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17th
April
2004
Gornal Athletic 3 Malvern Town Reserves 1 (17/4/04) Gornal Athletic are tantalisingly close to securing their passage back to the West Midlands Premier League after disposing of a competent though uninventive Malvern side this afternoon. Gornal captain Andy 'Shaka' Tiernan was the main difference between the teams, although his game almost ended before it had started when a bad tackle in the opening minute left him sidelined for treatment. Tiernan limped back on to prove that you really can 'run off' an injury, by dominating the midfield throughout. The Peacocks went behind after just 7 minutes, following an untidy goalmouth scramble. However, the home side always looked dangerous and levelled the scores a few minutes later when Mark Habbershaw broke free and squared the ball to Matt Edwards for a relatively easy conversion. "Bloody 'ell, Habbs' passed it!" remarked someone next to me - Mark being better known for a striker's 'selfish' killer instinct than as a generous goal provider. Gornal continued to control the game for the next half hour with several chances falling to Habbershaw, but a combination of suspect finishing and plucky goalkeeping kept the scores even. The breakthrough came after 35 minutes when Tiernan cleverly switched the play across the full width of the pitch and then, realising that the recipient was isolated on the right flank, sprinted across to take the return himself. He fed a pass to Nicky Pugh just inside the penalty area, who bobbled the ball past the goalie to take the Peacocks into a deserved lead. A couple of minutes later it was 3-1 thanks to the same pairing, Tiernan threading a pass through to Pugh who slotted it home. So Gornal went into the dressing room at half time comfortably ahead. I have underlined the title 'Second Half' in my notebook but the rest of the page is blank. Malvern would have needed to add an extra dimension to their industry after the break to put the Peacocks under any sort of pressure, but they obviously did not have this in their locker and Gornal simply and effectively snuffed the life out of their opponents, while at the same time providing a number of further goal scoring opportunities for Habbershaw, whose normally prolific shooting boots had deserted him. At the centre of the action as always was skipper Tiernan, a diminuitive figure who darts around the park like a rabid whippet, never more than ten yards away from the ball and always liable to turn a fifty-fifty tackle into a creative opportunity. He was worth an extra player today. The final whistle went with the score remaining 3-1 to the home team, leaving Gornal requiring just one more win from the last four matches of the season to clinch the league title. This could come as early as Tuesday the 28th April, when they face Leominster at home. However, first there is the little matter of the biggest game in the team's recent history. Next Saturday, the 24th April 2004, the lads play last year's runners-up Polesworth N.W. in the final of the prestigious Birmingham County Vase. The action takes place at the FA headquarters in Ray Hall Lane Great Barr ( click here for map), with the kick-off at 2pm. Here's the ideal opportunity to go along to cheer home some silverware back to Garden Walk! sport@yampy.co.uk. --> |
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