These Saturdays come around so quickly – but with the way the lads are playing, there isn’t something we’re moaning about. With games being called off across the borough due to the incessant rain we’d seen all week, it is testament to Graham and his hard work that not only was the pitch at Radcliffe Road playable, it looked superb. The win at Horwich RMI last week had seen the lads put together some fantastic passages of football – so training was used in the week to try and get them doing it more often – and as we started arriving for this one, once again the mood was good. Why wouldn’t it be? We’re on a roll at the moment and it’s feeling good…
We’d known all week that today’s visitors Bolton United’s first-team didn’t have a game so although we expected to be facing a different team to the one currently sat 2nd bottom in the table, we knew we had to beat whatever was in front of us. So as the lads started putting the goals up (massive thanks to Nathan Bancroft who saved the day!) the County Ground started to fill. It was great to see the new advertising hoardings up and proud – so massive thanks to North West School Hire and EP Joinery for those – and with our first-team game also postponed earlier in the day, it was good to see the Management team and some of the players there to cheer us on. Truth is – some of them had begged us for a game this morning – but there’s about 20 or so lads that have kept us unbeaten so we were staying loyal to those. And when the starting 11 was announced, it saw three changes to the side that started at Hilton Community Centre seven days ago. Liam Hulme dropped back into the back three and Robbie Smith came in as the left wing-back. There was a start for Ben in the middle three and with Yatesy and Ricky showing the seeds of something good last week, they were once again paired together up top today. The bench was strong as well – with cover for each position – and it included the likes of the returning skipper Matty, Nathan, Jude, Josh and V, better known to his team-mates as Abs. The clouds were dark and low but thankfully the rain had held off so far and as the lads made their final preparations, the coaches set about issuing their instructions. All of the above please – keep the ball, work hard for each other and don’t give away silly free-kicks around our box. Go out there, enjoy it and let’s go into that big game next weekend full of confidence. The lads looked up for it. They really did. And as we made our way out onto the pitch, the County Ultras were there again in full force cheering them on…
The first attack of the game saw the visitors show their pace and within the first 46 seconds, they had seen sight of our net as we defended just a little too deep and gave them the room to run. Thankfully the shot was off target – but early signs that these were not here to simply give us the points…
County started getting it down now though and on 4 minutes, we won our first corner of the game. Across went Robbie Smith and as he curled it in, between the mix of players was Ben to jump highest – but he could only divert the ball high over the bar. Chances = 1-1 – and we’d not had five minutes yet. Two minutes later and Robbie Holt took hold of the ball just inside their half and set off on a mazy run that saw him get to about 25 yards from goal and with the home fans urging him to strike it, he duly obliged – but his shot went straight into their keeper’s hands and the game was still goalless…
Then we started to see them shoots of development between the top two because with 10 minutes gone, Yatesy held off his defender just enough to squeeze the ball into the feet of Ricky and from 22 yards out, he struck towards goal – only to see the ball go about a foot high and wide. This was soon followed up with Robbie Holt playing a superb ball into the feet of Yatesy and as their defender came in close, John simply stepped over the ball – flummoxing their centre-half and seeing the ball run into the path of Ricky’s run. As expected, he held off the challenge of their other centre-half – but as he fell, he could only shoot tamely and the ball rolled into the thankful United keeper. This was more like it though and if a goal was coming, it was surely going to us that got it…
Still only 12 minutes in, we thought we’d taken the lead – and only a great save from their No.1 kept the scores level. We had won the ball in the middle and quick, sharp passes saw the ball land at the feet of Ben. He looked up and with the outside of his right foot, he picked out the run of Ricky who in turn fed it onto Yatesy and as he hit his shot, we all thought it was in – until their keeper got to it and somehow managed to get it over the bar. The corner came to nothing but then the next chance came and it was all caused by confusion from a free-kick. Ricky had been taken out as he made his way down their left and when Alex swung the free-kick in, Ste got his head to it but couldn’t divert it goal wards but only further across the box. There was Gatesie to head it again and as the ball bobbled around, there was Yatesy to fire it – but he could only fire it wide of the upright and out for a goal-kick. It was coming though…
Alex was starting to dictate things in the middle now and when he was picking out passes, it was giving the United defenders no end of problems constantly being on the back foot. Another superb free-kick was floated in on 17 minutes but as Liam Hulme jumped to head it, he couldn’t angle his neck quick enough and the ball went over the bar – from about 3 yards out! You can imagine the banter coming from the home fans about that one can’t you? Then Ricky was put through by another fantastic pass and as he held off his marker for the umpteenth time already, he got enough space to shoot – but could only put it wide from about 18 yards out. The away side hadn’t troubled Pomf once since that opening minute but we really needed to start putting the ball in the back of the net. It wasn’t through the lack of trying though…
And then we did. With 22 minutes on the clock, we once again played the ball out well from the back. Gatesie and Robbie Holt hadn’t given the ball away once so far and it really did help us get the ball into better positions. This time they gave it to Alex and he seemed to wait just long enough before flicking the ball over the heads of their retreating defenders and using his pace, Yatesy was onto it in a flash. He put their full-back on his backside as he tried to get the ball back and spotting the gap, John fed the ball expertly across the six-yard box – where Ricky was stemming in and as he jumped to meet it, he got the inside of his boot to the ball and placed it neatly past their keeper. At last! That passage of play deserved a goal and hopefully now we would calm down and play the game at our pace. 1-0 and we were off..
