Maltby Main Football Club
Main were looking to translate their recent good away form into a home victory over promotion chasing Bridlington Town, a side who Main had beaten 3-2 at Queensgate earlier in the season.
The match was played in very blustery conditions with a strong wind blowing across the pitch which was playing havoc when the ball was in the air.
Main started the game the stronger when Paul Fraser was forced to save down low from Neil Longhurst’s sliding shot following Matt Wragg’s eighth minute low cross but were forced into making an early substitution in the sixteenth minute with Sean Lee going off with a calf strain and being replaced by Ryan Tate.
Tate was called into action in the twentieth minute when he had to clear Chibuzor Chilaka’s header off the line following Ash Allanson’s cross.
In the thirty second minute Richard Tracey flashed a shot wide of the Brid post from a good position before, at the other with five minutes of the half remaining, Allanson fired a long range strike well wide of the Main upright.
A minute from time, a wind assisted Allanson shot was heading well wide but stayed in and was cleared away for a throw in. From the throw, Craig Palmer fired a shot goalwards that Jamie Bailey collected but the ball managed to squirm out of his hands and hit the post with the Main ‘keeper thankfully collecting the loose ball.
Ten minutes after the re-start, Town were awarded a free kick twenty yards from goal. Chilaka stepped up but fired his free kick straight at the Maltby wall.
Main brought on Dean Conway in the seventy fifth minute to replace Neil Longhurst in a bid to gain all three points but it was Town who took the lead in the eighty sixth minute. Phil Harrison threw the ball to Ash Dexter whose wind assisted cross was met by the head of Palmer who guided the ball into the far corner of the goal.
Main should have been level less then a minute later when Conway played the ball wide to Tate, who crossed and Dave Shepherd caught the ball on the half volley but the ball cannoned of the post and away to safety.
Five minutes from time Town were awarded a free kick for the foul by Gary Hibbert on Nathan Hotte. Jamie Heard ran up and fired the shot goalwards but Jamie Bailey saved easily.
In second half injury time Bailey pulled off a great save to deny Hotte who mishit his looping shot, Bailey tipped the ball onto the bar and James Ellis cleared the danger.

Main: Jamie Bailey, Jon Wragg, James Ellis, Gary Hibbert (Simon Hickey 84), Danny Reilly, Adam Shepherd, Sean Lee (Ryan Tate 16), Matt Wragg, Richard Tracey, Neil Longhurst (Dean Conway 75), Dave Shepherd.
Saturday 14 March 2009
Northern Counties East League Premier Division
Maltby Main (0) 0 Bridlington Town (0) 1
Reporter:
Philip Hulley