By Garry Clarke
WARRINGTON Rylands’ losing streak stretched to three games as they slipped to defeat by a single goal on the outskirts of Preston on a cold Tuesday night.
Bamber Bridge controlled the game for large parts and but for an outstanding display from goalkeeper Luke Pilling could have won by a much bigger score line.
Pilling pulled off a string of top class saves to thwart a team who Rylands beat in August to claim their first win in the NPL Premier, although the visitors to the Sir Tom Finney Stadium had the first chance to open the scoring.
In the 5th minute Jak McCourt floated a free kick into the Bamber area which found Sam Egerton whose stooping header was just wide of the target. Rylands enjoyed some good moments in the first half, Egerton hooked the ball over the bar from a corner while Dean Furman and James Neild both shot over from the edge of the area.
The first half saw Pilling produced good saves to deny Isaac Sinclair and Joe Robbins and on the brink of half time a spectacular effort to stretch and pluck the ball out of the air after Fin Sinclair-Smith had spotted him off his line from just past halfway.
For all his first half heroics, Pilling was unable to prevent Bamber Bridge from taking the lead five minutes into the second half. Picking up a wayward clearance Matthew Thomson unleashed a low drive from 30 yards out which flew past a diving keeper and into the net off the foot of the post.
Bamber were dominating the game and could have added to their tally but for Pilling who made two good saves to deny Sinclair-Smith, while a Sinclair shot from 20 yards went wide.
Rylands rarely threatened the home goal in the second half, their best chance falling to Kelly N’Mai in the 75th minute. The Salford loanee got on the end of a nice passing movement but with the goal at his mercy blazed over the bar from eight yards.
Bamber looked to kill the game off and with ten minutes to go a through ball to split open the Rylands rearguard, the onrushing Pilling made his best save of the game brilliantly spreading himself to save Sinclair-Smith’s shot.
In five minutes of added time Rylands forced a series of corners which desperate Bamber defenders managed to scramble clear as they held on for a deserved win.
BAMBER BRIDGE – Hutchinson, Green, Skinner, Thomson, Pond, Wilson (S Sinclair), I Sinclair, Churchman, Scarborough, Robbins (Forbes), Sinclair-Smith (Turner). Subs not used Roache, Alabi.
RYLANDS – Pilling, Hayde, Mantack (Mustoe), Hockenhull, Egerton, Duxbury, Neild, McCourt (Cooke), N’Mai, Furman, Vassallo (Pratt), sub not used Hunt.
Goal – Bamber Thomson 50
Referee Alexander Beckett Attendance 325
