Sultan strike rescues point

Photo: PICTURES by GARY LOWE

TAKE THAT. . . Highfield United’s Tommy Grealey hammers in a shot against Failsworth Athletic in the Oldham Sunday League David Giblin Division One.

AMATEUR FOOTBALL:

Highfield United 2, Failsworth Athletic 2
A HIGHLY entertaining encounter in Division One of the D and J Builders (North-West) Ltd Oldham Sunday League ended all-square at Royton and Crompton 3G.

This match brought together two of the league's teams who play on artificial surfaces.

Proof that all-weather pitches are not always immune to bad conditions came in the game’s final quarter when, with players regularly slipping, referee Steve Diggle consulted both captains with a view to abandoning the match.

But the decision was taken to carry on, prompting Athletic manager Mike Gibson to heap praise on both sets of players. He said: “Both teams are a credit to the league for seeing out the last 20 minutes because the dropping temperature was leading to more slips.

“A draw was about right but both sides could have won it close to the end.”

Highfield boss Steve Palmer, who at 42 years of age turned out in a defensive role, echoed his counterpart’s comments and added: “We should have had a penalty late on but the referee felt our man had slipped, but overall I don’t have too many complaints about the result.”

All the goals came in the opening 45 minutes and it was Palmer’s son, Clayton, who provided the assist for the goal which gave United a 19th-minute lead.

Palmer junior’s teasing delivery into the Athletic box saw Martin Gurr stab the ball goalwards only for the effort to be blocked, but Scott Rowbottom was on hand to turn it home from close range.

United’s lead lasted five minutes before Niall Sultan netted, pouncing on a rebound from James Lever’s drive.

Rowbottom gave United the lead six minutes before the break with a fine run and finish, only for Athletic to restore parity shortly afterwards when the deadly Sultan unleashed a 25-yard free-kick which took a deflection off the United wall.

Jamie Marsland had a chance to nick it for Athletic when his mazy run looked like giving him a clear goalscoring opportunity, only for the midfield man to lose control of the ball just as he was about to shoot.

United’s James Kelly went to ground in the Athletic box, but referee Diggle gave the benefit of the doubt to the defending team and shrugged off shouts for a penalty.

Under the conditions, that decision was arguably fair — just like the scoreline.