FULL TIME REPORT: Controversial late spot kick denies Spartans

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Blyth Spartans 3-3 Rushall Olympic
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League
Croft Park
Saturday 14th March 2015
Attendance: 451

A controversial late penalty from Rushall Olympic captain Gavin Caines ensured that Spartans dropped two points with the visitors snatching a late point in a entertaining affair at Croft Park. A Dan Maguire goal and a Michael Richardson brace had given Spartans a chance of taking the three points although the Pics were never really out of the game thanks to a pair of goals from the dangerous looking Aaron Williams. With Spartans looking as if they were comfortably seeing out time referee Barry Gordon took centre stage with the award of the spot kick that Caines put away to leave Spartans ruing a whole host of missed chances to seal the points.

The first chance of the game fell to Spartans as Robbie Dale flicked on a crossfield ball from Alex Nicholson. That found the overlapping Damen Mullen and the full back played a neat one-two with Dan Maguire before lashing over the bar from just outside of the area.

Within a minute the visitors had their first chance and really should have taken the lead. A neat chip over the top of the Spartans back four released Jake Heath in on goal and the winger tried to go around Nick Thomson but the young keeper blocked his efforts and the chance was wasted.

That was punished in the best possible way by Spartans as they took the lead in the twelfth minute. Jarrett Rivers dazzled down the right, bamboozling Pics full back Callum Williams as he danced into the area. That gave him the chance to play in Dan Maguire and the striker was coolest person inside Croft Park as he cut inside the challenge of Gavin Caines before rolling home from twelve yards out.

However far from kicking on, Spartans were pegged back as the Pics came into the game and got a deserved equaliser in the twenty fifth minute with a classy finish from striker Aaron Williams. The striker got in behind the Spartans back four and was given time to cut inside the challenge of Ryan Hutchinson before curling home right footed from just inside the area.

Spartans, to their credit, regrouped and got back into the lead on the half hour mark with a wonder goal from Michael Richardson. The former Newcastle United youngster collected a flick from Rivers and from all of twenty yards, smashed the ball home on the volley with his left foot.

The midfielder extended Spartans lead two minutes later with his second goal of the game and again it came courtesy of a Rivers assist, his third of the day. The winger found Richardson on the edge of the Pics area and he struck a low drive that was taken past the visitors keeper Ryan Price by a deflection off the knee of Aris Christophorou.

Two injuries forced Tom Wade into an pair of substitutions either side of Richardson's brace. Ryan Hutchinson and Matthew Wade were forced off, to be replaced by Dan Hawkins and Stephen Turnbull.

Turnbull almost annouced his arrival with a goal within five minutes of coming on to the pitch. A foul on Rivers gave the former Hartlepool United man a chance twenty yards from goal but he could only curl his free kick over the wall and against the outside of the near post.

Again Spartans were pegged back and again it was thanks to a goal from Aaron Williams, although it had a lot to do with the static defending from the home side. A nonchelant through ball by Carl Palmer released Williams in on goal and he made no mistake with a cool finish.

Dan Maguire almost reinstated Spartans two goal advantage with the half time whistle about to blow. A clever through ball from Robbie Dale took a bobble and the striker's first touch saw the ball bounce up above his head, however Maguire improvised with an acrobatic overhead kick that drifted just wide of the near post. That miss brought down the curtain on an entertaining, if somewhat error-strewn first half.

Spartans created some half chances with an exciting opening to the second half but the first real chance fell to the visitors as Williams squandered the chance to seal his hat-trick and grab an equaliser for his side. Another long ball in behind caught the Spartans back four square and with Nick Thomson caught in no mans land Williams tried to chip the keeper but the ball fell agonisingly wide of the near post.

Spartans riposte to that let off came from Maguire as the energetic striker created some space inside the area after being played in by Neal Hooks. A lunging challenge from Caines was seen off as Maguire cut inside the despairing Pics captain but his low shot was deflected wide by a last-ditch block by Kris Taylor.

With ten minutes remaining Spartans could have had that two goal lead once again, although it would have been courtesy of a defensive lapse from the visitors. An awful crossfield ball across his own area by Pics right back Tolley only found Jarrett Rivers nd th winger's first touch allowed him to try a volley at goal from the edge of the area but it comfortably cleared Price's crossbar.

Spartans almost handed the Pics an equaliser witht he full time whistle approaching as a poor header from Alex Nicholson almost managed to undo a solid afternoon of work for the former Newcastle United academy product. A weak headed backpass allowed Williams in for his hat-trick goal but the alert goalkeeping of Thomson saw his clear the ball, not for the first time y it must be said.

There was to be a sting in the tail for Spartans with a award of a penalty for the visitors with the game ticking into injury time. A ball into the Spartans area caused havoc but Danny Parker seemed to clear the danger but referee Barry Gordon awarded a spot kick for Parker's challenge on Williams, much to the bemusement of the vast majority inside Croft Park.

Pics captain Caines stood up to the take the kick and sent Thomson the wrong way to ensure his side took a point from a game that Spartans really should have killed off long before the controversial award of the penalty. They now move on to Tuesday's home fixture with Barwell as they look to continue a run of form that now stands at one defeat in twelve games, although that will mean little to many after the club after a desperately disappointing result.

Spartans:

Thomson, Nicholson, Mullen, Parker, Hutchinson (Hawkins 33), Hooks, Richardson, Dale, Maguire, Wade, Rivers

Subs not used:

Wearmouth, Lynch, Davis

Goals

Maguire 12, Richardson 30, 32

Rushall Olympic:

Price, Tolley, C Williams (Reid 55), Taylor, Christophorou, Caines, Heath, Palmer (Duggan 60), A Williams, Melbourne (Austin 55), Leslie

Subs not used:

Duggan, Reid, Roberts, Austin, Smith

Goals:

A Williams 25 and 44, Caines 92 pen

Referee:

Barry Gordon