Rushall Olympic 3 Whitby Town 3 - Report
This game only went ahead after a number of volunteers had worked extremely hard all morning to move snow off the pitch and both teams deserve a great deal of credit for the football that they went on to serve up.
In a game that could easily be described as a gam of two halves, it was the home side who began the game like an express train building up a 3-0 lead by only the eleventh minute, and at that point it looked like becoming a cricket score.
However, the visitors had other ideas and their storming second half display made sure of a point that they richly deserved in the end.
It was the visitors that threatened first when home goalkeeper Jahquil Hill pushed a dangerous cross over the bar.
The Pics though were ahead in the next attack of the game when Danny Waldron burst into the penalty area and was brought down Luke Bythway. It was Waldron himself who got up to take the kick and beat Ryan Whitley to give the home side the lead.
Two minutes later the home side doubled their lead when Danny Dubidat finished off and then six minutes later it was 3-0 when Waldron grabbed his second, and his side`s third goal of the game.
At that point of the contest it appeared game over and it took the visitors twenty five minutes to force another save from Hill when he pushed away a close range volley from Andrew Monkhouse.
At the other end the Pics almost grabbed a fourth when Sam Whittall got on the end of a Gurjit Singh corner but his volley was well saved by Whitley.
The visitors though had shown glimpses of getting back into the game and they pulled a goal back on the stroke of half time when Matthew Tymon finished confidently.
Rushall though began the second half in good form and had a good chance but Brian Smikle`s shot was high and wide and Singh and Waldron combined well but the latter`s pass was just behind the onrushing Waldron.
Whitby though were well into the game and on sixty one minutes pulled a goal back when Junior Mondal picked up the ball and rifled a shot into the back of the net, from twenty yards, in off the post and moments later they were almost on level terms but Monkhouse saw his shot fly inches past the post.
The game had now turned in the visitors favour and they were looking threatening every time they moved forward. Mondal took advantage of a defensive slip by Adelkan but Weledji`s shot was well wide and fourteen minutes from time they went even closer when Hulme curled a shot that beat Hill but bounced back off the arms into the grateful `keeper`s arms.
The goal that they had been threatening for some time finally arrived with just three minutes and the when the ball found it`s way to Tymon in the six yard box he sidefooted the ball calmly home.
In added time they almost snatched a winner but Calum Putton couldn`t force the ball home.
Overall a draw was just about a fair result but considering the conditions it was an exciting game that was a credit to the league.
