Abbey Hey 1-5 Congleton

[Kevin Lawton]

I am going to the game on Tuesday - follow match updates on
www.twitter.com/Congletonfc

If you are going - I will be the one fiddling with my phone!!!

[Kevin Lawton]

Excellent performance by The Bears.

Scott Dundass opened the scoring on 8 minutes when he pounced on a rebound off the keeper, having thundered one aganist the bar two minutes earlier.

Lewis Short made it two in almost identical fashion on the half hour and it was really all Congleton. On 36 mins Lewis had a goal disallowed for off side when he once again pounced on a rebound that hit the post and rolled across the goal line. Not too sure why or how he was off-side, but the linesman got very vocal about his decision - unusually.

Right on the stroke of half-time and totally against the run of play Abbey Hey scored - from an of-side position - confirmed by Abbey Hey supporters!!! (they also said Lewis's goal was good).

Second half started more even but The Bears gradually took charge and could have scored nine or ten if more chances had been taken, as it was the third was a Ryan Baker thunderbolt that very nearly ripped the net.

On 74 mins Lewis Short was on target once again, with a cracking drive across the keeper. Final goal came in stoppage time from Ryan Baker again, who could have had a hat-trick a minute later when he lobbed the keeper, only for him to pluck the ball out of the air at the last minute.

In truth, the Abbey Hey keeper did not have his best game, but he did pull off three excellent saves late on - most notably a point blank reflex save from a Wayne Brotherton bullet header from six yards.

All round, this was a good team performance from the Bears and my MOM was Lewis Short, who never stopped running for the full 90 minutes, scored two and could easilly have had at least three or four more.