In this post I shall be reviewing the Blue Square Premier matches that have taken place over the last week. With just five matches taking place on Tuesday 8th January there were plenty of goals to talk about!
Barrow travelled to Luton with just 13 players in their squad. A superb hattrick from Jon Shaw gave Luton the win they needed. Barrow's task of keeping the hosts at bay became even tougher as winger Scott Neilson put Luton ahead after just two minutes. Two more first half goals followed from Janos Kovacs (27) and Jon Shaw (29) as Luton ran away with the game. The home side came out after half-time and continuted to dominate as two more Jon Shaw goals (59, 64) gave them a 5-0 lead. At least the travelling fans had something to cheer in the 68th minute as striker Adam Boyes game them a goal, only for future star Andre Gray to go up and grab Luton's 6th just 4 minutes later! Promotion chasing Wrexham travelled to unpredictable Alfreton in search of a win that would keep their hunt for promotion going strong. Defender Neil Ashton gave the away side the lead in the 17th minute before Alfreton's Ben Tomlinson equalised in the 33rd minute of the game. Wrexham were dealt a blow just after half-time when striker Danny Wright was sent off after receiving his second yellow. Alfreton created more chances than Wrexham but an excellent solo goal from Joe Clarke in the 75th minute gave the away side all three points. Macclesfield fresh from their FA Cup exploits travelled down south to face Braintree in a match that was seen as a potential banana skin for the play-off hopefuls. Despite the home side having a huge 19 shots, their lack of cutting edge in front of goal meant only 5 of these shots were on target. Macclesfield were more clinical in front of goal with 7 of their 11 shots going on target. A neat finish by Amari Morgan-Smith (32) followed by a brace from Waide Fairhurst (67, 80) ensured the visitors returned home with 3 important points. The match between Hereford and AFC Telford saw two goals - one at the very start and one at the death. Hereford took the lead in the 2nd minute of the game when Marley Watkins converted Stefan Stam's cross. Hereford put pressure on their opponents for much of the game but could not find that elusive second goal as the away 'keeper Ryan Young was in fine form and Telford capitalised on his good work in the last minute of the game when Gerard Kinsella headed in Steven Leslie's cross, with only their first shot on target. The final game of this Tuesday evening saw Lincoln travel to Southport in a high scoring game. Southport took control of the game as defender Simon Grand bagged a brace (18, 25) to put the hosts two in front before Andy Owens made it 3-0 on 32 minutes. Lincoln didn't give up and a neat finish from top scorer Jamie Taylor before half-time gave them the slightest bit of hope. If you expected the second half to be like the first then you were very much mistaken as the fans had to wait until the 77th minute until the next goal as Karl Ledsham fired home a fourth for the hosts to put the game beyond all doubt. Lincoln's Vadaine Oliver scored a consolation in the 80th minute, but that's all it was.
Results:
Luton Town 6-1 Barrow AFC
Hereford United 1-1 AFC Telford United
Alfreton Town 1-2 Wrexham
Southport 4-2 Lincoln City
Braintree Town 0-3 Macclesfield Town
Saturday's round of matches, again, was not a full schedule of games due to some teams participating in the FA Trophy third round.
Lincoln were once again on the wrong end of a 4-2 scoreline as promotion hopefuls Newport County continued their play-off charge moving up to second in the table. Two goals from top scorer Aaron O'Connor and debutant Robbie Willmott ensured they travelled back to South Wales with three points in the bag. Vadaine Oliver was again on the scoresheet for Lincoln and new signing Chris Bush managed to grab a goal but it wasn't enough for the Imps as they start to fall down the table again after an impressive run of form. The standout clash of the weekend saw Mansfield, fresh off of a very respectable performance against Premier League Liverpool, take on in-form Kidderminster. Questions were asked whether the away side could get a result after selling bright prospect Jamille Matt to Fleetwood. These questions were answered brilliantly as two quickfire goals from Mickey Demetriou and Lee Vaughen gave them three valuable points as they look to continue their play-off push. AFC Telford extended their winless run to 13 games as they lost 3-2 down at Braintree. The Bucks were hoping to improve on their midweek draw with Hereford but they could not do so, despite an impressive brace from Nathan Rooney. Sean Marks, Luke Daley and a Kenny Davis penalty gave the hosts an important win. There was goals galore at Edgar Street as Hereford and Alfreton battled to a 3-3 draw. Ryan Bowman twice gave the hosts the lead but a great fightback from Alfreton at 3-1 down earned them a well deserved point. Delroy Gordon hit a late equaliser at Liberty Way as Nuneaton held promotion hopefuls Forest Green to draw. Nuneaton had missed a first half penalty before Matt Taylor put the away side in front in the 57th minute. Gordon delighted the home fans with a goal from inside the box in the 82nd minute. Sunday's game saw struggling Ebbsfleet travel to Woking with a very good chance of picking up three vitally important points. The hosts were given a chance to take the lead early on as Ebbsfleet captain Paul Lorraine fouled Loick Pires in the area. Kevin Betsy stepped up confidently before putting the ball wide of the goal. From here on there wasn't many clear cut chances and it wasn't until the 89th minute when we saw the first goal. A cross by Bradley Bubb found substitute Jayden Stockley in the area has he prodded the ball in with his back!
Results:
Lincoln City 2-4 Newport County
Mansfield Town 0-2 Kidderminster Harriers
Braintree Town 3-2 AFC Telford United
Hereford United 3-3 Alfreton Town
Nuneaton Town 1-1 Forest Green Rovers
Woking 1-0 Ebbsfleet United
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