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Eccleshall get back to Winning Ways

Eccleshall get back to Winning Ways

Tom Sullivan29 Sep - 09:45

Eccleshall 1-0 New Mills

It was an away day to remember for The Eagles, as their impressive display at Church Lane was rewarded with a well-earned three points, against a high-flying New Mills outfit. This result narrows the gap to just ten points from a playoff spot, offering a promising outlook for the remainder of the season.

The first half kicked off in a quiet fashion, with Eccleshall’s only real chance of note coming through Mark Groom, as the seasoned veteran headed just wide of the mark from Mitchell Glover’s well-delivered corner. Rhys Williams was suddenly called into action at the twenty-minute mark, as Chad Whyte was played through on goal, forcing an acrobatic double-save from the young shot-stopper.

The opposition weren’t to be deterred however, as a clever flick-on by early substitute, Joshua Abbott put The Millers through once again. Although the end product left more to be desired, with the effort drifting wide of the post. New Mills again came awfully close to scoring, but this time The Eagles came back with menace, as Joshua Waite put our opponents to the sword on the brink of halftime. The relentless forward forced his way through New Mills’ defence, rifling his effort into the bottom-left corner with precision and ease. This would see Eccleshall in front after forty-five minutes of competitive action.

Waite’s strike set the tone for Eccleshall’s second half campaign, as Mitchell Glover nearly caught Joseph Oldham off guard with a lobbed effort just four minutes in, as it just sailed over the crossbar. Mere minutes later, Joshua Waite came forward with intention, as he made a darting run down the right-hand side, firing it into Liam Hallam who threaded it through to Mitchell Glover. Glover’s effort from here can only be described as painfully unfortunate, as his shot rattled the woodwork, before comically bouncing off Oldham’s head and away for a corner.

The decisive moment appeared to come in the eighty-ninth minute, as Eccleshall were awarded a penalty. Declan Arber did exceedingly well, as he slid Liam Hickson through, but his dangerous run was drawn to a dramatic halt, with the substitute being brought down in the box. Arber then had the opportunity to put the fierce contest to bed, as he drilled his effort into the bottom-right corner, but Joseph Oldham had other ideas, pulling off a remarkable save to keep his side in it until the bitter end. Some great game-management from Eccleshall saw the match slow down, and ultimately fizzle out to the final whistle, allowing Liam Kelly’s men to relax and enjoy their hard-fought victory against an exceedingly tough New Mills side.

The Eccleshall boss certainly deserves his flowers for their key win, as his tactical adjustments before and during the match helped his team to a calculated and deserved three points. After all was said and done, Kelly mentioned that he’d “done enough homework on New Mills to know what they’re like”, which led to him moving Eagles skipper, Jack Warren into midfield. This decision definitely paid dividends, as Warren alongside Mitchell Glover and Ethan Stanton worked relentlessly throughout the full-ninety, commanding the central areas of the pitch, as they majorly contributed to their side’s result. The gaffer also talked about how they worked on game-management before yesterday’s clash, something which again came to fruition, playing a key role in maintaining Eccleshall’s narrow advantage.

And whilst The Eagles have experienced mixed results so far this season, one thing that’s remained clear throughout is the quality of this team. Combine this with a good run of form and a little luck, and who knows where it’ll take us next…

Eccleshall F.C Starting XI:

1. Rhys Williams
2. Jordan Darlington
3. Lewis Grocott
4. George Woodroffe
5. Mark Groom
6. Jack Warren (C)
7. Mitchell Glover
8. Joshua Waite
9. Declan Arber
10. Ethan Stanton
11. Liam Hallam

Eccleshall F.C Bench:

12. Liam Hickson
13. Barry Weston
14. Liam Tomlin
15. Max Barlow
17. Callum Besford

New Mills F.C Starting XI:

1. Joseph Oldham
2. Jack Lever
3. Kain Dean
4. Christopher Pauley (C)
5. James Perry
6. Callum Preece
7. Danny Warburton
8. Benjamin McNamara
9. Chad Whyte
10. Harry Dean
11. Anthony Hall

New Mills F.C Bench:

12. Oliver Lomas
14. William Shawcross
15. Joshua Abbott
16. Declan Hacking
17. Lewis McGill

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