This is what Saturdays are all about. With a freshly cut and freshly lined pitch, The County Ground looked glorious as we arrived today – and with the sun shining, it was a perfect day for a game of football. The three goals that knocked us out of the cup last week were scabby – and we had played well enough to win that – but as we came into today. there was one mission and one mission only. Keep the three points in Bolton and go into March still the only unbeaten team in the whole of the Manchester Football League! But this wasn’t going to be easy as today’s visitors – Old Alts Reserves – had won their last two games and having only got a 1-1 draw at theirs back in October, we knew we couldn’t take anything for granted here. The lads began gathering early and as the goals went up, the scene was set for an entertaining game of football…
Wayne panicked as the visitors hadn’t arrived at 1.30pm – but the County lads had been out for a good while before then and as we warmed up, it was obvious there were going to be changes to the 11 that started seven days ago. Skipper Matty had been called up to the 1st team and with Ricky pulling out this morning, we were going into this with 14 players again. The muscles stretched, we came back in as the visitors went out and when the starting 11 was announced, it saw three changes from the last time out – with Tom Robinson back and slotting into the midfield three with Jude and Callum and the front three consisted of Yatesy in the central berth with the returning Aaron Barnard-Sutton on the left and Bradders who fully deserved his start due to the effort he has been putting in during training the last few weeks. That gave us a bench of birthday-boy Adam Webber, Nathan and the back from injury vice-skipper Alex Williams. Gatesie was once again given the arm-band and as both teams got themselves prepared for the start, the home supporters could sense something good was about to happen. They were not wrong…
The game started with County quickly on the front foot and we were pinging the ball about nicely without actually probing much. Shaun did see a toe-poke from all of 55 yards cause their keeper some panic – but he managed to gather the ball as it bounced and the unbelievable remained unbelievable. It was good to see Robbo combining with a young midfield duo of Jude and Callum as well – and those nippers have been performing heroics for the last few weeks – and we were soon winning that battle in the middle of the park. And with 12 minutes on the clock, it was County who got the first goal. Winning a free-kick about 30 yards from goal on our right, Aaron went across to take it. As usual there was a long line of opposite shirts right across their box and with everybody expected him to whip it in, Aaron had other ideas. He spotted Bradders in a bit of space and as he shaped to swing it in, he simply fed it to Bradders who had made a darting run through the channel – and he did the rest by smashing his shot past their keeper and against the inside of his upright before nestling in the back of their net! A great goal and there was Bradders justifying his start in the team! 1-0 and we were off…
The team in blue were purring now and at times, some of our football was a delight to watch. Knocking it simple, working our way up the pitch quickly and giving the opponents no time to think. That’s how to dominate matches and we were doing it really well at times. Sure – there were patches where we were rushing things and it became patchy – but when we thought about it, we were playing really well. And with 16 minutes on the clock, another such move saw us with our next real chance. Some swift 1-2’s through the midfield saw Robbie Holt bursting through from the defence. He swicthed the ball with Bradders and as he looked destined to rifle the ball into the back of their net, he was taken out – and the man in black has no choice to point to the spot. With a debate about who was going to take it raging, Gatesie – the skipper for the day – decided to give it to Robbie as he had worked hard to win it. Up stepped our No.4 confidently – but his spot-kick was dreadful and bounced off their keeper easily – but with the ball dropping straight back to him, the County bench waited for the net to bulge – only to see him once again find their No.1 and he managed to tip it over the bar for a corner. What was worse was Robbie stating ‘that’s the first competitive pen I’ve missed!’. Well what a time to do it young man…
Pomf hadn’t had anything of note to deal with so far – but on the half-hour mark, the visitors got their first sniff of goal and it took a fine save from our stopper to keep us in front. They worked the ball well down our left and as it came in, their midfielder struck it from distance – only to see Pomf dive and get his hand to it to divert it wide. A fine save and concentration there considering he’d had nothing to do so far…
And it was proved worthy because a matter of minutes later we had doubled our lead – and it was that man Bradders that got it again. Shaun had won yet another tackle and surged forward before sliding the ball into the feet of Yatesy. Holding it up well, he waited until the precise moment before playing it into the run of Bradders and he did the rest – curling a sublime shot wide of the out-stretched hand of their keeper and into the opposite corner of his net. A fine strike and as he wheeled away, the smarmy look on his face said it all. 2-0 and we were well on top here…
The County bench were buzzing now and with talk of how we would never hear the last of Bradders scoring a hat-trick, he very nearly did it! Yet again we had won the ball in the middle and Robbo, Jude and Callum worked hard to get it out to the left – where Aaron skinned his marker and floated a great cross over – to see Bradders rise highest and as he headed the ball goal-wards, we all looked on with baited breath. The ball connected – but not as he wanted it to – and it dropped the wrong side of the post for our liking. So close though – and they’re right. Would we ever hear the last of it?
