South_Normanton_Athletic_v_Main_05_04

Main were looking to build upon their fantastic four-nil demolition of Lincoln Moorlands when they travelled to fellow strugglers South Normanton, knowing three points would all but seal their Premier Division survival.

Manager Robbie Barron made two changes with Alex Wilson coming in for the suspended Danny Reilly and Scott Somerville returning up front in the place of Korey Nix.

Main were the first out of the traps and Somerville was sent through on goal by Nicky Darker in the fourth minute but he was denied a goal scoring chance by the assistant referee flagging for offside.

Main again were denied by the referee’s assistant a minute later when Somerville controlled Chris Dickman’s ball and sent Danny Payne through on goal but Payne was adjudged to have handled the ball.

Somerville then raced in on goal in the ninth minute but he was denied by the feet of Ross Whalin in the Athletic goal following Payne’s through ball.

Payne watched in vain as his shot flew over the bar in the ninth minute following Carl Thornton’s cross to Darren Green and his short ball to Payne and the home side took the lead in the tenth minute when Barbados international Vladimir Santos Farrell played Lee Sutton in on goal and the big centre forward side footed past Gerrard Bowtell-Harris with some of the Main players appealing for offside.

Main were almost level in the eighteenth minute when Dean Whiley almost diverted Paul Staniforth’s cross into his own goal but, lucky for him, the ball flew narrowly over the bar and out for a corner.

Main were awarded a free kick in nineteenth minute when Ian Wheat pulled down Somerville on the edge of the area. Thornton stepped up but his free kick flew inches wide of the goal.

Main deservedly equalised in the twenty sixth minute when Joe Atkinson sliced his clearance of Staniforth’s free kick to Payne who headed home from close range to make it four goals from four games.

Bowtell-Harris made a great save to deny Sutton from close range in the thirty fifth minute but, with five minutes remaining in the half, Athletic were back in front when Paul Gamble headed in unmarked from close range following Martin Bowles’s cross.

Darker almost put Main on level terms again in the forty second minute when he controlled Payne’s pass but his shot flew over the bar.

Whatever Robbie Barron said at half-time, his team set about doing it and, with only 70 seconds on the second half clock, Payne sent Green through on goal and he calmly side footed under Whalin to put Main back in the game.

Two minutes later, however, the home side were back in front when Jarred Holmes dispossessed Staniforth and beat two more Main players before sidefooting past Bowtell-Harris and into the Main goal.

In the fifty fifth minute Somerville met Bowtell-Harris’s long kick but his shot went wide of the goal before, at the other end, in the sixty eighth minute Farrell was sent racing in on goal but as he reached the edge of the area he was brought down by Bowtell-Harris. Sutton collected the ball and his shot was cleared off the line by Steve Little. Bizarrely, the referee brought play back for the foul stating that their was no proper advantage and showed a yellow card to Main’s Aussie keeper. Sutton stepped up and his free kick was saved by Bowtell-Harris - justice for the referee’s mistake?

With twenty minutes remaining Sutton appeared miles offside but he was allowed to play on and his strike flew well wide of the Main goal.

Three minutes later Payne was tugged to the floor by home skipper Atkinson. Staniforth stepped up but his free kick hit the bottom of the post and bounced out.

The Main skipper was then shown a red card for a show of frustration towards the referee’s assistant.

Powell beat the offside trap and rounded Bowtell-Harris but he ran wide so he laid the ball into Sutton whose shot was blocked by Darker then Gamble’s shot flew wide of the post.

In the ninty third minute Bowells raced in on the Main goal. Bowtell-Harris came out and got his fingertips to the ball but Bowells went down. Everyone but the referee and his assistant on the near side said that the Main ‘keeper had played the ball first but Athletic were awarded a penalty. Farrell stepped up to take the spot kick but it was weak and Bowtell-Harris saved easily. As Gamble fired the rebounded goalwards the referee blew for full time.

Main: Gerrard Bowtell-Harris, Nathan McHale (Ryan Welsh 88), Paul Staniforth (Capt), Nicky Darker, Alex Wilson, Steve Little, Danny Payne, Chris Dickman, Scott Somerville, Carl Thornton (Mike Baker 66), Darren Green (Danny White 85).