Sport Vikings started game well but win never materialised
Alsager Town 2, Goole AFC 0
The mood changed with the weather at the Town Ground on Saturday, as after a bright start in sunny conditions, the Vikings lost their way in second-half rain to slip to defeat against Alsager Town.
One step forward, two back, seems to be Goole's problem at the moment and after the disciplined performance in beating Wakefield in the League Cup seven days earlier, indiscipline, especially in the second half here, saw the home side take full advantage.
An unchanged Vikings started so well that it seemed only a matter of time before they took the lead. Indeed, in the opening minute keeper Matt Conkie saved superbly from Dean Sidebottom, and was then grateful to Will Leighton for clearing a Steve Rollinson header off the line.
Shortly afterwards, Jason Blunt's 20-yard shot appeared to take a deflection, and it needed the outstretched hand of Conkie to turn the ball round the post.
However, after a good opening quarter Goole lost their way as they became one-dimensional in their build-up play, and with it the threat from the strikers became minimal, apart from a Rollinson header which needed safe hands from the keeper underneath his crossbar.
Alsager started to apply pressure of their own, but apart from a Budrys shot wide of Craig Parry's right-hand post the defence, marshalled well by Liam Chapman, once more coped admirably.
There was a potential flashpoint when Ian McLean and Heler appeared to clash on the right-hand touchline. and it was to start a catalogue of cautions for the Vikings, more in frustration the longer the game went, and referee Bristow hardly covered himself in glory either. His decisions were at times confusing, and at others downright inept.
However, for Goole to blame their second-half display on the official alone would be doing Alsager an injustice as they capitalised totally and scored twice.
The opening goal came on 54 minutes as Eldershaw burst through on a timely pass by Espley and comfortably beat the advancing Craig Parry.
True, Goole had plenty of possession in trying to respond, but the threat from their forwards was minimal and even Duncan Bray's introduction for Kevin Ryan failed to lift them.
However, the game was decided in the last ten minutes by a second goal for the home side, which came almost immediately after what should have been a Vikings equaliser at the other end.
Conkie somehow turned away a Dean Sidebottom header at point-blank range from Danny Buttle's cross, and when play advanced to the other end, Chris Jenkinson's clearance fell to Richard Mitchell, who had time to turn and beat Parry with a low shot.
And as the rain started to come down more heavily once more, and the clouds lowered, it summed up the mood on and off the field as the Vikings slid to a fourth defeat of the league season. Already their hopes of promotion are looking distant, unless they can find some consistency to put results together.
One felt sorry for Goole skipper Brad Hill, who has pledged his future to the club this week. His non-stop efforts deserved more - unfortunately, his colleagues failed to match him.
Published on 27th September 2007 in Sport.
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