Spartans pass Olympic trial with Richardson winner

In association with:

ALAN McLEAN FCMA CGMA
Chartered Management Accountant

Rushall Olympic 1-2 Blyth Spartans
Dales Lane
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League
Saturday 21st February 2015
Attendance: 227

Substitute Michael Richardson's second half goal ensured Blyth Spartans stretched their unbeaten run to seven games with a hard-fought win at Rushall Olympic. The former Newcastle United midfielder headed home Robbie Dale's cross from the left to hand Tom Wade's side their third win in a week as they look to continue what seemed like an unlikely play-off push.

Spartans were given a golden chance to take the lead in the third minute as Robbie Dale broke into the area on the left hand side. He tempted Mitchell Tolley into the tackle and was

brought to the floor, with referee Hobbis awarding the spot kick. Dale picked himself up and sent Lewis Solly the wrong way to give his side the perfect start to the game.

That start to the game almost became even better than perfect in the eighth minute as Jarrett Rivers tormented Callum Williams down the right before smashing the ball across the face of

the goal. In-form striker Dan Maguire got the slightest of touches but it wasn't enough to force it over the line.

Debutant keeper Nick Thomson was called into action for the first time midway through the half after the Pics were awarded a free kick twenty five yards from goal. Jake Heath stepped up

to take it and curled it over the Spartans wall but Thomson saved well and held onto the ball with several of the hosts players closing him down.

The hosts came within a whisker of an equaliser in the twenty fourth minute Chris Lait burst through three challenges, albeit with a hint of handball. The Pics winger had time to settle

himself but smashed his effort past the advancing Thomson against the Spartans crossbar.

The hosts were looking dangerous and almost equalised just after the half hour mark. A long ball forward was misjudged by Ryan Hutchinson and Aaron Williams tried an audacious lob over

Thomson from thirty yards but sent it just over the crossbar with the Spartans keeper scrambling back to his goal line.

The hosts continued to monopolise the chances in the closing stages of the half as Chris Lait continued to torment down the Pics' left hand side. His cut in from the wing and sent over an

inch-perfect to the far post but Williams could only flick the ball across goal and harmlessly out for a goal kick. That miss meant Spartans kept the lead at the interval, although

the hosts will feel they should have been at least on level terms.

The hosts did get back on level terms within a minute of the restart, although they did so in, what Spartans would claim was somewhat controversial circumstances. A cross from the right from Aaron Williams found Kris Taylor at the far post and the midfielder headed home, although Spartans were left appealing in vain as they felt Damen Mullen had cleared the ball before it crossed the line.

Spartans should have taken the lead two minutes later as the two Dans, Hawkins and Maguire, linked up for what feels like the umpteenth time this season. Hawkins sent Maguire into the left hand side of the area and in on goal but the striker was denied his fifth goal in three games by the alert goalkeeping of Lewis Solly as the Pics number one rushed from his line to block Maguire's low drive.

The hosts were dominating possesion, leaving Spartans to feed on scraps with Tom Wade's side only creating half chances. Substitute Michael Richardson almost made an instant impact but curled a right foot effort just over the bar from twenty yards.

Spartans took the lead against the run of play with twenty minutes left on the clock and it was a chance created by the magic of Dale. He danced into the left hand side of the area and dinked a perfect cross to the far post to allow Richardson to score his third goal in a Spartans shirt with a simple header from four yards out.

With fifteen minutes left Stephen Turnbull almost replicated his FA Cup heroics at Hartlepool United. The midfielder was handed the chance to score from a free kick after a foul on Michael Richardson and curled a vicious effort and the Pics' crossbar and it was scrambled to safety.

Dale was again at the heart of the action with eight minutes remaining as he again tormented his marker. Dale found some space down the left before cutting in on his right and lashing a low effort at the far post but he was denied a second goal of the game by a goal line clearance by Pics substitute Steve Leslie.

The woodwork was struck again by Spartans minutes later as Jarrett Rivers was the stronger in a challenge wih Mitchell Tolley and managed to get a low shot away from ten yards but it smacked against the far post before falling kindly into the hands of Pics keeper Solly.

With a minute left on the clock debutant Thomson came to Spartans rescue with a brave save to deny Lait. A long ball over the top sent the winger through on goal but Thomson was alert and rushed from his line to block Lait's effort and the ball was scrambled to safety.

That vital stop from Thomson ensured that Spartans got the win they deserved and whilst the hosts will look to missed chances, Spartans had plenty of their own after striking the woodwork twice and having one effort cleared off the line. At the end of the game Wade led his players to thank the travelling away support after they Green Army had given them ninety minutes of excellent backing that matched the effort on the park.

Rushall Olympic:

Solly, Melbourne, Williams (Leslie 63), Taylor (Hawker 71), Tolley, Caines, Heath (Reid 57), Palmer, Williams, Craddock, Lait

Subs not used:

Smith, Roberts

Goals:

Taylor 46

Spartans:

Thomson, Nicholoson, Mullen, Parker, Hutchinson, Hawkins (Richardson 54), Stp Turnbull, Wade (Hooks 80), Rivers, Maguire, Dale

Subs not used:

Wearmouth, Lynch, Bell

Goals:

Dale 3 pen, Richardson 70

Referee:

N Hobbis