Soon after we’d doubled our lead – and it was almost a carbon-copy of the first – as the ball was played into the feet of Yatesy and he beat his marker with ease before firing the ball across the mixer – where Ricky had got between their centre-halves to smash the ball into the roof of the net from about 6 yards out. Those two were doing the business and with everything ticking nicely behind them, this was pleasing to watch. 2-0…
On the half-hour mark we made our first changes – with Jude coming into the middle of the park in place of Ben and Nathan coming on in place of Ste. We switched the wing-backs so Robbie Smith was on the right – and within a minute or so, he saw a great shot equalled by a super save to stop us going three goals up. All over the park the lads were doing their stuff and you could with the smiles on their faces.
The visitors seemed to have backed right off now and with the ball spending all of it’s time in their half, the County players went for the jugular. Some great work between Nathan and Ricky on the left saw the ball crossed in and with Yatesy and Jude going for the same ball, a call from either would have seen us score again. But neither opened their mouths and put off slightly, Jude could only head it over the bar. We all know from that bullet at Breightmet United that this lad can head a ball – so all they needed to do was talk and we could have seen another. The play went on and this time, the visitors managed to hoof a long ball up top that saw their pacy No.18 charge through on goal. Just as he pulled back his leg to hammer it past Pomf, from nowhere came Gatesie to put in a certain goal-saving tackle and as the home supporters cheered as though we’d scored, you could see the importance of a first clean-sheet of the season in his eyes right there. What a tackle…
Especially when just over 60 seconds later, we scored again. And believe it or not, this was also a repeat of the first – and the second – goal as Alex took control of the ball and with precision, he picked out Yatesy who didn’t have to check his run. He raced past their full-back as though he wasn’t there and as he hit the bye-line, he looked up and picked out a pin-point cross to see that man Ricky charging in like a bull and no defender in the world was going to stop him from slamming the ball into the roof of the net from about 6 yards out. A hat-trick for our No. 9 and three assists from his strike-partner. Can’t ask for more than that surely?
Again the visitors warned us though because on 36 minutes, they should have scored. Getting in behind us, their No.18 dribbled past at least three desperate legs put in without conviction and as he played it across, their winger smashed it home. Or at least that’s what he thought – until Liam Hulme managed to throw his body on the line and clear the ball from about 18 inches! What a stop and more evidence of how much that back three didn’t want to concede. Wayne was purring about it as well don’t worry about that…
Robbie Smith then took a bit of a knock when he was taken out ruthlessly about 30 yards from goal which resulted in a yellow card for the offender – but the free-kick came to nothing and with about 5 minutes of the first-half left, the coaching staff were already discussing the changes they’d be making at the break. Robbie Holt wasn’t thinking that though and as he set off from just inside our half, he went past about three tackles and laid off a glorious ball to Yatesy who beat his man again and hit his shot – only to see it deflect just over the bar and away for a corner. This time the ball was played quickly and as it found the feet of Robbie Smith, he glanced over and played the most beautiful of passes into the run of that man Ricky and as he had done three times already, he made no mistake in smashing his shot past the helpless United keeper and into the back of the net. A four-goal haul and we were 4-0 up at the break. How often have we wanted that so far this season eh? A solid first 45? Well we’d definitely had it this week…
Half-time: BOLTON COUNTY RESERVES 4-0 Bolton United
What could the coaches say about that? As the lads got their drinks, all Wayne could say was that although those 45 minutes had been by far the best we had played so far this campaign, there was still room for improvement. We needed to get closer to our man and not allow him time to turn and we needed to feed back a little quicker when not in possession. But apart from that, all that was required was another 45 minutes like that. Nothing was won yet – so we go back out there with the mindset of it’s 0-0 and do it all again. Ricky came off for a well-deserved rest and on came young Josh and Liam was also brought off and replaced by the returning Matty. What excellent changes to be able to make! And there were still more to come. But the lads were back out there with a spring in their step and ready to see this through…
The second half started with the away side clearly looking for a way back in and as they tried to pour forward a bit more, it was leaving spaces in behind – that we were looking to exploit. A super cross-field pass from Robbie Smith saw Nathan do just that and as he skinned his marker, he got to the bye-line – but could only fluff his left-foot cross and scue it over the bar. We were back in the driving seat again though and that’s what we wanted to see…
