ROCHDALE ST CLEMS B - 2 V OLD BOLTONIANS 'B' - 5
Goals:
Barrett 2
Beardsworth
Southern
Kilburn
Titles can be won & lost on days like this… Old Bolts came in to the game on the back of 5 straight wins but with injury concerns. Striker Dan Barrett and centre-half Olly Pimblett were returning after a calf injuries but the midfield was reeling from the loss of playmaker Mark Brookes to a serious knee dislocation the previous week, alongside enforcer Ben Horan who was still absent with a groin complaint. But never fear! Riding to the rescue to plug the central gaps came The World"s Smallest Midfield Pairing, at a combined age of 97 years old, none other than Andy Beardsworth & Roger Milne!
Rochdale has rarely (never?) proved a happy hunting ground for this team and things did not bode well once the game had begun. A suspiciously reinforced-looking Rochdale side seemed like the real deal as they began confidently, sweeping the ball around & generally looking sharper than the Bolts. After hitting the post inside 2 minutes, they took the lead as the new midfield pairing of Milne & Beardsworth were still getting accustomed to their roles. Bolts were passing poorly and in trying to make the most of the downhill advantage, were rushing their play far too much.
However, a Bolts equaliser materialised somewhat against the run of play when a well-delivered corner was met by the towering presence of Andy Beardsworth, who in burying his header proved that his attacking instincts were not to be blunted by his deeper role!
Generally though, Rochdale dominated the first half, leaving the usually lethal forward combination of Barrett & Rob Southern isolated and subdued. Bolts were clearly giving the opposition too much respect and seemed to be expecting defeat. Not good enough, and half-time saw manager Milne tearing a shred off his under-performing men.
With a freshly-laid dollop of classic Milne rhetoric ringing in the team’s collective ear, the second half saw a whole different picture. Bolts began with a renewed sense of optimism, immediately cranking up the tempo a few notches. Keeper Matt Fray was looking completely assured and was offering some quality distribution, whilst his defence of Ross Taylor, Olly Pimblett, Organiser-in-Chief Adam Norse and Wes Davies were growing in stature by the minute. Wingers Rick Kilburn and Mark Lomax (and later Johnny Lynch) were beginning to mark their mark too…All it needed was a goal and within 10 minutes, Bolts had one. A previously-quiet Dan Barrett latched on to a loose bouncing ball 20 yards out and having spotted the keeper off his line, casually lobbed a looping left-footer over him and into the net. 2-1 and just the reward Bolts needed & deserved.
Rochdale heads seemed to go down surprisingly quickly, in stark contrast to the burgeoning confidence displayed by a blood-sensing Bolts side. It wasn’t long before the third goal was claimed, with this one having an air of inevitability about it as the Club’s top scorer ‘Super’ Bob Southern claimed his obligatory goal with a crisp right-footed finish. This was Bob’s 13th of the season and continued his run of scoring in every one of the seven games so far…Some achievement, let’s see how far it can go!
Things got even better when Dan Barrett got his second of the game, and 8th of the season, following the best move of the match. Some lovely Bolts passing down the right saw Rob Southern whipping in a cross for a surprisingly-sprightly Barrett to steer home clinically with his right. By all accounts, a lovely goal to watch…
This was now becoming a rout - Bolts had overcome their wobbles and were really turning on the style. A darting Ross Taylor run towards their box saw him rudely yanked back. The resulting crossed free-kick was cleared but only as far as Rick ‘The Mouth’ Kilburn, who took a neat touch at the edge of the box, sidestepped a man and drove firmly past the beleaguered Rochdale keeper. 5-1! (That Kilburn later picked up his token weekly booking did not spoil his afternoon – He has a Direct Debit set up for booking fines anyway)
A late consolation for Rochdale did nothing to take the gloss off a cracking win that genuinely did not seem at all likely at half-time….This was one of those games that Bolts would have capitulated in last season, so a 5-2 win away at a good side is no mean result.
Whisper it, but this side looks to have all the ability, spirit & resolve required to sustain a real run at the Title. As the boisterous changing room fell silent, the hum of the VidiPrinter on Sky Sports News revealed that co-League Leaders Bolton Ambassadors had lost, leaving Bolts sat proudly alone at the league summit! What a day!
With key men returning to strengthen the side, a defence growing by the game, (in spite of failing to keep a clean sheet yet!) a midfield packed full of options and last but not least, a 21-goal strike partnership good enough to unlock any defence, things are looking very, very bright indeed down at B Team Barracks….
Can bubbling Manager Milne keep the momentum going though? Time will tell.
Next week sees a crucial game (aren’t they all?) at home to 4th placed Rossendale, but with Milne being rudely snatched away from managerial duties (Parents-in-Law Golden Shower Wedding Anniversary, apparently), the reins are to be taken up by Dan ‘Chris Hughton’ Barrett’……Danger afoot?