Old Bolts A 2 - 2 Horwich RMI Reserves
After successive maulings from Old Blacks, the A Team were in no mood to continue their losing streak on a bright, crisp Saturday afternoon.
Bolts started the better of the two teams with some good possession and solid defending. This was consolidated with an opening goal mid-way through the first half. Horwich clearly forgetting how quick their old team mate's feet were, when they chopped Chris Beardall in the box. Without hesitation the referee pointed to the spot. Hughes slotted away with the coolness only a man of his height can possess.
1-0.
During the ensuing high fives and back slapping that typically following a Bolts goal, Horwich somehow managed to grab an opportunistic equaliser. 1-1 going into half time.
The second half saw everything you would want to see from a game of football. Some good attacking play from Horwich and some dog eared defending from Bolts looked as though they were going to cancel each other out when Horwich managed to take the lead.
I don't think there are enough superlatives in the English language to describe the Bolts equaliser, but let's give it a go. Hughes was released like a greyhound out of the blocks down the right wing, a pin point cross was sent across the Horwich box to a loitering Jules Ellis, who all warm up had consistently been hitting the net with towering headers. He rose like a salmon fighting its way upstream in the summer and hung matrix-style to meet the cross field ball which was dispatched into the top corner. 2-2.
The game could have been snatched by either team late in the game. Bolts created good chances for Witter and Hughes, which at first glance looked easy, but on later review were actually very difficult. Another good performance from Mike Davids was capped with a sterling goal line clearance.
In summary, hard work and some good football earned us what could prove to be a valuable point.
Men of the Match - Youth (Mike Timmis aka Chopper, Chopper Junior, CJ, Chipper etc) and Experience (the evergreen Lee Roberts)