By Rich Jennings (Puriton United)
Puriton started the game brightly with Darryl Taylor & Lee Mitchell both going close but dragging their shots just wide. Then the Hoppers attacked but in-form Lee Harvey and player-manager Rich Jennings kept them at bay.
Puriton started to play some good football but the Grasshoppers defence were proving a tough obstacle. Then, from a corner, Ryan Cresswell managed to rise above the Hoppers defenders and put a thunderbolt header towards the goal but keeper Gavin Riddle made an excellent save.
Puriton kept pressing and again in-form Lee Mitchell had a shot towards goal but Riddle made yet another good stop. Darryl Taylor, Ryan Williams and even Rich Jennings had shots but all were blasted wide. The game therefore remained goal-less at half-time.
Puriton kept on coming again in the second half and pressed and pressed for the opening goal but it just didn't seem their day with 16-goal Darryl Taylor again dragging his shot wide. (It was not his day!!!!).
Then, in the 65th minute, Dean Taylor crossed for Rich Harvey who took the ball on his chest then volleyed home from 20 yards into the bottom left-hand corner.
Not long afterwards a rare Grasshoppers attacks saw United's Matt Holt make a good tackle before playing a great ball to Lee Mitchell who plucked the ball out of mid-air over the top of an on-coming defender and, on a tight angle, slotted home a fantastic strike to make it 2-0 to the away side.
Puriton continued to press for a third but it was the Hoppers defenders who again came out the better with some super tackling. Then, in the 80th minute, the ten men of Grasshoppers got a goal back following a bad mistake from Paul Hancock. However, United resisted some further Hoppers pressure and hung on until the final whistle to claim another three hard-won points towards their promotion challenge.
Man Of The Match was Lee Mitchell who had a fantastic game and didn't stop running. If it had not been for the impressive Grasshoppers defence he could well have bagged a hat-full.
Team: Gk-Nathan Gill, LB-Matt Holt, RB-Paul Hancock, CB-Rich Jennings, CB-Lee Harvey, LM-Ryan Creswell, RM-Dean Taylor, CM-Rich Harvey, CM-Ryan Williams, ST-Lee Mitchell, ST-Darryl Taylor.
Subs: Dan Jennings, Lloyd Hacking, Paul Court
(Story First Published: 15.12.04) |
