Clinical finishing on return

ROSSENDALE FC ............ 4 CHIPPING FC ................... 0

THE Stags returned after a two week lay off with a comprehensive and clinical display against Chipping FC.

Rossy came into the game missing captain Stephen Claxon and Tom Walker who was called into the first team. Meaning Dylan Harris was given his first start following an impressive substitute appearance in the last match.

Conditions were really poor, the pitch was absolutely soaked through with the wind and rain driving hard for the full 90 minutes.

Rossy immediately took charge of the match and in the tough conditions were moving the ball around well, but as the pitch cut up this became increasingly more difficult. On a couple of occasions a little bit of miscommunication between players meant Chipping managed to get hold of the ball but in the most part it was all Rossy probing the away side.

The first goal came on 14 minutes when

Jonathan Booth shot from distance, the keeper parried the shot but as all good strikers should do Harris was following up and he showed great composure to control, round the keeper and slot home.

Rossy carried on pushing after the opener and could’ve added more to their tally and eventually the pressure told when Harris got his second. Jamie Sanderson drove down the wing, crossed into the box and Harris rose well between the two centre halves to head the ball back across the goal into net.

Harris secured his hat trick just before half time when the ball was played into him, he held it up and laid it back to Luke Tudor who shot really well but the keeper was equal to it,

Tudor however picked up the rebound and instead of shooting he cleverly cut it back to Harris who fired home his hat-trick.

Into the second half and now the pitch was not conducive to playing football but the Stags continued to dominate possession. The midfield of Jimmy Hoyle, Tudor and Boothy was exceptional and aswell as breaking up play they constantly got the ball forward and never turned possession over. Chipping couldn’t get near them.

On 60 minutes

Jonathan Booth added the inevitable fourth goal when he yet again blasted home a spectacular goal from the edge of the box which flew into the top left hand corner, his celebration intimated that it was Game over as he chopped his arms and it really was. Chipping were well beaten.

Rossy could’ve added a couple more goals from the centre halves. First Joe Maycock had a great shot cleared off the line and then Matt Lord went on a mazy run beating about four players before he was upended in the box. A penalty was given which he took but he smashed it high and wide unfortunately.

Manager Liam Wademan said: “I’m really pleased with what I saw today. We’d missed two weeks but I said the last performance was our best of the season versus Hesketh. We built on that game and since the Coppull United shambles we’ve turned a corner.

“We look more clinical in front of goal, but off the ball we are getting the ball back quicker and showing a real desire to get it back. Dylan Harris will take the plaudits today and rightly so but to a man they were all brilliant.

“The middle three look like a unit, Owen Brightys running today was phenomenal, he seemed to just get better and more hard working as the game went on.”