Alport (1) 2 Daisy Hill (0)
Alport went into last night’s (Tuesday) home clash against Eccleshall full of confidence after they began their Hallmark Security Division One campaign with a 2-0 home win against Daisy Hill. A first half penalty from Mike Blundell plus a late Nick Marley effort earned the Reds three points in front of a bumper crowd of 140 at Yockings Park. Whitchurch weren’t at their best but they controlled the game and were rarely threatened by a Daisy Hill side who gave Alport a tough opening game. The hosts gambled on the fitness of Si Everall who had been struggling with a tight hamstring, but despite being around 50% fit the forward led the line well and the gamble paid off.
The Reds began by forcing a couple of early corners but the visitors defended well and it was 15 minutes into the match before the first attempt on goal came. Stevie McNichol took up a decent position during the second phase and when Elliot Ledwards picked him out with a great diagonal, the midfielder headed over. Alport began to pick up the pace and went close to an opener when Si Everall turned a Daisy defender inside out but the goalkeeper stood up well and made the save. But 60 seconds later Whitchurch went in front. Two forwards were in a Daisy sandwich and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Blundell stepped up to plant the ball firmly into the bottom corner and although Steve Dryden dived the right way, the pace on the ball was always going to beat him.
Blundell almost added a quickfire second when he got on the end of a great through ball from the player manager Carl Everall, but he wasn’t able to make a good enough connection and the keeper blocked. There was a let off for the hosts on the half-hour when an uncharacteristic slip from fellow player manager Luke Goddard, allowed the Lancashire side to get in behind. But they escaped when Alex McPolin screwed his shot wide when he should have scored. After that, Goddard marshalled the back four superbly and barely put another foot wrong all afternoon.
10 minutes before half-time, Blundell and Si Everall constructed a lovely move which ended with the former blasting over the top and the remainder of the half presented very little in the way of goalmouth action, with Ashley Stott’s weak free-kick easily saved by Milosz Walentowicz in the home goal.
It was a baking hot afternoon in Shropshire and the second half was a bitty affair in truth with few openings for either side. Ellis Worrell was very fortunate not to concede an own goal when he intercepted Si Everall’s cross just three minutes in. But luckily for the defender, the ball went just past the post with Dryden rooted to the spot. A second goal at that point may well have opened the floodgates for Alport but Daisy Hill came a bit more into the game. That said, they created very few openings and it would have been an injustice had they managed to draw level. And with just one minute of normal time remaining, substitute Marley rifled a 20 yarder right into the top corner to settle the contest with Dryden helpless in keeping it out. Every single player in the team joined in the celebrations on the far side and Alport are off and running.
Alport: Walentowicz, Ward, Ledwards, McNichol, Johnson, Goddard, Blundell, Carl Everall, Si Everall (capt.), Thomas, Twigg