NAZAM DRUID WELSH NATIONAL DIVISION ONE
NEW BRIGHTON 2-4 GRESFORD ATHLETIC RESERVES

By Stand-in Roving Reporter Web Jones

We travelled to New Brighton full of optimism and we had the rare benefit of yet again naming an unchanged side. One notable absentee of course was Big Sam who took his charming wife to Liverpool for a romantic weekend. Now don't you think he should have smelt a rat when the Hotel he booked was badged as being in a quaint little fishing village on the outskirts of the City called Croxteth ! What a surprise it was to welcome him back at HQ at the ‘Leedge' when the night was young.

New Brighton Football Club is nestled in the heart of a beautiful village near Mold.  If World War 3 breaks out I am going to go and live there because even the Germans wouldn't have found their ground !!

Well before kick off, Judge Halliwell (We call him the Judge because he spends so much time on the bench) had everyone in stitches when he bent over, ripped his kex and then accidentally set the shower over himself when fully dressed. Candidate for the TWA Tea Award – read on !!!

I almost forgot, yes there was a football match. Referee Mike Jones saw fit to KO off early so I missed Broady score a goal of a life time when I was at Sooty's house retrieving his truss. The New Brighton officials did approach me later saying they had never ever seen such a wonderful goal at their ground before. Apparently he took 2 touches – lifted the ball over 2 defenders and volleyed home from 12 yards.

It wasn't vintage Gresford and somehow we lacked cohesion and the normal passion was lacking all afternoon. So much so, the hosts pulled level after 25 minutes when Darren Prior found himself in oceans of space to score with a long distance effort which left Roly stranded.

On 38 minutes, Robbie Jones roasted their full back and from the acutest of angles he found Owen on the far post giving him a simple chance to convert. Rob was quite delighted as it was the same fullback who had been having verbals at the time with Ady.

Rob didn't appear for the second half and now looks to be sidelined for 2-3 weeks with a reoccurrence of a hamstring problem. Owen dropped into midfield and Super Matt came into attack alongside Broady.

Lloydy was having a field day on the left of midfield and his long surging runs were causing havoc and on the hour he was richly rewarded with our third goal.

He also had a had in our fourth goal, a long swirling ball eluded everyone apart from Matt Davies and he stabbed the ball home from close in. Not the simplest of chances and he took the goal well.

Time to shut up shop so the Judge replaced Luke and Owen, who had been kicked up in the air a few times gave way for Jason Gray who looked comfortable with a wide berth on the right.

With just seconds left on the clock, Paul Worrall who had been left unmarked sent a powerful header past Roly. Picking the ball out of the net was only the third thing he had to do all afternoon.

Not the most entertaining of games and much room for improvement. Sooty is maturing like a fine wine, Rich was back to his best and covered every blade of grass as well as throwing the odd tantrum. Just shading them both though for Man of the Match vote was Lloydy.

The Gnome was carried home by Haggis for creating the days best laugh.