Mellor Firsts 7-0 Parrswood Celtic
Match report provided by Craig Fairfield:
Mellor First Team were back in league action this week against a tough Parrswood Celtic buoyed by a great win last time out against champions Rochdalians. It was a Game of Style and Substance from Mellor who were on it from the first to the last whistle.
Pre-match warm up In sweltering conditions
An imperious display, even by Mellor’s standards, crushed Celtic before a Newall Green crowd who witnessed history in the form of a hat trick of free kicks for Liam McAuley – the first ever for a Mellor Player in the top division. His efforts were supplemented by goals from the unusual contingent of Mike Palmer returning to the side for the first time in years, new boy Rob Crossley and the not so unusual support of regular scorer Johnny Cooke. as Mellor went joint second in the Premier Division. Very rarely can any team experience such a swing from being masters – as I’m sure Celtic were after their frolic in Rochdale last week – to a side chasing shadows vainly for most of this non-contest The game started frantically with both sides looking confident but neither side willing to submit ground on a tight Newall green pitch making it very condensed in the middle of the park, Mike Palmer learnt how tight the pitch was early on, giving the ball away twice whilst looking for a team mate in space however it wasn’t long before Palmer had adapted to the pace of the game starting to break up play with German like efficiency. It was with this tenacity in midfield that Mellor forced their first good situation of the game, Joe Dalby winning and then taking Mellor’s First corner, the ball was delivered deep and partially cleared to the edge of the box as the ball broke down a heavy challenge on Dom Randle lead to a free kick in a fairly innocuous position 30 yards out. Liam McAuley Stepped up and drilled the ball from distance straight into the top corner of the goal, the keeper was still diving through the air as the ball hit the net. Mellor didn’t rest on their laurels and 3 minutes later were two goals up this time McAuley turned provider after great build up with Dunn down the left he then whipped a ball round the back to Crossley who was in the right place at the right time to tap home at the back post. Mellor were now very much in the ascendancy and continued to play a high pressing game through the midfield, it wasn’t until the 35th minute that Celtic forced Cooney into his first meaningful save, Mellor found guilty of trying to rush the final ball into the feet of McAuley soon found themselves turned around running back towards their own goal, as Oldham stepped out the Celtic midfielder slid his pass into the perfectly timed run of the Celtic striker but Cooney was smartly off his line to narrow the angle and block the fiercely struck shot. The rest of the first half continued with Celtic on top, they were now enjoying their best spell in the game forcing another two saves form Cooney and shooting wide of the goal on another three occasions, Cooney’s hands looked as safe as ever but the keepers kicking wasn’t up to its usually high standards and every time the ball was cleared it seamed to come back twice as quick. Tension started to build on the Mellor bench with the subs feeling the momentum of the game turning, they all started to go through their warm up routines, more nervously than with any real intent. It was during this spell of Celtic Pressure that Mellor effectively killed off the game against the run of play, David Dunn picking the ball up, then sliding a sumptuous ball into the feet of McAuley who was fouled on the half turn for a free kick 20 yards out, there was only one player taking this free kick with McAuley already bursting the net from his first attempt the striker stood over the ball with an unnerving confidence, and it was with such confidence he slid the ball round the wall and into the bottom corner for 3 – 0. Mellor left the field at half time with a swagger as Celtic went off to re group shell shocked as to what had just happened. The second half started well for Mellor who were quickly into their rhythm pressing high in midfield and retaining the ball well in possession, when the space was available Mellor were using both flanks to attack delivering devilish balls into the box which should have led to more goals. Whenever Celtic did try and build a head of steam and manage to break through the midfield, the Mellor back four were excellent, thwarting any danger, making interceptions time and time again, none more so than Kane Harrold who was immense all afternoon making 16 interceptions / tackles and completing all but one of the passes he attempted. With the game settling into monotonous pattern of “we attack you attack” Mellor finally got their fourth goal when a typically robust Kane Harrold challenge lead to a break down the right with Crosley, who exchanged some neat interplay with Dalby before the ball was played inside into the feet of Palmer who on the half turn struck the ball from 25 Yards into the bottom right hand corner of the net for four nil. With 25 minutes of the game remaining the Gaffer made his first change, with the straight swap of Rob Crossley for Debutant Johnny “Shirley” Valentine, McAuley slipping into center midfield and Joe Dalby moving up top. 5 minutes later Mellor made their second change, Mike Palmer giving way to Jamie McKenna who slid in at right back, with the impervious Kane Harrold joining Randle and McAuley in the middle of the park. Mellor were now bullying Celtic all over the pitch with their only chances of a goal coming from sloppy defensive play from Mark Oldham who was trying his best to beat Cooney in the Mellor net, thankfully for Oldham, Cooney was in fine form and determined to keep his second clean sheet in a row. The game threatened to taper out into a routine Mellor win however McAuley wasn’t finished just yet adding two more goals in the space of five minutes, one of which a free kick from at least 30 Yards, hit into the top right hand corner of the net with such venom that it made his first look like a tap in the second was a carbon copy of the Palmer Goal ten minutes earlier, an injury time tap in for Johnny cook added the gloss to an all round great performance. Mellor were excellent in this game in every area of the pitch but special mention must go to McAuley for bringing the Style and Harrold for bringing the substance, both players’ contenders for Man of the Match.