CHAT FOOTBALL FORUM

Saturday's Blue Square North Wrap
With the Blue Square North title already wrapped up by Kettering Town in mid-week, all eyes turned to the play-off and relegation battles with Barrow edging past Nuneaton into fifth spot while Hinckley and Hucknall swapped places at the bottom of the table.



Redditch 0-5 Barrow


Barrow made their case for inclusion in the play-offs as they thumped Redditch 5-0 at The Valley this Blue Square Saturday.


Andrew Bond got the ball rolling early on with his 10th minute strike and the goals continued to flow.


Nick Rogan snuck in after 35 minutes with Jason Walker getting in on the act with fifteen minutes to play. And when the home side thought it could not get any worse, Rogan grabbed his second just two minutes later with Paul Jones wrapping up the rout with his 87th minute spot-kick.



Southport 0-1 Kettering Town


Southport's push for a play-off place was dented this Saturday with Anthony Robinson's 64th minute strike settling the tie.


Both sides produced some entertaining football as they sought to break the deadlock but it was Kettering who took the lead when a Craig Westcarr freekick was diverted passed a despairing Steve Drench in the Southport goal.



Hinckley Utd 2-1 Hyde


Hinckley moved out of the relegations places with their hard-fought 2-1 victory over Hyde at Marston Stadium in front of just over 500 ecstatic fans as Nuneaton Borough slipped down a spot after failing to overcome Hucknall away from home.


Hinckley will feel they dominated much of the first period but Matthew Tipton's goal on the stroke of half-time shocked the home side into action and they returned for the second half more focused and with greater determination.


And it paid off as Richard Lavery equalised for The Knitters on 53 minutes before Tom Birch grabbed the winner with seven minutes to play.



Hucknall 2-2 Nuneaton Borough


With Hucknall fighting for survival and Nuneaton bidding for a play-off place this was always going to be a dramatic affair.


But in true Nuneaton fashion this season, they failed to hold on to their lead, not once, but twice and had to settle for a draw yet again.


Danny Williams opened the scoring on 37 minutes but Borough failed to extend their lead in the second half and were pegged back by Danny McPherson's 56th minute effort.


The goal spurred Hucknall on and they went in search of another but that proved to be their undoing as Tommy Curtis stole in to put his side back in the lead with just under 30 minutes remaining.


But with the away side tiring and the home fans demanding more, Ben Saunders ensured his side at least a share of the spoils with his 76th minute leveller.



Blyth Spartans 6-0 Worcester City


Worcester fans were still making their way to the stadium by the time Robert Dale had scored a fantastic first-half hat trick.


The skillful striker netted his first on five minutes before Ged Dalton doubled the lead just five minutes later.


But no one could anticipate Dale adding to his first effort with a second on just 12 minutes and or even a third a mere two minutes later.


The visitors were clearly demoralised by their abject first half performance and were only slightly better in the second period, only conceding two goals.


Stephen Birks made it five on 53 minutes and when everyone else had settled for a result Daniel Robinson made it six in stoppage time.



Stalybridge Celtic 4-1 Vauxhall Motors


With Vauxhall Motors already relegated Carl Macauley was always going to struggle to motivate his side.


And it showed as second-placed Stalybridge Celtic eased past them on Saturday.


Seven minutes was all it took to break the deadlock as Alex Meechan took advantage of some poor defending before Paul Sykes doubled the lead with 20 minutes played.


But to their credit at 2-0 down the away side didn't give up and were rewarded as Tom Field reduced the deficit just two minutes later.


But when Celtic upped the tempo in the second half Vauxhall had no answers.


Chris Hall made it three on 31 minutes before Keith Smith was forced into directing the ball into his own net on 72 minutes.



AFC Telford 3-1 Harrogate Town


AFC Telford put three points between themselves and Harrogate to further cement themselves a play-off place.


The teams were level on 71 points going to the weekend with a mere six goals separating them, although Harrogate have a game in hand with which to make up the points.


Town got off to the best possible start with the quickest goal of the afternoon, after just one minute through Chris Bettney, but from then on in it was one-way traffic.


Matty Lewis was on hand to finish a good move on 27 minutes before Lee Moore's 37th minute strike put his side in the ascendancy. Dave Roberts sealed the tie when he netted on 54 minutes.



Alfreton Town 1-2 Burscough


Alfreton will feel they are out of danger near the foot of the table with just three games to play but will still be casting a glance at results of those around them after losing out to mid-table Burscough at North Street on Saturday.


Ciaran Kilheeny proved the thorn in Town's side with his goals either side of Christopher Walton's 65th minute effort as he netted on 16 and 90 minutes.



Gainsborough 2-1 Leigh RMI


Both sides had nothing to play for with Gainsborough safe in mid-table but well of the play-off places and Leigh RMI already relegated.


But credit to the players who made a game of it and gave both sets of fans something to cheer about, in the first half at least.


Liam Needham grabbed Gainsborough's opener after 24 minutes but the lead lasted just six minutes as Richard Chetcuti netted with half and hour gone.


But Wes Parker dented the visitors' hopes of some pride at least as scored the final goal of the game on the stroke of half time.



Workington 1-1 Solihull


Workington are set for a nervy run in after they failed to overcome Solihull at home but none more so then their visitors this Blue Square Saturday, who are just six points clear of the relegation zone.


Jason Moore's 16th minute strike gave his side a much needed lift, but Solihull failed to add to their lead and were punished for their pigacy when Anthony Wright found the back of the net after 55 minutes.



Tamworth 1-1 Boston United


Both Tamworth and Boston are winding down their seasons after accepting a mid-table finish and the football on show reflected as much.


There were few talking points apart from the two goals accredited to Gareth Sheldon for the home side just before half time and Jon Stevenson's 81st minute equaliser.