League

Widnes Park
Spectators: 6710 (Terracing: 5000, Seating: 1710, VIP seats: 0) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Gordon Foster kicked off to start the match. In the 5th minute, Marcus Ackroyd got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. In the 8th minute, Tristram Whiteley hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. 10 minutes into the game, Martyn Goldsmith cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 1-0. Jonathon Neville was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. Simon Sykes received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 16th minute. Jonathon Neville tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Martyn Goldsmith sent away a hard shot on goal in the 18th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. An unexpectedly hard shot by Marcus Ackroyd in the 24th minute of play forced Sawtry's goalkeeper Jonathon Neville to throw himself to the left, to be able to save the ball. Marcus Ackroyd received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 25th minute. Jonathon Neville tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Sammy Rayner during the 26th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. In the 26th match minute, Sawtry was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Sammy Rayner to maneuver through the defense. After having played for 29 minutes, Laurence Longstaffe managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Sawtry's supporters crossed their fingers, but Laurence Longstaffe was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. Brett Lemerond showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Laurence Longstaffe, who was totally free with the ball in the 31st minute. The supporters of Sawtry booed when Widnes was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 34 match minutes in a wonderful position. Damian Floyd didn't get a good kick on the ball. Gordon Foster received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 39th minute. Brett Lemerond tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. Brett Lemerond took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Gordon Foster, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Gordon Foster sent away a hard shot on goal in the 43rd minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Brett Lemerond came out of the goal in the 45th minute to try and stop a shot by Sawtry's Laurence Longstaffe. But to his dismay, Laurence Longstaffe quickly shot the ball in between his legs and into the goal making it 1-1.

The players of the away team seemed most concentrated when Marcus Ackroyd stepped up to make the kick off in the second half. After 51 played minutes Sawtry got a freekick which was hit by Marcus Hamilton. If Marcus Ackroyd had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 52nd minute. The ball went over the crossbar instead. Jonathon Neville didn't have a chance when a screaming shot from Marcus Ackroyd went, in the 63rd minute, to the upper right corner, 2-1 was the resulting score. Jonathon Neville showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Marcus Ackroyd in the 66th minute of the match. Laurence Longstaffe received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 69th minute. Brett Lemerond tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. In the 70th minute, Benji Stockton hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. Simon Sykes hit a great freekick 73 minutes into the match. Jonathon Neville showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Marcus Ackroyd, who was totally free with the ball in the 75th minute. Martyn Goldsmith took the ball and in the 77 minute, shot a rapid shot to the right of a surprised Jonathon Neville. Jonathon Neville dived to the right, and did manage to get a hand on the shot, but it still went into the right corner making it 3-1. A hard shot by Rex Edmunds from long distance, 81 minutes into the match, got Brett Lemerond's attention. Through a fast twist with his body, he could stop the ball from going in on his right side. Martyn Goldsmith sent away a hard shot on goal in the 84th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Sammy Rayner got his second yellow card in the match during the 85th minute which meant that he had to leave the ground. After 86 played minutes Sawtry got a freekick which was hit by Sammy Rayner. 88 minutes into the match, Martyn Goldsmith notched a goal, 4-1, to the right of Sawtry's Jonathon Neville. Jonathon Neville was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. Tristram Whiteley's shot was meant for the net just under the crossbar, but Brett Lemerond read the situation well and was quickly in position to make a wonderful save in the 94th minute of play. 97 minutes into the match, Sawtry's goal looked a bit too open when Martyn Goldsmith came free, but Jonathon Neville reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Sawtry's players left the field with heads hung low after losing a match that had been finely balanced throughout.