Although he kept saying he was alright, it was clear that Robbie’s knee was giving him some gripes so the decision was made to bring Ste back into the fray just past the hour mark – and as the game went on, it was still the team in blue doing all the attacking. We had another chance that came and went due to no talking – this time between Jude and Josh – and as neither could commit fully, the ball fell into the keeper’s hands. Next up saw some great pressing make the away side lose the ball and some neat passing around the edge of the box saw the chance fall to Alex and a great shot was matched only by a great save. Their No.1 really had helped them keep the score respectable out there and for that, hats off. We were still looking for more though and thankfully, they did come…
Because on 81 minutes, we saw what we had been waiting an age for – and when it came, it was well worth that wait! More good work between Liam and Alex saw the ball find it’s way to Josh and as he looked up, he spotted a yard of space he could get into. He got there – and as he tapped the ball to his right to make the angle perfect, he curled his shot high and wide past the out-stretched hand of their diving keeper and into the top corner of their net from all of 25 yards out! What a goal to open his County account! And we have to remember, this is a 16yr old lad! With him and Jude in there, we really are giving the youth a chance – but they are there on merit at the moment and it’s so great to see. 5-0 to County and the clean-sheet was growing more and more important now…
We then decided to bring Yatesy off and bring Abs on up top and with the home fans urging him on, he had a great chance to score shortly after. The ball had been played down our left and as we swept it across the box, there was Abs to shoot the ball past their keeper – only to find a defender had managed to get back and clear it off the line. The County faithful had really willed that ball across the line and were so disappointed for the lad that it didn’t. It was great to see…
Ricky and Ben then came back on in place of Nathan and Liam Haycock – who both got a pat on the back from the coaches as they left the pitch – and within seconds, Ricky had the worst shot not only of the game but probably his whole career – as he smashed the ball from the left so far that it went out for a throw on the right! Lucky he had already scored four otherwise he was getting it for that miss…
The County players were playing with a swagger now and when we passed the ball and moved into space, we really did look good – and we had a chance to further increase the lead on 87 minutes when Ricky worked the ball in well from the left and as it fell to Jude, he still had a lot to do. But he managed to jinx this way and that and when the opening came, he took aim – but could only hit his shot about a foot over the bar. Again we have to remember the age of this lad playing Men’s football – but he definitely doesn’t mind putting a foot in. Must be the Leeds fan in him…
The last real piece of action saw the County fans, bench and everybody involved jumping for joy – because it was that man Abs that managed to grab his first goal for County and our sixth of the game. More good work in the middle of the park saw another pass spring their defensive trap and this time it was Abs standing in the middle of their box. With the away defenders screaming for offside, time seemed to stop – but the referee didn’t blow his whistle and Abs took aim before slamming his shot low and hard into the bottom corner of their net! There was pandemonium in the crowd as people celebrated and as his team-mates rushed to congratulate him, the look of joy om his face was why we do this. 6-0 and what a performance this had been…
And that was that. Not long after, the man in the middle – who by the way we want to give a massive shout-out to as he was by far the best Match Official we have had this season – blew his whistle to end the game and we had done it. We had not only kept that unbeaten run going but we had got that elusive clean-sheet that we’d been craving all season. If we can keep playing this way and making sure we did the simple things right, this squad of players can really go far. It’s up to them we guess…
The handshakes were done with pride and as County left the field, the away side huddled near to their dug-out for their de-brief. Wayne, Callum and Brian were quick to praise their troops for their efforts out there and knowing that we’ve got the Cup game next week, that was a great way to go into that one. Each and every player had played their part from Pomf through to the front lads and if we can keep that up, then things are looking rather good…
Appley Bridge is the next stop on our quest and if we can play like this over there in seven days time, there’s every reason to believe we can get something. Can we get our name into that hat? We’ll give it a blinkin’ good go that we can promise you…
So as the dust settled on the County Ground for another weekend, it was another case of ‘job done’ for the Reserves. Six goals. No bookings. And a clean sheet. If you’d have offered that to Wayne at 2pm, he would have taken it that’s for sure…
#UpTheCounty!
(Alex Gates was voted as the Player’s Player of the Month for October and tonight received his award of a family-sized pack of Coco-Pops (sponsored by Kelloggs) and all the gubbings – including his most favourite thing in the world – raw spaghetti!|
Well done for some great performances Gatesie – and who is gonna win November’s Star Prize?)