BARTON TOWN OLD BOYS 2-1 TEVERSAL
24/10/09

LATEST RESULT

BARTON TOWN OLD BOYS 2 - 1 TEVERSAL

Shaun Day 67
Gareth Barlow 85

Attendance 85

A Gareth Barlow goal five minutes from time got Barton Town Old Boys back to winning ways against a Teversal side disappointed not to have got something out of the game. Town welcomed back skipper, Craig Suddaby at the heart of the defence alongside Karl Hull, Carl Wood returning to his first choice position of right back, Lee Markham making way. With Ryan Morton failing a late fitness test, Lee Moulds came in to partner Barlow in attack.

After a tentative start by both sides, the first chance fell to Barton in the 14th minute. A deep right wing corner to the far post hung up in the air and Barlow's sneaked header was blocked by Teversal keeper, Daniel Herring as the visitors' defence switched off momentarily. Three minutes later, Teversal's Marc Rathbone should have done better as the offside flag stayed down, half-hitting the ball into the ground from the six yard box, giving Town keeper, Tom Nicholson just enough time to get across his goal and turn the ball around the post. Nicholson was then called upon to head clear before distinguishing himself with a superb double save as Teversal, with the increasingly strong wind at their backs, threatened to break the deadlock.

That signalled the start of a sustained spell by Barton as Hayden Barnett, coming increasingly into the game, created a number of chances, first picking out Barlow with a superb ball into the area. Barlow's turn took him past one man with ease but he slipped at the vital time, allowing a second Teversal defender to dispossess him. And three minutes later, the same Barnett / Barlow partnership combined only to see the latter thwarted again, this time by Herring.

Barton, and Gareth Barlow in particular, continued to look the more likely to score as the half wore on. In the 33rd minute, Barlow glanced his header wide from Shawn Mitchell's corner and two minutes later, picking a long ball up in the inside right slot, Barlow turned his man inside out only to see his near-post effort blocked away for another corner. But it wasn't all one-way traffic as Nicholson again did very well to turn aside Michael Lyall's goal-bound header as Teversal broke away. But the final moments of the half belonged to Town. In the 43rd minute, a long ball down the right flank by Wood found Barnett who beat two defenders with sublime ease only to see his effort blocked on the line. Then, in the dying seconds, Barlow should have done better than screw his shot inches wide of Herring's right-hand post after a good run by Lee Moulds.

After the wind and rain of the first half, the second began in bright sunshine although things turned altogether much gloomier for Town in the 50th minute, Marc Rathbone finding himself with the time and space to head home unchallenged a cross from Teversal left flank to give the visitors the lead. Barton responded well to the setback, but without seriously testing Herring in the Teversal goal. That all changed in the 67th minute. Barnett, playing much further forward, was unceremoniously upended on the right edge of the visitors' area. Direct from the free-kick, Shaun DAY struck an unstoppable effort into the top corner of Herrick's goal with the keeper rooted to the spot. With their tails up and most of the action now taking place in the Teversal half, Town pressed for the winner. But it didn't look to be coming, Lee Moulds seeing his effort blocked before, in the space of a few minutes, Barnett twice cut in from the right flank, his first ball across the six yard box eluding everybody, his second curling, agonisingly, inches wide of Herring's far post.

With time running out, Barlow was again thwarted by Herring's outstretched legs before the breakthrough came in the 85th minute. In classic " route one " manner, Nicholson's huge kick downfield from Pat Masterton's back-pass sailed over the heads of the Teversal central defenders. But not BARLOW, who had time to control the ball, run on and finish emphatically beyond Herring for a timely and well-deserved winner. Just when it seemed it wasn't going to be Barton and Barlow's day, Town's top scorer came up trumps, and not for the first time. The three vital points inch The Swans further up the table, but a much bigger test lies in wait on Tuesday night, when high-flying AFC Emley are the visitors to The Euronics Ground (kick off 7.45pm).

TEAM:Nicholson; Wood ( Markham ), Hull, Suddaby, Masterton; Marshall (D.Moulds), Barnett, Mitchell, Day; Barlow, L.Moulds. Sub ( not used ) McKay.