28/09/2024
By Chris Gibbs
Last gasp equaliser saves the day at Wythenshawe
Wythenshawe 1, Ahmed (45+1)
Newcastle Town 1, Thorley (90+5)
They do say it’s the mark of a good side to score late in matches and of course it’s to our credit that we kept going to the very end, but the truth of the matter is that we may have got away with one this afternoon.
After the extremely late postponement of our Staffordshire Senior Cup tie at Lichfield on Wednesday, this was our first game for 11 days and it showed. There was a general rustiness in the team, and we’ll need to up our game when we travel to Atherton Collieries on Tuesday as a few were below par.
The team needed a bit of a rejig and there was a full debut from Alex Smith at right back with skipper Tommy van der Laan continuing to deputise at centre half for the injured Kyle Stubbs. Stubbsy is unlikely to see any action in October, so there’ll be plenty more deputising yet.
There was a very welcome return to first team action for Ethan Vale as a second half substitute at Hollyhedge Park and in his post-match interview with me today, Neil Baker intimated that he may well get a start on Tuesday. More on Ethan later.
This was largely a match to forget. The home side were on the front foot and led at half time thanks to a goal in first half added time from Abdullahi Ahmed. They could have been in front sooner but for Slinny and a goal line clearance from Tom Thorley, who you could say had an eventful afternoon.
We had two opportunities to get in front in that first half. On 28 minutes Tommy Van der Laan met an outswinging corner from Isaac Graham sweetly on the volley bringing a fine save from the home side’s keeper Kyle Haslam. Then two minutes before the interval, Tom Jones played in Jake Avery but our leading scorer probably took the wrong option in trying to poke the ball through Haslam’s legs.
After Thorley had a half chance, probably more a quarter chance, when heading a corner goalwards six minutes after the break – it was comfortably saved – he was then involved in the game changing moment of the match.
Chasing back as the last man he made a last-ditch challenge, a penalty was given but critically our favourite farmer was allowed to stay on the pitch – the gaffer felt he was very lucky to do so. And it got better when Slinn pulled off a terrific stop low down to his right to deny Michael Phenix from the spot.
Bakes had obviously seen enough, and changes soon followed. Ethan and Tyler Webster were introduced for the last half hour, and both were to play key roles in what followed.
Ethan showed some lovely touches and got the team going forwards and almost scored a superb equaliser three minutes from the end, as he showed quick feet to dodge a couple of tackles before letting fly with a long ranger, which dipped wide. But there was still time for our late intervention – the third time this season we have scored in injury time to salvage a 1-1 draw.
Tyler Webster and Oli Ritchie linked up well down the left and just when it seemed we might have taken a little too long to get the ball in the box, Tyler got the better of his marker with a lovely bit of skill and delivered an exquisite cross which big Tom Thorley – perhaps a little lucky to be on the pitch – headed in bravely at the big stick for his first goal for the club.
Team: Slinn, Smith, Ritchie, Sherratt, Thorley, T, Van der Laan, Twyford, Graham, (Vale 62), Avery, Jones, (Barry 82), Dos Santos, (Webster 62).
Man of the match: Joe Slinn – A brilliant penalty save from the big man was the show stopper but it was another fine all round display from Slinny to keep us in the game.
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