Boro 5 Liversedge 2

28th November 2009

Report by Stuart Fairbridge...

Boro put the last two weeks of woe behind them, with a comprehensive victory against a lacklustre Liversedge at a chilly Queensgate

Manager Brian France gave the players a chance to redeem themselves, making just two changes from the debacle at Shirebrook, Joel Hartley replaced Mark Griffin, and new signing Dave Ricardo made his debut taking the place of Paul Routledge.

The game started with both teams looking slightly nervous, and neither created any real chances of note in the first twenty minutes, only an Arran Reid save from a Paul Walker shot being the highlight of a drab opening.

Then out of the blue the game sprung into life with four goals in ten minutes, plus numerous other chances, firstly Boro took the lead, when after good build up play on the right, the ball fell to Ryan Blott, who fired in from a tight angle past Liversedge keeper Stuart Wilkinson.

Alas, and as in a few recent matches, Boro couldn’t hold onto the lead, the ball was played into the box for Walker, who was tripped by new boy Ricardo giving the referee no other option than pointing to the spot, Walker picked himself up and duly sent Reid the wrong way.

Back came Boro with a vengeance, first Joel Hartley made inroads down the right before sending in a perfect cross for Craig Hogg, whose header was cleared off the line by a visiting defender.

It was only prolonging the inevitable as almost immediately Boro regained the lead, with the same two players combining, but this time “Eggy” converted Hartley’s cross from close range.

Two minutes on it was 3-1, with Hogg again the scorer, Liversedge’s defence went AWOL giving Boro’s front man the freedom of Queensgate, and he strolled through to beat Wilkinson with ease.

Two minutes later the away side were lucky not to fall further behind when from a Hartley corner, Dave Hartas sent a header goalwards, but again it was cleared off the line.

Now it was all Boro, and this time it was Hogg the provider, as he sent Hartley clear on goal, but his left foot shot lacked any power, and was saved by Wilkinson.

The second half started with Boro still on top, Blott played in Scott Phillips but his shot was weak and straight at the keeper, then Patrick Miller had an effort from distance which was well over, then Blott again was the provider, this time setting up Hogg for what would have been his hat trick, but he leant back on the shot and the ball sailed over.

It was now just attack after attack, and it was no surprise when Boro went further ahead, Miller made ground down the left then sent in a cross to Blott, who after controlling the ball fired past Wilkinson, albeit with a slight deflection.

Next to try his luck was the impressive Hartley, but after intercepting a crossfield pass his long-range effort was straight at the keeper.

Then from a Miller corner, the visitor’s defence once again made a mess of clearing it and the ball fell to Hartas, but again he was denied, this time by the post.

Just after the hour mark, Boro made it five, with probably the best goal of the season so far, Hartley superbly dummied a crossfield pass from Miller, leaving the scampering Danny Moore acres of space down the right to run into, he then sent in a perfect cross for the onrushing Phillips to head home.

Midway through the half, Blott again set up Hogg, but this time he couldn’t get the ball from under his feet and the chance had gone, this was to be his last action of the game as he was substituted soon after for Richard Medcalf.

Boro seemed to take their foot of the throttle allowing the visitors some possession, and they reduced the arrears after 75 minutes, when a poor header by Moore, fell to Liversedge sub Jamie Wasley, who turned and fired past Reid.

Five minutes from time Reid again showed his alertness when turning away a shot from Lee Ryan, but back came Boro and Miller whipped in a centre that was nearly turned into his own net by Matthew Cavanagh, then Medcalf’s shot rebounded off a post in the dying minutes, and from the resultant clearance Blott was inches away from getting his third, his screamer of a shot just clearing the crossbar.

Overall a very satisfactory result, and a very good all-round team performance that pushed Boro back into the top 3.    

Boro: Reid, Moore, Miller, Hartas, Kemp (c), Ellis, Hartley (Griffin 81), Phillips, Blott, Hogg (Medcalf 71), Ricardo, Goals: Blott 23, 53, Hogg 30, 32, Phillips 61 Unused Subs: Evans.

Liversedge: Wilkinson, Haigh, Oddy (Cavanagh 61), Smith (Ryan 46), Larkin, Ettien, Walker, Shuttleworth, Sherman (Wasley 69), Newton, Ryan. Goals: Walker (pen) 27, Wasley 75. Booked:  Ryan.

Attendance: 445.

Referee: W. Grunhill.