop but not a bit of it. The Liverpool club simply resolved to comeback stronger and would have equalised through Anthony Miley before the break had the crossbar not come to our rescue from Bootle’s centre half’s fine header.
Within four minutes of the second half though, our visitors were level. Conor Harwood, who was a constant thorn in our side until being replaced with 17 minutes to play, got a header away which squirmed beyond Slinny despite the big man getting both hands to it.
The truth is, it was fully deserved. And on the second half showing we were perhaps a little lucky to hold on for a point. Bootle rang the changes and their subs very nearly won the game. Jordan Hodkin had a header brilliantly saved by Slinny and then the big man tipped another one from range over the bar.
Two minutes from the end Jack Lenehan fired a shot in which Slinny parried into the path of Hodkin but Bootle’s late sub couldn’t sort his feet out quickly enough and the ball bounced behind for a goal kick.
It didn’t quite to the way we hoped today but there is much to admire in that we held on to get a draw and extend our unbeaten run to five games. We go again at Hanley on Friday night.
Team: Slinn, Derbyshire, Ritchie, Sherratt, Thorley, Van der Laan, Dos Santos, Vale, Avery, Jones, (Morgan 74), Webster, (Twyford 74)
Man of the match: Tom Thorley – not an easy decision today on a day when few played to their true potential, but the big man won his headers and at one point brought the ball out of defence with a deft touch and swivel which many of the watching Scousers might have likened to being with almost a Jan Molbyesque calmness. Gasps were drawn, He gets the vote for that alone. 😊