Match Report - ALBION - 14 Oct 2018

Baltic returned to winning ways on a damp morning in Warlingham following a hard fought win over Albion. The corresponding fixture last season at Albion's home ground ended with some ugly scenes but this game was played with a good spirit throughout.

Baltic started very brightly with Arron Watmore and Scott McVeigh bossing the game against their midfield counterparts and Ricky Baxter and Kevin Day providing the energy on the flanks.

When the opening goal did arrive, it was a surprise it took so long. After a dubious challenge by Phil Broughton on the Baltic full back went unchallenged, the ball fell to Scott McVeigh who laid a precision pass for Broughton to run onto and he scored with an impudent chip over the keeper and into the net.

Baltic continued to press and on a number of occasions were one pass away from clear opportunities to further test the bespectacled keeper. However, they did double their lead on the half hour when Ricky Baxter played a delightful ball over the defence and to the feet of Broughton who was in acres of space. With only the keeper to beat and an age to think (when it usually goes wrong) he took it round the keeper and slotted in from an angle.

The home side, in complete control, took their foot off the pedal and let Albion back into the game. From playing the first 30 minutes camped inside the visitors half, the last 15 was much more even with Baltic's young keeper Carl Woolhouse regularly seeing the ball.

5 minutes from the break Albion got a foothold back in the game with a corner played to the near post flicked in by the defender whose celebration was to mutter to anyone near him that he wasn't sure how he had scored that with his head! A soft goal to give away minutes from half time.

As the second half started, Baltic raised the tempo and once again found themselves playing much of the game in the Albion half. Their third goal arrived soon after from a set piece. Ricky Baxter's corner was cleared back to him, but his second attempt at a cross was pinpoint onto the head of Phil Broughton and his effort went in via the inside of the post. A second hat-trick of the season for Broughton was complete.

With the away side tiring, Baltic could have expected to extend their lead further but chances were missed by Rhys Buckley and Aaron Woolhouse as well as another by Broughton, saved by the now un-bespectacled keeper.

As the game was seemingly petering out to a comfortable Baltic win, the visitors pulled another goal back at the death to setup up a nervy period of injury time but Baltic managed to see time out for a well deserved 3rd victory of the season.