From being “closer” to that elusive first win of the season to being as far away as possible within the space of three days.
Danny Whiting and our two mascots for the day lead the teams out
Let’s not make any bones about how the pattern of play developed in this match: Wythenshawe Town bossed it for 90% and were good value for their three points, running in seven goals. To wit:
13th minute: ex-Cheadle player Aaron Dwyer nipping in on the left after the ball wasn’t cleared to round Danny Whiting and tuck home
29th minute: Liam Crelin-Myers bundles home a corner from close range
48th minute: Jan Palinkas eases home a corner from close range
75th minute: the goal of the match; Aaron Dwyer cuts in from the left, rides a few challenges and unleashes a rocket in-off the underside of the crossbar that Danny Whiting could do absolutely nothing about
83rd minute: Aaron Dwyer down the left again, cutting the ball back for Scott Spencer to crash home
90+3 minute: Aaron Dwyer collects his hat-trick
90+6 minute: Wythenshawe Town’s second penalty of the day (they had already very kindly missed one in the first half) which is converted by Scott Spencer.
Ben Brooks
In amongst all of that was a hit crossbar, an offside goal and countless half-chances that Danny Whiting had to deal with; if it weren’t for him then the scoreline would have been much worse.
Our first foray on goal didn’t materialise until the 70th minute; Andrew Lunt putting in a lovely cross from the left for the head of Ben Brooks that went inches wide.
Just a minute later Ashley Curran hit a great first-time cross from the right for Brian Matthews to connect with but his header went wide and all. Brian was through again with two minutes of the match remaining but could only fire over.
Brian Matthews and Ben Brooks reflecting the mood at Park Road
A respite from the league programme now until the 10th September when we play the other Wythenshawe side. Between now and then two cup matches - away at Staveley Miners Welfare in the FA Vase and then at Cleator Moor Celtic in the First Division Cup - and two more opportunities to try and start to heal the wounds of this utter carnage.
Onwards.
TEAM: Whiting, Machado Le Gal (Curran), Hamzat (Naughton), Lunt, Johnson, Hatfield-Banton, Wallis, Shenton, Davin (Matthews), Sunderland, Brooks. SUBS: Matthews, Piggott (gk), Naughton, Phelan, Curran.