Match Reports

Newton’s winning lead foiled by a Widnes comeback ! Both sides deserve great credit for providing a good entertaining game played throughout with a noteworthy spirit and will to win.Newton held what should have been a commanding lead at one point only to be denied once again by opponents refusing to be beaten! Bayer actually started the stronger in this contest, but they were their own worst enemies when this enthusiasm got the better of them.Time and again they were caught offside far too easily. Eventually,back came Newton and the home side started to enjoy plenty of the territory resulting in a spate of corner kicks.Bayer largely dealt with them fairly competently,but another major threat was Newton’s towering central defender who struck fear in the visitors ranks when taking free-kicks anywhere within a 60yard radius of the goal! A couple just cleared the crossbar, but he then delivered a perfect one just in front of the visitors’ keeper and with enough power to prevent a clean take.One of Newton’s eager strikers pounced on the rebound and despite injuring himself in the process he prodded the ball home after 20mins to register a well deserved lead. More was to follow as 5mins later the same striker acted as the perfect foil when he began to struggle with his injury in another menacing attack. He began limping and this threw the Bayer defence as they concentrated on him rather than Newton’s left winger who seized his chance with a vengeance! Delivering a well-struck left footed shot from behind his struggling colleague the Bayer keeper stood no chance as it rocketed into the top corner to register a good 2-0 lead. Newton have struggled this season when in winning positions and today was to prove no exception once the Widnes outfit realised that they had to up their game to keep in touch with the basement club! The goal that brought them back into it moments before half-time was a superb reply.Straight from a well delivered corner the Bayer player struck home a first time shot that gave the Newton goalie no chance! With the score now 2-1 at halftime, it meant there was everything to play for again! The opening ten minutes of the second half calmed down a bit, but it was not long before the tempo was raised again, but it was Bayer who were now calling the shots. Newton defended well for most parts, but plenty of meaningful attacks were being mounted down the Bayer right and from one of these a Newton defender totally misread the bounce of the ball and gifted a gentle back header straight to the feet of a Bayer attacker! He needed no further invitation and strode forward to place the ball wide of the keeper and at 2-2 could Newton now hang on? With ten minutes to go the answer was yes.So much so that one of Bayers’ players continued to ‘back chat’ to the ref in frustration and was promptly shown the red card! The ref had no option and it has to be said that the man in black gave an overall display that was arguably the best seen by a ref all season. Newton and Bayer battled away for the winner, but inspite of a great Newton free-kick being superbly parried away by the Bayer keeper and then in the dying moments the same keeper timing his block to perfection against a runaway Newton striker, the 2-2 final scoreline was a just one for both these sides.