Congleton Town 2 Northwich Vics 0

COMPETITION : Midland League Premier Division
DATE - Tuesday 26th December 2023
VENUE - Cleric Stadium, Congleton

LINE-UP Vics’ -
Reid, Ogundare, Barski, Cookson, Clarke, Perry ( Camara 85’), Sixsmith ( Causer 68’), McWilliams, Parker, Unwin, Sultan

Sub Not used : Bamba, Egerton, Angles
Yellow Card : Parker 8’, Unwin 36’ ,Ogundare 43’

GOALS - Congleton Town : Sankey 73’, Hampton 81’

Two Chances not taken in the first 15 minutes , then despite looking defensively firm , the failure to hold onto the ball to stop the constant Congleton pressure eventually cost Vics dear.

A match which Vics started well despite sitting deep and relying on quick breaks. In the 5th minute, Adam Reid saved well from an one on one situation, and broke quickly with Perry feeding San Unwin down the right who sent in a superb cross which Callum Parker headed just over the bar. Great chance!. Then an even better chance for Vics as they were awarded a penalty for a clear handball in the area as Vics again broke forward quickly. Marcus Perry steeped up but struck a tame penalty which Parton in the Town net saved fairly easily. From this point the match changed and it was just about attack against defence with Congleton in charge. Dan Needham cracked a half cleared corner against the crossbar in the 22nd minute and Reid was forced into decent saves from a McCarthy header and a Hartshorn shot from distance. However Vics’s defence was holding firm and looking fairly comfortable as the half drew to a close. Plenty of pressure from Town but Vics has the best two chances.

HALF-TIME : Congleton Town 0 Northwich Vics 0

The second half proved to be a case of attack v defence with the ball almost constantly in the Vics half as the Greens found it hard to hold the ball up when it was cleared. A McCarthy shot was deflected for a corner in the 51st minute, then Barton fired a shot in which Reid did well to tip away for a corner a few minutes later. In the 62nd minute , Sam Unwin beat his man for pace, cut inside and fired a good shot in which stung Parton’s palms as he dived low to his left. Other than this, the Congleton pressure was nearly constant and in the 74rd minute, the pressure eventually told as George Sankey beat Ogundare down the left, cut inside and fired a shot across Reid into the far corner of the net. Town kept pressing keeping Reid busy in the Vics'net and it wasn’t long before Town got their second as Hampton slotted home at the far post. This finished the match off as a contest despite Vics desperately trying to finally push forward but to be fair attacking wise, it was a poor display by the Vics in the second half

FULL-TIME : Congleton Town 2 Northwich Vics 0

A match where Vics defended stubbornly and well for 70 minutes but the constant pressure eventually told