Evo Stik Division One South
Shaw Lane Aquaforce 3-0 Market Drayton Town
Lee Bennett fires Shaw Lane ahead
Fifteen more easy games like that and Shaw Lane Aquaforce will have no problem overhauling runaway leaders Stafford Rangers. Market Drayton offered little and Aquaforce were guilty of missing a ton of brilliant chances.
Inside the first five minutes, Aquaforce missed two sitters. Fortunately none came back to haunt as Craig Elliott’s cruised to a seventh straight league victory. The deficit on Stafford remains at 17 points with six games in hand.
The pivotal figures in Aquaforce’s latest conquest were Gavin Allott and his new strike partner James Walshaw. The pair are clearly going to have a big say in how the Barnsley-based side finish the campaign and the visiting side’s defence could not handle them.
As Aquaforce upped the ante in search of the opener, Walshaw rattled the crossbar. He also wasted a one-on-one situation. Shaw Lane finally forced the opening goal on the half-hour mark, Lee Bennett the goal-scorer after Drayton failed to clear their lines from a corner.
The match was effectively put to bed as half-time approached. Walshaw goes down as the man who applied the final touch, but Allott wins the praise for his determination down the right-wing before crossing to give his new mate a simple tap-in.
James Walshaw had a key role in the victory
As did Gav Allott
Lee Bennett celebrates his opener for Shaw Lane
Luke O’Brien battles
Shaw Lane also had a goal disallowed at 2-0
The second half was pretty much a non-event. Market Drayton showed no inclination to even threaten Aquaforce’s defence and quite a lot of the crowd probably forget that the match was still in the balance if the visitors scored.
Shaw Lane dominated. Allott went through and poked the ball wide. Walshaw also had a goal disallowed.
The deserved third arrived during injury-time. Substitute and former Farsley defender Matt Dempsey helped the ball onto Allott and the striker finally scored with a low drive. Allott deserved that for his efforts, but the final score-line was not a true reflection on how much Aquaforce controlled the proceedings.
Shaw Lane Aquaforce manager Craig Elliott:
Shaw Lane Aquaforce: Morgan, Stohrer, O’Brien, Istead, Radford, Meynell, Wafula (Priestley 78), Thornhill (captain) (Hands 86), Allott, Walshaw, Bennett (Dempsey 86). Sub unused: Grant.
Market Drayton Town: Rawlins, Garratt, M O’Reilly, Green (Street 69), J O’Reilly, O’Neill, Everall (Wakefield 62), Wheildom (captain), McFarlane, MacIntosh (Porter 86), Bramhall. Subs unused:
Referee: Jamie Rhodes
Ref Rating: 8/10
Attendance: 126
Man of the match: James Walshaw (Shaw Lane Aquaforce)