Having had a stuttering start to the campaign, we look to have got ourselves back on track – and unbeaten in three, we were making the trip over to Oldham today full of confidence. Those three games have seen us notch no less than 16 times – but we knew that a visit to Springhead would need to see us on top of our game if we wanted to secure another three points. Today’s hosts won 2-0 against Heyside last weekend so this was going to be another good test to see how far we’ve come since those early defeats. As the lads set off towards the M60, the mood in the camp was good – so the plan was to make sure it was still like that when we were coming home or a couple of hours or so…
The weather had played it’s part all week as the pitch looked heavy when we arrived in Lees – but both teams were going to have to play on it so that was no excuse. And as the lads warmed up, the bosses already knew their starting 11 for this one. In net was Kain – who has played really well since coming into the squad – and we were going with our now customary 4-3-3 shape. There were changes across the back four though – with Robbie Pollitt and Charlie tasked with being the full-backs and Ben joined Hodgy in the heart of the defence. The three across the middle of the park was made up of Robbie Kennedy, Smalley and Houghie and the attacking trio saw Ax joined by Carl one side and Sean on the other. There were three on the bench for this one – Blaise, Liam Hulme and Robbie Smith -and as we made our way out for the start, the message was clear – play football and challenge for everything. If we could get off to a good start here, it could set the tone for the whole 90 minutes – and with all of the preparations done, the man in the middle took a sharp intake of breath, blew down on his whistle and the game was underway…
Right from the off it was County applying all of the early pressure and a great strike from Ax was only thwarted by their post – with Sean also hitting a sweet volley into the roof of their net that was wrongly ruled out for offside. We had started well and if we could keep this up, this could be a good, fruitful trip to Oldham…
So when the first goal of the game came it was no surprise to anybody at St Johns Street that it was County who got it. A great move down our left saw the ball swung into the six-yard box and there was Houghie to finish with aplomb to notch his 6th goal of the season and see us go 1-0 up. His team-mates rushed to celebrate with him and as the lads trotted back for the re-start, there looked to be a steel in their eyes that was most definitely not there in the early games of the season. This was more like the County we know and love…
Not long after and we doubled our lead – with a goal that was like a mirror-image of the first. We had won the ball in the middle of the park and as it was fed out wide, in a flash it was played into the danger-area – and there was our hitman Ax to control it first-time and tuck his shot low and hard past the Springhead No.1. Ax’s 11th goal in all comps so far – and he is looking like he is slowly getting back to his best. 2-0 and we had a cushion now…
The home side huffed and puffed as they tried to find a way back into the game – but Houghie was all over the pitch already denying them spaces and whenever they did manage to break through, our defence were coping with whatever they could throw at us. We did see more sight of their goal – with a couple of good efforts going narrowly wide of the mark – but when the man in the middle decided he had seen enough for the first 45 minutes, it was County coming in at the break with a comfortable lead. We needed to see this out now and this would be another three points on the board…
Half-time: Springhead 0-2 BOLTON COUNTY
As the lads gulped their drinks, the coaches set about issuing instructions that would determine the destination of these points – as they reminded our troops we had done well – but nothing was won yet. It was going to take another massive effort to secure this – but we had already shown that we could carve them open when we played football – so it was a case of just doing the same again, not taking our foot off the gas and squeezing them high up the pitch so that they didn’t get sight of Kain’s net. The lads took it all on board and before we knew it, they were back out there ready to go again…
The hosts must have had a rocketing at the break as they came out all-guns blazing right from the re-start – but Kain was equal to whatever they had and made a couple of smart saves to keep the lead at two. Although we were defending well, they did manage to get some efforts on target but nothing that was of major concern – however we needed to get back to what we had been doing in order to swing the possession back in our favour. However we then saw one of the most dubious penalties awarded – when Charlie slid in to anticipate a shot from just outside of our box. The Springhead player seemed to go over without any contact and when the referee blew and pointed to the spot, even the home supporters and coaching staff looked on in amazement. In truth, their guy dispatched it well giving Kain no chance of stopping it – and now with the score at 2-1, they had a brief bit of optimism that they could grab something here. How wrong they were eh?
Because rather than the County lads switching off and losing the plot, we did what all good teams do – and we started to crank it up a few notches. Getting the ball down and passing it, there was no way the hosts could keep up with us – and when Carl got on the end of a delicious ball through and lobbed their advancing keeper to see the ball land nicely in the back of his net, it was County that had regained our two-goal cushion and dented any hopes they had of sneaking back into this. 3-1 to County and now we knew we could push on…
Push on we did and before too long, we increased our lead further – with that man Ax getting his second of the game. He took hold of the ball on the right and drove down the wing, leaving his marker in his wake. He cut inside and as he looked up, he spotted a gap their keeper hadn’t covered – and hammered his shot straight into it! A fine strike, Ax’s 12th of the campaign and surely we’d done enough to be taking these points home to Bolton with us. 4-1…
Liam Hulme then came into the fray on 70 minutes and having done well since his return to the reserves, it was good to see him getting his chance in the first-team. The same could be said of Robbie Smith – and when he came on with 75 minutes gone, it wasn’t long before he too had got himself on the scoresheet. The ball had been fed into his feet just inside the box and as he looked up he curled a superb shot around their defender, over the out-stretched arm of their keeper and as it rippled the back of their net, we knew that was Game Over now. 5-1 to County and this had been another good away day for sure..
There was still time for more though – but this time it was the home-side that scored it for us. Houghie had took hold of the ball out wide and as his cross was driven into the mixer, all the Springhead defender could do was turn it past his own keeper and into the back of their net. 6-1 and that was that. Job done – and another win on the road for the lads…
The referee decided he had seen enough not long after and when he blew his whistle to end the game, it was the team in blue that had won the game. Deservedly so as well as this had been another performance a little like what we saw most weeks last season. That’s now four unbeaten and we take that form into our home-clash against the reigning champions Hindsford next Saturday looking to keep that going. We all know the challenge they bring – but we’re in good form and we will be looking to maintain that in seven days time. But for now it was a good three points and as the lads made their way back towards Tonge Cricket Club, we knew this had been another successful day at the office. This is more like it…
Houghie was rightly awarded the Man of the Match as he seemed to cover every blade of grass at least three times out there today – but all the lads can go home knowing they played their part in this victory and now we can turn our attention to re-igniting our old rivalry with the Hindsford boys next weekend. Always fun these games you know…
Another Saturday. Another three points for County. Standard…
#UpTheCounty!