Stocksbridge Park Steels 2 Winsford United 1
UniBond Division One
Saturday, February 10
UNITED may have lost again but it would grossly unfair to criticise given the circumstances of this first ever visit to the South Yorkshire club.
Manager Steve Shaughnessy lost three players less then 24 hours before the contest against fourth placed Steels and had to call up three players from the under-18s side to make up the numbers.
Andy Burns, Mike Lomax, and captain David Lowe were the absentees and it meant only one defender, Neil Morley, was available for selection from the regular quartet which normally guard the Winsford goal.
It wasn't the best preparation for a side which has been amongst the UniBond first division front-runners all season and were fresh from a victory over Altrincham, but Winsford more than matched the home side and could quite easily have come away with a point.
Steels' evergreen former Norwich striker Wayne Biggins had the first chance of the game on seven minutes, directing his header just wide with Dave Pierce beaten.
Blues hit back and a super ball from David Mayes looked to have set Danny Crowley away but the striker, who had by far his best game so far, was just about beaten by a back-tracking defender.
Stocksbridge took the lead on 30 minutes. A low cross was missed by Gary Hurlstone and the unfortunate Kevin Langley diverted the ball into his own net, giving Pierce no chance.
Winsford battled on and gained their reward just on half-time. A well worked move involving Shaughnessy and Leon Mills set Worthington up and United's leading scorer planted a low shot underneath keeper Ross Turner.
Steels enjoyed a lot of the ball in the second half without really hurting Winsford and apart from several crosses which flashed past the goal, Blues looked to be heading for a well earned point until a defensive lapse on 65 minutes.
Langley was caught in possession and that started a mini scramble before Gary Hurlstone finally converted at the near post.
Winsford: Pierce, Morley, Scully, Shaughnessy, Langley, Mayes, Hennessey, Mills, Worthington, Hayder, Crowley (Edwards 82). Not used: Bayliss, Tulloch. Attendance: 115. Man of the Match: David Mayes.
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