Reds Chuck It

[Duffer]

Saturday 15th March 2003

Midland Football Alliance

WILLENHALL TOWN 2 vs OLDBURY UNITED 2

 

With just one place and 1 point separating 6th place Oldbury and 7th place Willenhall, the crowd of 100 should have been expecting a tense, exciting, close game, instead they were served up a poor end of season affair. The game wasn't helped by some poor and inconsistent refereeing, indeed it seemed the ref was watching a different game to the one he was allegedly at, or perhaps he was trying to inject some life into a dour game!.

 

Willenhall will be kicking themselves for letting a two goal half time lead slip from their grasp against the in form United. A Moseley corner on 16 minutes was converted on the far post by an unmarked Pearce to give the Reds a deserved lead.

 

With the Reds having the better of the play it came as no surprise when they increased the lead on 25 minutes when Smith split the Oldbury defence and Dunkley slid home the second.

 

Oldbury were restricted to a couple of hopeful long range efforts which didn't trouble keeper Vaughan, United looked nothing like the team that had won 5 and drew 1 of their last 7 games.

 

The second half started badly for the Reds with their now customary habit of having players injured, this time it was Jackson (56 minutes) and then Lloyd (60 minutes) who limped out of the action.

 

Oldbury were thrown a life line on 82 minutes when a Willenhall defender appeared to be pushed to the ground, and the ref awarded Oldbury a penalty for hand ball. Wood stepped up and wrong footed Vaughan with a low powerful shot into the bottom corner of the net.

 

With it looking likely that the Reds would hang on, Wood headed home to grab the points for Oldbury on 90 minutes. Willenhall's woes were further compounded when sub Bullimore was sent off deep into injury after going for a 50-50 ball with keeper Ford. A booking would have seemed unjust but a straight red was unbelievable.

 

The Reds travel to Shifnal on Tuesday and visit Grosvenor Park on Saturday.