Reds Get First Home Win

[Duffer]

Monday 30th August 2004

Unibond Northern Premier League Division One

WILLENHALL TOWN 2 vs SPALDING UNITED 1.

 

The two new boys of the Unibond clashed in this Bank Holiday fixture, Spalding promoted last season from the United Counties Premier Division visited last season’s Midland Football Alliance runners up, Willenhall.

As with all of Town’s fixtures this season the first half was nothing to write home about, indeed there was more chance of finding the weapons of mass destruction then there was of finding a goal.

However the crowd only had to wait for the first ten minutes of the second half to see the first on target effort, a controversial free kick awarded to the Tulips saw a 20 yard swinger, which was headed goal-wards, it looked over the line until a recovering Vaughan somehow got a hand to it to palm to safety.

This spurned the hosts into action and in the 62nd minute a Quilt flick found Edwards who slotted home a low shot passed keeper Chittolk.

The Reds started to press on with their new found confidence but had to wait until the 77th minute to double their advantage. From nothing the ball fell to Edwards who hit it first time, the low drive hit the post and skidded into the net to make Edwards the Reds leading scorer!

The Reds just needed to hang on for their first home Unibond win, but some Bank Holiday madness nearly cost them dearly.

With hundreds of league games and goals, mainly for Sheffield United, under his belt the vastly experienced Steve Charles, lead United on and the Tulips capitalised on some slopping Willenhall defending when from close range Nimmo grabbed a goal back on 89 minutes.

Then into added time Dunn’s snap shot shook the near post of the reds post, the ref must have been caught up in the tension as much as the 130 strong crowd made up of mostly Reds fans as he played an extra three and half minutes after indicating one extra minute!

The win puts Willenhall in 5th place in the league.

Reds line up; Vaughan, Colwell, Colcombe, Slater, Thomas, Curran, Swann, Myers, Edwards, Quilt, Smith. Subs; Tyrell, N Jackson, & Webb.

 

Willenhall now visit fellow Division One Unibond side Eastwood Town on Saturday in the FA Cup. If a replay is needed then Eastwood will be the visitors to Noose Lane on the following Tuesday, otherwise Gresley Rovers will be the visitors for a league game.