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Match Details: Saturday 17th April 2004 Northern Premier League First Division
Attendance: 225 Rossendale United: Molyneux, Perkins, Bayliss, Gamble, Fitzsimmons, Challender, Clarke, Brookes, Barker, Robinson, Norton. Subs: Dalton, Beard, McCluskie. Hyde United: Tim Mullock, Steven Clegg, Wayne Dean (Kieran Delaney), Paul Jones, Craig Buckley, John O'Kane, Nicky Hill (John Gaynor), Phil Salt, Neil Tolson, Dale Johnson (Carl Barrowclough), Matty McNeil This was a strange game. After the first 20 minutes the Tigers should have been ahead by a mile. By half time they were wilting and by the middle of the second half, panic and hysteria had set in. Fortunately for the Tigers Phil Salt was on top of his game and struck two well taken penalties to secure victory for the nervous Tigers. It started ever so well with Mark Molyneux in goal for Rossendale, but only long enough for him to bring down Neil Tolson and take an early bath. Very early, in fact. Nine minutes. Salty did the business from the spot. Phil Bayliss took over in goal and was tested immediately as Tolson struck the bar. Dale Johnson had the ball in the net, but was ruled offside and it seemed just how many the Tigers would score. Bayliss suddenly became Peter Shilton, saving everything which came his way, and doubts crept into the Tigers play, as Rossendale fought back with their ten men. Chris Brooks scored an unlikely equaliser and the Tigers had it all to do. Only Salty and Tim Mullock were sane, whilst the rest of the boys suddenly stopped playing and doubts crept in. Eventually John O'Kane got the boys going with Kieran Delaney introduced to add some pace on the right. However it was a disputed penalty on 67 minutes which decided the game. Johnson was baulked as he ran through and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Rossendale were enraged and Jim McCluskie was sent from the bench for arguing. Salty made no mistake for his third goal in three days. What will he do when he is fit?! There was still time left for some hairy moments and time too for the antagonistic Greg Challender to elbow Tolse. Lucky to only get a yellow, but for the second league match running, all well that ends well and now the destiny of the title is in our hands. Just one more victory needed. Easy when you say it like that. I guess it won't be! |