Mellor Thirds 4-3 Tintwistle Res
Match report provided by Third Team Manager Adam Axford:
Pre Match Jog
Ready for kick off
After drawing two of our last three games when we really should have won we really needed to get all three points today.
We finally started a game with three subs, Steve Whelan and Carl Brindley making their Mellor comebacks and young Marcus Richards (16) making his Mellor debut.
We started the game well, knowing that if we pressed Tintwistle at the back we could force them into a mistake. Jack Kuehl intercepted the ball just inside the Tintwistle half, driving at the defence before laying it off to his Central Midfield partner Jack Barraclough who in turn jinked past three or four defenders in the box before slotting home past the keeper. A great goal involving slick team work and individual magic! We kept the pressure on and continued to create chances, Nick Entwistle released Fred Keyte through the middle, Fred was 2v1 with Arnfield in support but he was unable to round the keeper when maybe he should have squared it to his team mate. We remained on top but Tintwistle were creating chances, Benn McGregor made a couple of routine saves and the defence coped well, dealing with the attacks.
On 27 mins we finally got our second; more great work from Jack Barraclough who laid in Ian Arnfield who duly provided the finish. The half ended 2-0, we were on top and dominating Tintwistle in all areas of the pitch.
At half time Marcus Richards replaced Matt McNulty who ws off to Liverpool to photograph the match. Marcus made an immediate impact, an attack up the right hand side ended in the keepers hands, but he bowled it out right to Marcus' feet from the edge of his box, Marcus laid it off first time to Ian Arnfield who cooly lobbed it over keeper and defense into an empty net. The perfect start to the half which seemed to knock the wind out of Tintwistle.
Less than ten minutes later we made it 4-0, Ian Arnfield played the ball through to Jack Kuehl who steamed through the midfield and defense and curled the ball into the right hand side of the net and got clattered by the keeper for his troubles.
Carl Brindley replaced Nick Entwistle who picked up a knock and Steve Whelan came on for Lewis Hanlon, Jack Kuehl stepped back into defence with Ste taking up a central role alongside Jack Barraclough.
The last 30 minutes Tintwistle really put the pressure on Mellor, scoring on the 58th, 72nd and then getting their third on the 87th minute. In the meantime they had some desperate penalty shouts but Mellor dealt with most of the attacks well.
We held on for the final few minutes to claim our second win of the season and broke our habit of throwing away points in the last few minutes, although it would appear we tried our best not to!
A tough away tie next week, away to Bury Res who we lost to on the last game of last season, effectively costing us the Div B title. We know now though that with a full strength side we can play some brilliant football and defend well, it will hopefully be onwards and upwards from here.
Up the Thirds!
