Winsford United 0 WItton Albion 0
UniBond Division One
Monday, August 28
SOME local derbies live up to the billing, with excitement, incident and drama filling every tense minute. Others, like this one, don't.
There were some talking points for the Bank Holiday droves to discuss, but the main one sprung from an incident which had little to do with football.
Danny Worthington and Lee Anderson tried their best to liven things up two minutes before half-time, embarking on some childish unfriendly local rivalry which earned them both red cards.
The United striker was rewarded with a split lip from Anderson's swinging arm, Anderson a sore head courtesy of Worthington's studs.
But ten against ten actually opened the game out, following a stop-start opening period in which no clear cut chances were created.
Worthington had a run in on goal on 14 minutes, but chose to square to Steve Shaughnessy and Gareth West's long leg snuffed out the danger.
Three minutes later, Witton saw their best opportunity of the half go begging when a combination of goalkeeper Matthew Conkie and David Lloyd scrambled away Danny Graystone's far post header.
Conkie would emerge a towering figure in the Blues' battle for a point during a second period when he really had to be on his toes - or off them, as was the case in the 47th minute, leaping to tip over West's 35-yard drive.
On the one occasion when Conkie did blot his copybook, the impressive Neil Morley was standing on the line to clear David Anane's fierce volley.
Anane could also have given Witton the lead minutes before this when he met Andy Hough's cross, but this time the volley was off target by inches.
The lack of Anderson may have made injury-hit Albion even more depleted at the back, but they still showed a willingness to chase their tenth straight league win.
But it was Winsford who finished the stronger and player-manager Steve Shaughnessy had the best chance to snatch the three points after 73 minutes.
Surprised to pick up a ricochet and be in the clear, the striker only had Phil McGing to beat, but his low shot was tipped away by Witton's keeper, who has now survived the first six hours of the season without conceding a goal.
Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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