Never mind though – because three minutes later we did make it 3-0. Some good pressure from our front three saw them not give the Old Alts defence a second to think – and Yatesy managed to nick the ball from the toe of a striped shirt about 22 yards from goal. With Shaun urging him to shoot, he duly obliged – and curled a glorious shot around their keeper and into the top corner of the net. A stunning strike and now we were three goals in front. This had been a good first-half of football and just what the coaches had asked for at the start…
Just to remind us though, the visitors launched a rare attack and as they found space about 25 yards from goal, their No.11 looked up – but could only slam his shot high over Pomf’s bar and the worry was gone. We did need to keep focused though as the clean sheet was already on the mind of the coaching staff…
With seconds to go before the break, we had one more chance and this time it was Jude who had it. Working hard to win the ball off their midfield, he combined well with Robbo to see the ball pop up and from all of 25 yards, he cracked it – but the ball flew about two feet over the bar and away from danger. Unlucky though and as the boss had said at the start, if we see the goal, have a pop. That was that and as the County team came in for their drinks, the visitors decided to stay out…
Half-time: BOLTON COUNTY RESERVES 3-0 Old Altrinchamians
The message was clear as Wayne, Callum and Brian delivered it. This was still 0-0 and we had to go back out there and work just as hard again. There was a chance here for us to really show our mettle and if we kept playing football, the chances would keep coming. Just relax a little. Don’t rush things. And when the chance did come, make sure we let fire. All over the pitch we were bossing it so we just had to do that again and see where it took us. Once more that bellow of ‘clean sheet’ came from Wayne’s mouth and as the lads drank their drinks, two changes were made. No reflection on their performances – they had been great so far – but on came Nathan and Adam in place of Bradders and Aaron in the front three. We went back out there ready to do it again and with the beaming smile on the coaches’ faces, it was clear that things were good today – so far…
Within a minute of the restart there was the old man Shaun testing their keeper – as he surged forward and struck a great shot with the outside of his left foot from about 20 yards – but their No.1 was equal to it and gathered it at the second opportunity. We were soon showing that we weren’t finished yet though…
Another chance minutes later saw yet more good passing from our midfield three feed the ball into the feet of John but he couldn’t get it out of his feet quick enough to get the power he needed and his shot only found the mid-rift of their keeper. This didn’t stop him though and the next chance saw Shaun nip in front of their winger to nick the ball yet again and charge down the left flank. He looked up and dinked a great cross into Yatesy – but he was a little behind it and tried a spectacular bicycle kick that he couldn’t connect properly with and the ball went out for a goal-kick. It was all County now though…
We were well on top now though and when we play like this, there won’t be many teams who find us hard to play against. Relentless pressure on their goal was surely going to end in another County goal and down our left, we were ripping them to pieces. Shaun once again raced down the wing and as he sprayed the ball dangerously across their six-yard box, it evaded both Yatesy and Nathan and their full-back managed to whack it clear and the chance was gone. Surely it wouldn’t be long though…
With 57 minutes gone, that left-hand side was again the creator of trouble – and this time we fed the ball into Adam who jinxed past their full-back and as he cut inside back onto his right-foot, we all thought his shot was going to find the only bit of space between their keeper and the post. But their No.1 managed to parry it wide and the resulting corner ended with nothing – but the team in blue were playing most of this game in their opponents penalty area now…
