Barton men end in defeat but joy for promoted women
MIXED fortunes concluded the season for Barton men’s first team, who scored seven in their last home game but conceded seven to champions Repton in their final Midlands Premier Division game.
The two results gave some symmetry to an up and down campaign, Barton ending with nine wins, nine defeats and four draws, scoring 54 goals and conceding the same number.
The last home game saw bottom side Loughborough Town visit Shobnall on Captain’s Day and they held Barton to a 1-0 half-time lead, Ross Duncan scoring.
It was a different story after the break as Jake Foster converted a short corner and John Palmer added two quick goals.
Will Rawbon, back after several years out with injury, got the fifth and the sixth and Palmer rounded off the scoring by completing his hat-trick.
Repton, completing their long climb since founding to reach the National League, sealed the Premier Division title with a 7-0 win over Barton in midweek.
But there was joy for Barton Ladies after an outstanding campaign in Midland Women’s Division Four Peak.
A 2-0 win against third-placed Matlock sealed promotion and they travelled to play secondplaced Charnwood Forest with the title to play for.
A 4-4 draw was enough to complete the job.
IT was mid-table, too, in Midland Division One, for Burton’s men.
They ended their season with an eventful 3-3 draw against Beacon, who missed a penalty flick early in the game, a scuffed shot giving keeper Harry Taylor an easy save.
Beacon continued their strong start and took the lead when a crash ball from the right was deflected in.
And they stretched their lead before half-time with a fast counter-attack that ended with another far post finish.
Burton moved to three at the back for the second half and sent Russ Mawer forward to partner Nick Lathbury in the screen.
It worked as Burton were able to press Beacon more efficiently and they got back into the game with a Matt Colton deflection after Mawer put an excellent ball into the D.
Burton continued to press hard and were soon level as Josh Bullock popped up at the far post to finish off a good team move.
More good work from Ball down the left ended with a drive into the D and then a pull back for Calum Slaney to flick home a powerful shot and put them 3-2 up.
However, they could not quite hold on to the lead, Beacon equalising late on in a goalmouth scramble.
Player of the match was Syd Arblaster.
The ladies’ firsts have had a tough year after losing players to university, higher-ranked clubs and retirement.
They never stopped battling but went down 4-0 in their final match to Solihull Blossomfield.
Other last day results, men: Burton seconds 4 (Ben Morley 3, Matt Taylor) Old Halesowens 0; Burton thirds 2 West Bridgford fourths 5; Burton fourths 0 Nottingham Players 5; Burton fifths 3 (Toby Laughlin, Ed Frost, Azhar Mahmood) Bloxwich 0.