Wood double seals Clipstone comeback

Clipstone made a fine second half comeback, with Dan Wood’s second goal coming 10 minutes from time, as they beat a very lively Worsborough Bridge 2-1 in the NCEL Division One last night.
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The first half was quite disappointing from a Clipstone perspective, their worst of the season so far, but don’t take anything away from the visitors as they were to be the better side.

Clipstone had the first chance of the game on four minutes. Blake Owen was upended 25 yards out adjacent with the right corner of the visitors’ area and Steve Carty floated a curling cross into the mix which avoided everyone, hitting the bottom far post and out for a goal kick.

On eight minutes Brandon Shaw picked up the ball just inside his own half. He ran on and played in Dan Wood who in turn put in Blake Owen to fire a shot across the face of goal and again out for a goal kick.

Worsborough did take the lead on 20 minutes when Brad Kerr broke through the offside trap and, one-on-one with Clipstone keeper Nick Siddons, slid the ball beyond him to put the visitors ahead.

Clipstone were forced into a early substitution as Stu Hill picked up a hamstring injury and was replaced by Gary Armstrong.

The home side were finding it difficult to put a few passes together as Worsborough chased down everything, putting their hosts under pressure at every possible opportunity.

Fortunately for Clipstone they could not make any more real scoring chances.

Whatever was said in the home dressing room at the interval certainly made a difference. Chris Millington made his second change of the game, this time a tactical one, Josh Gibson being replaced by Matt Austin.

Clipstone’s midfield certainly looked more assured with Brandon Shaw slotting into the centre of defence from left back, and Austin playing right midfield, allowing Matty Ord to move forward on the right.

On 58 minutes Ash Rawson was almost cut in two from the visitors’ midfielder, but referee Dan Guest played a great advantage as the ball fell to Wood, who unleashed an almighty shot which took a slight deflection and beat the keeper at the left hand post to bring Clipstone level.

Matty Ord was running the Worsborough left back ragged and they were struggling to cope with him.

Gary Armstrong was given more room on the left and was connecting well with Dan Wood and Ash Rawson and Steve Carty, the latter two running their socks off, as Clipstone were making more in roads into the Worsborough half.

Ash Rawson received a pass from Armstrong and flashed a curling effort just wide of the right post and Clipstone were definitely on top at this point.

On 79 minutes Clipstone won a throw in midway in the visitors’ half.

Taken again by Gary Armstrong straight to the feet of Matt Austin, he turned on the half volley and beat the keeper low to the left but not the post, the ball hitting the keeper on the way back out who just managed to grab it just on the line.

Just one minute later more great work from Matty Ord on the right wing saw him beat two defenders and fire a cross to the far post where Wood rose above the keeper and grabbed his and Clipstone’s second of the game.

Minutes later it was nearly 3-1. Again the threat came form Ord on the right wing.

He again crossed to the far post and again found Wood, It is easy to say from the stand that it would have been easier to hit the ball on the volley than try a diving header, but the hat-trick was not to be.

Blake Owen came into his own in the latter stages as he held the ball up on a couple of occasions when the Worsborough defenders were kicking lumps out of him, getting very little sympathy from the officials.

Worsborough did try hard to get the vital equaliser with a genuine goalmouth scramble in the Clipstone area eventually being half cleared, but Kerr could not get his 25 yarder down enough and the ball rose a foot over the bar.

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