Hatters Show Blyth Spirit To Slay Spartans
County’s final away-match of the season-proper resulted in another victory on the road, a first clean sheet in four weeks (as well as only the second in a National League North fixture outside SK3), and an almost-unassailable claim to the fifth place that would guarantee the Hatters a home draw in the first round of play-offs a week next Wednesday.
Jimmy Ball’s volley on the stroke of half-time proved enough to win the game. But, as had been the case at Chorley four days previously, the Hatters had to demonstrate considerable character during the later stages in withstanding pressure from their hosts – in this instance, managed by former County star Alun Armstrong.
Super Al’s one-time team-mate, and fellow Edgeley Park legend, Jim Gannon made just one change to his squad from the Chorley match, which had secured a play-off slot. Rhys Turner was ruled out with a groin strain, but leading scorer Jason Oswell had recovered from injury and, consequently, took his place within a 4-2-3-1 starting formation.
County began the contest with a brightness to match the glorious spring sunshine in which Croft Park bathed – although the very first chances fell to the hosts, as Dan Maguire’s snap-shot from the edge of the box narrowly cleared the crossbar, and Sean Reid fired well over from further out.
Around the midway-point of the first half, Matty Warburton was played through on goal by Paul Turnbull’s lofted long ball – but, having chipped goalkeeper Peter Jameson, saw his effort loop over the bar. Warburton was then to blast a subsequent attempt high, a few minutes after Harry Winter had sent a low drive shy of the left post.
What the game had lacked was a shot on target at either end – until the 33rd minute, that is, when Ball cut in from the right, and drilled a shot that Jameson turned around the near upright. Then, from the resulting corner, County also went close – as Chris Smalley connected with a downward header that took a bounce on the hard pitch before striking the bar.
Five minutes before half-time, County had the ball in the net after Turnbull chipped to Warburton, who fed Oswell for a shot past Jameson – only for the returning striker to be flagged offside.
But towards the end of added time, the Hatters took the lead for real. Their seventh corner of the afternoon – delivered by Adam Thomas from the right – eventually went out of play on the far side for a throw-in. Duxbury took the throw, Oswell flicked it on, and Ball, from 15 yards out, unleashed his first-time shot past Jameson with what turned out to be a notable last kick of the half.
HALF-TIME: Blyth 0, County 1 (Ball, 45 +2).
The Spartans – playing their third home match in four days, but with only one change from their most recent game less than 48 hours earlier – showed that they had reserves of energy to spare upon the resumption, as Reid shot over, before going closer with a header wide of the left post.
The hosts were interrupted in their cause by three enforced substitutions during the course of the second half – although one of the replacements, Adam Wrightson, was especially lively. After 71 minutes, the diminutive striker looked for all the world to have brought his side level with Blyth’s first attempt on target, but Ben Hinchliffe brilliantly parried the shot past the right post.
Over the final 15 minutes of normal time, County’s defence stood firm to repel three free-kicks by home captain Robbie Dale, together with the same number of corners. And in five minutes’ added time that became more than eight, following a late injury to Nathan Buddle, Michael Liddle – who had scored one of his side’s late, late goals to win at EP more than six months earlier – let rip with a shot from distance that Hinchliffe was on his toes to catch, thereby denying the hosts what would have been only their second draw of the entire campaign.
FULL-TIME: Blyth 0, County 1 (Ball, 45 +2).
Team: Hinchliffe, Cowan, Duxbury, Turnbull, Smalley, Stott, Thomas (O’Halloran, 62), Winter (Capt.), Oswell, Warburton (Minihan, 75), Ball (Stephenson, 48).
Unused Subs: Ormson, Clarke.
Attendance: 1,045.
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
Photographer: Mike Petch.
