Sandbach United 3 Alsager Town 1

United come from behind to beat local rivals to kick off the NWCFL ground-hop weekend.

Local rivals Sandbach and Alsager faced off at Hind Heath Road on Friday night to kick off the The NWCFL groundhop weekend. And the record crowd of 455 who flooded through the gate were treated to a classic under the lights.

Not only was the game a local derby but there was also the added extra of the visitors having eight former Sandbach players in their squad and coaching staff.

As expected, the game got off to a cagey start. With the pitch being bobbly and heavy, both sides were struggling to adjust to the tough conditions. In the 10th minute, the game saw its first shot as former Northern Ireland international Steve Jones found former Sandbach United fan favourite Josh Lane who was in behind but he dragged his shot wide of the left post from just outside the box.

Seven minutes later the ball fell to Steve Jones following an Alsager corner, he turned to find more space, than but was halted by a push from Sandbach midfielder Scott Evans in the box. Jones used his experience and went down leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. Jones then dusted himself down and dispatched the spot kick into the top left corner, sending the keeper the wrong way and putting the visitors in the lead.

Five minutes later, the visitors should have doubled their lead as George Archer won the ball of Sandbach centre half Declan O’Riordan before racing down the left side. As he got to the byline he pulled it back to Jones who blazed over from wide yards out.

Sandbach were really struggling to get a foot hold in the game but found a leveller against them run of play in the 31st minute. Danny Bartle got on the end of a cut back from the left byline but his shot was scuffed and looked easy for the keeper. However, the keeper parried it into the path of Will Saxon who fires gone into the empty net.

Sandbach didn’t really deserve to level but they will take it. They now had the momentum and looked the more likely of sides to take the lead.

As the referee blew his whistle for half time the game was very much in the balance.

Sandbach the second half the better of the two sides and they came agonisingly close to going ahead, once again Danny Bartle latched onto a cutback but this time he crashed his effort off the post.

Sandbach were dominating possession and we’re moving the ball nicely on what was a tough pitch. Jack Hart was the next man to come close for United as he let fly from 25 yards but it was straight at the keeper.

The home side have been guilty in the past of being made to rue their missed opportunities. However, in the 68th minute on loan Nantwich Town striker Valdermar Schousboe took matters into his own hands as he picked up the ball on the left side before bursting into the box, evading the dangling legs of the Alsager defenders before slotting under the keeper and into the net, completing the turnaround for United. It was a excellent piece of individual play from Schousboe, one that I’m sure would have impressed all the ground hoppers in attendance.

To get back in the lead was just what first team coach Jason Doggett would have wanted. It meant that his side now were able to dictate the tempo of the game. Whereas, Alsager had to fight for an equaliser.

Danny Bartle was guilty of missing some good chances for the hosts. He had squandered another opportunity in the 70th minute. He initially did well to close down the Alsager keeper and force him into blasting his clearance straight at the back of Bartle. The ball luckily ricocheted into the path of Bartle who was now one on one with the keeper. However,Mclenaghan did really well to get back and superbly save Barlte’s strike.

Three minutes later, Will Saxon had a brilliant opportunity to seal the win for Sandbach. Good work from Jack Hart on the edge of the box allowed him to square to Saxon on the rights side of the box, he then did well to create an angle for the shot but could on fire straight at the keeper.

Sandbach has dominated proceedings in the second half but they very nearly let Alsager back into the game as Archer fired in low across the face of goal from the right side towards Jones but a combination of Booth and Rowntree somehow prevented the ball from going into the net. After the game it was revealed that Sandbach keeper Sam Booth suffered a broken finger in the process of making this save.

The visitors were slowly coming back into the game and Sandbach knew that they had to get another goal to make the game safe. When Will Saxon was sent flying in the box the referee showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot for the second time in the game. Despite missing three golden chances so far, it was Danny Bartle who was on penalty duties. He blasted the freekick towards goal but the keeper saved it, however, luckily for United striker the ball fell back to him and he fired home from the close range leaving the keeper with absolutely no chance and surely sealing the win for United with just moments of the game left.

Minutes later the referee ended the game and put Alsager out of their misery. Sandbach has dominated the second half and they could have had 5 or 6 goals if they were more clinical. It was a fantastic game to kick off the grounhop weekend and it would have left a lot of punters with a big smile on their face.

Another man with a big smile on his face was United first team coach Jason Doggett, I caught up with him after the game and he said “Our players were outstanding and the score reflected this. I personally want to thank our amazing volunteers that worked tirelessly both in the build up and on the evening of the game, you symbolise what our club is about”