Wids fail Bloods’ test as they are hit for six
DROYLSDEN............................................... 6 WIDNES FC ................................................ 2
WIDNES endured an afternoon to forget on Tameside as Droylsden ran out 6-2 winners at the Butcher’s Arms Ground on Saturday afternoon.
The Whites found themselves behind after 11 minutes as ex-Manchester United trainee Febian Brandy converted direct from a free-kick before Sefton Gonzales added a second four minutes later.
The floodgates soon opened, and Widnes were left reeling when Brandy added a second to quickly make it 3-0, while further goals from Liam Caddick and Domaine Rouse had Droylsden 5-0 up inside the opening half-hour.
A Shaquille Antoine-Clarke own goal and a Ben Hodkinson strike either side of half-time reduced the arrears for a Widnes side that had lost both Phil Doran and Conor Ready to injuries before the interval.
Despite reducing the deficit, Widnes never really flirted with making a potential comeback, and their miserable afternoon was compounded when Droylsden skipper Michael Brewster added a sixth inside second half stoppage-time.
Widnes were forced into changes on Tameside, with George Webster and Sean Myler ruled out with work commitments, while co-boss Steve Akrigg was not fit enough to feature.
The return of Sam Sheen handed the Whites a boost, as he came in alongside Ben Cartwright and Chris Lomax – the latter in favour of joint-manager Kev Towey who was named amongst the substitutes.
The Whites made a positive start with Jack Dunn forcing Droylsden keeper Christopher Thompson into a first-minute save.
However, Widnes fell behind after Sheen conceded a free-kick 25 yards from goal, which Brandy buried into the far corner, beating goalkeeper Ryan Neild down to his right.
Widnes almost replied immediately through Ready whose effort struck the foot of a post, but Towey and Akrigg’s men would find themselves 2-0 down ● after 15 minutes when Gonzales nodded a Brewster corner home at the back-post.
Gonzales was to heap further misery on the visitors just 90 seconds later as he got in behind the Widnes backline all too easily to square for Brandy who calmly tucked home his second of the day.
Widnes showed signs of life as both Doran and Dunn hit shots off target, but Droylsden were ruthless in front of goal, spearheaded by the dominant Gonzales.
The towering forward picked up possession on the halfway line and scrambled away from the chasing Michael Grogan.
Droylsden had players queueing up to shoot, with Gonzales driving into the area to pick out Caddick who converted into an empty net.
It was five on the half-hour mark, as Rouse had all kinds of space in the area to round Neild and roll the ball home.
Widnes were reeling, forced into two changes before the break with Hodkinson and Johnstone brought on for the injured pair of Doran and Ready.
They were afforded a lifeline on the stroke of half-time however, as AntoineClarke headed Lomax’s corner into his own net as Widnes pulled a goal back.
Widnes came out for the second half and caught Droylsden napping to reduce the deficit to three.
Dale Korie-Butler, who hit a hat-trick at Glossop North End last time out, had an initial effort saved by Thompson but substitute Hodkinson reacted quickest to power home the rebound.
The Bloods quickly regained their composure and should have added a sixth as Rouse somehow struck wide from inside the six-yard area, before Neild made a good save to deny Brandy after good work by Gonzales.
Club captain Kev Pollard came off the bench to notch his 100th appearance for the club added renewed vigour for a wounded Widnes side, but the closest the visitors came to a third goal was Grogan’s disallowed effort for the slightest of fouls in the build-up.
Hodkinson forced another good save out of Thompson as time wound down, but Droylsden were to add a sixth and final goal as Brewster raced clear on the counter-attack to finish well beyond Neild.