Holker Old Boys 4 Alport 3
 
Craig Redhead was single handedly responsible for helping Holker Old Boys to a thrilling victory at Rakesmoor, as Alport’s automatic promotion  all but ended in Cumbria. Redhead was ably supported by ten others in green shirts who gave a superb performance against Luke Goddard’s men. But two key moments involving the defender were to prove pivotal in the 4-3 win.
 
Alport were trailing 3-0 and appeared out for the count, but Sam Grimshaw looked to have got his side a goal just before the hour mark - only for Redhead to somehow slide the ball away from the net, ending up entangling himself in it instead. And after the visitors battled back to score three in 11 minutes and looking likely to go on and win the game, Redhead hit a screamer which dipped and swerved before landing just under bar and post. It was a fantastic goal and settled a pulsating contest which only really came to life in the second half.
 
Holker had gone into the break a goal up after Gareth Smith had lashed in another beauty that picked out the bottom corner of Danny Read’s net on 28 minutes. Ben Mills had gone closest to scoring for Alport early on but Chris Pearce in the Holker goal did well to save.
 
At the resumption and with the Yockings side playing down the slope, they fell further behind when Bradley Hubbold was given the freedom of Cumbria to allow James Bonner to poke home a second for the hosts. And it got even worse after 55 minutes when Nathan Reid’s left foot volley went past Read to leave the away support stunned.
 
Redhead then made that incredible goalline clearance just two minutes later, and Alport’s triple substitutions involving Arron Johns, Lee Pickerill and Mike Blundell were to breathe much needed life into a team which appeared to lack belief and conviction. That very quickly changed. With just over 20 minutes to play and looking out for the count, Johns crossed for Pickerill and he couldn’t miss from 6 yards out.  Four minutes later it was 3-2 when Blundell’s whipped in free-kick flew off the head of a defender and past Pearce. And incredibly, in the 80th minute the Reds squared the contest.  Grimshaw crossed low, Pearce spilled the ball and there was Pickerill again to knock the ball over the line from a couple of yards out!
 
At this point there was only going to be one winner. Holker were rocked on their heels and Alport looked unplayable with some lovely stuff being played and the most unlikely of turnarounds a real possibility. Enter that man Redhead who scored a wonder goal to break Alport’s hearts with five minutes to go to end an enthralling match.