Rushall pip Chasetown on derby day

Rushall Olympic 1 Chasetown 0

Lucan Spittle headed the winner against his former club to condemn Chasetown to their first defeat and give Rushall Olympic the derby day honours.

The towering centre-half glanced home a Sean Platt corner 20 minutes from time to settle a tightly-fought contest at Dales Lane.

Clear-cut chances were at a premium and it was no surprise it took a set-piece to separate the sides in this Evo-Stik Northern League clash.

Chasetown goalkeeper Ryan Price had a let-off after 15 minutes when he dallied too long and had his clearance charged down by Matt Lewis.

The Pics forward retrieved the ball and squared for Chris Morris, but the hosts' penalty appeals were waved away after he went down under a challenge from Matt Cohen.

Gary Hay had the visitors' first real effort but his turn and shot from the edge of the box drifted harmlessly wide, before Christian Dacres beat Price to an inswinging free-kick but headed over.

Former Pics midfielder Ben Jevons did have the ball in the net seven minutes before the break but his close-range effort, after a free-kick had ricocheted into his path, was ruled out for offside.

Jevons was the first to threaten in the second period when he was teed-up by Hay, but his low effort from outside the box was comfortably held by goalkeeper Chris Gemmell.

The stalemate was finally broken on 70 minutes when Spittle pulled off his marker to meet Platt's flag kick and direct a header beyond Price into the far corner.

Jevons almost brought Charlie Blakemore's side level two minutes later, but Gemmell kept out the Chasetown man's header at his near post.

Lewis went close to doubling the home side's advantage, but his quickly-taken free-kick from the edge of the area on 78 minutes flashed past the post.

Six minutes from time, Mark Branch was within a whisker of an equaliser but his 25-yard free-kick flew inches wide.

The Scholars had the territorial dominance in the final few minutes as they pressed for a leveller, but Rushall looked dangerous on the break and missed two glorious chances to kill the game off.

Firstly, Danny Bragoli was unable to keep his free header down and then fellow substitute Luke Edwards somehow volleyed wide from close range, after Ahmed Obeng had centred from the left.