Just past the hour-mark, off came Callum Chadwick to a warm round of applause – and on came Alex Williams for his first taste of action in weeks due to his ineptitude in ability to walk up back-steps in a garden and despite his lack of fitness, his calmness on the ball and eye for a simple pass really helps the cause. Ably supported by Robbo and Jude, we were still on top in the middle and with 70 minutes on the clock, we thought we’d seen our fourth goal – albeit somewhat fortuitous – when Adam swung in what looked like a cross only to surprise their keeper and crash against the top of his crossbar before going out for a goal-kick. Close though – and with the coaches urging their side to keep pushing, on went the game…
Gatesie seemed to be struggling after taking a knock to his back in an awkward fall in the first-half – so back on came Aaron to slot into the back four with Robbie – and with Wayne still demanding a clean-sheet, he was having kittens when their No.17 got the ball about 30 yards from goal and was allowed to march unchallenged towards our box. Thankfully his finish was woeful – as he could only launch it high and wide of Pomf’s goal – but you can imagine the bosses’ choice words straight after…
He needn’t have worried though because the pressure on their goal continued to mount – and on 84 minutes gone, we made it 4-0 – eventually! Some great work from Robbo in the middle of the park saw him shimmy past his marker and spray a great ball between their defence and into the run of Nathan. He looked up and with the exact amount of power, he fed his cross onto the head of Yatesy who rose like a salmon to nod the ball home from about 8 yards out. A brace of John and we were now 4-0 to the good. Happy days…
And then – somehow – straight from the restart, there was a carbon-copy goal from the same two again. We won the ball back instantly and this time it was the vision of Alex Williams that saw the space and he knocked it out to the gap in front of Nathan. Just as he had done less than a minute earlier, he swung the ball right onto the head of Yatesy and from nearly the same spot, he planted his header into the back of the net again for his hat-trick and to put us 5-0 up. That was the points secured and job done…
Bradders then came back on to replace the cramping-up Yatesy and with the County fans urging Mr Anderson to get his treble as well, there was only about 5 minutes or so for him to do it. But when we did get our sixth – and final – goal of the game, it was the birthday-boy Adam who struck it. Yet another simple pass from Alex Williams saw the ball evade their full-back and Nathan in behind him – and for the third time in less than 10 minutes, he played a great cross to the back post and there was Adam to smash his shot against the underside of the bar and into the back of the net. 6-0 and this had been a convincing win…
There was still time for us to nearly grab another one though but this time, Jude’s great shot from about 20 yards out could only curl wide of their right-hand upright and soon after, the match official blew his whistle for the final time and as both sides shook hands, it was a credit to Old Alts that their players never gave up and tried their best. It’s always difficult when you turn up wit only 11 men and the Manager is also the keeper – and their task wasn’t made any easier when they went down to 10 – so fair play to you all and we hope you had a safe journey home. But this was about County now and we’ve gone all the way into March still undefeated in the league. Sure we know there are sterner tasks ahead of us – but we will be more than prepared to meet them head on and forge our way as high up that table as we can. Today’s results helped as well as Chadderton EDS were turned over at Horwich RMI – so we know that if we keep winning, then who knows?
There seemed to be some debate about the MOM today – with such names as Robbie, Bradders and Shaun banded about – but in truth, they were all part of this victory today. And as news filtered through that the 1st team and the Development squad also won, it’s been a very good Saturday for County. Can the Women make it a very good weekend tomorrow? Make sure you check out the website to find out…
And as the dust settled at the County Ground – or more like the changing-rooms were swept and the showers turned off – that was that for another weekend. Three points, six goals and a clean-sheet. That will do us for every Saturday between now and the end of the season right?
#UpTheCounty!