Wonder goal secures points for Rylands

by Garry Clarke Pictures: John Hopkins

A game low on quality was decided by a moment of brilliance as Dean Furman’s strike kept alive Warrington Rylands’ promotion hopes and pushed Liversedge further into the relegation mire.

Languishing in the relegation zone the visitors started brightly striking the woodwork in the 7th minute; Joe Walton planted a firm header against an upright and could only watch as the ball bounced across an open goal before being turned behind for a corner.

Rylands started to get on top with Liversedge goalkeeper Patrick Boyes having to cut out a dangerous cross from Kyle Hayde before Sam Egerton headed against against the crossbar as Liversedge struggled to clear from a corner. Egerton was also in action at the other end blocking a goalbound shot from Jack Carr.
In a game with few goal-scoring opportunities, Liversedge defender Jack Hardacre recovered well to clear after Kelly N’Mai had rounded Boyes before Furman’s wonder strike in the 64th minute.
Opening his goal-scoring account in his 40th game for Rylands he received the ball just outside the area unleashing a drive which flew past Boyes into the top corner.

In the 80th minute N’Mai won the ball on the halfway line, racing down the left flank he cut inside and delivered a ball which flashed across the face of the goal without anyone being able to apply the finishing touch.
Surviving an optimistic penalty appeal in the closing minutes when Ben Atkinson went down in the area after being beaten to the ball by goalkeeper Luke Pilling, Rylands held on for the three points which keeps them on the fringes of the play-off places leaving caretaker manager Jody Banim to say “Coming of the back of 3 defeats the result was all that mattered today.”

WARRINGTON RYLANDS: Pilling Hayde Hunt (Mustoe) Hockenhull Egerton Duxbury Neild Furman Okwute (Pratt) N’Mai Robinson (Vassallo); Subs not used: Cooke Mantack

LIVERSEDGE: Boyes Hardacre Smythe Dean Ellis Harris Walker Stockdill Walton Atkinson Carr; Subs: Khan Raw Barrett Proctor Cartman

Attendance 277