HONOURS EVEN !!!!!!!

DARLEY DALE LIONS 3 V 3 ROWSLEY 86 RESERVES

Right from the kick off Rowsley looked very strong. With bragging rights and various players on both sides swapping teams during the summer break this was always going to be a difficult evening for referee Jon Sellors to keep control of. It took Lions til part way through the first half to get a foothold in the game. Time after time the defence being called upon.

However despite all the early chances for Rowsley it was in fact Darley Dale Lions who took the lead. From a long goal kick taken by right back Liam Ashton which allowed Jordan Watts to capitalise on a mix up at the back between the former Darley Keeper Robert Marsden and his Defence. This gave lions the lift they needed and made for the start of a good battle in the middle of the park. Very evenly matched the two teams gave spectators a very entertaining first half. It stayed at 1.0 to the lions until the 36th minute when the Darley Dale Lions winger Jordan Watts again found himself troubling the Rowsley back line and was bought down inside the box and referee Jon Sellors point to the spot. Up stepped Captain Jon Cooper who netted his first of the evening past the former Darley Dale keeper Rob Marsden. Straight from the kick off Rowley came forward and pulled a goal back to make the score line 2.1 and once again this give the lift to both teams to give a box to box end to the first half. Former Rowsley striker Billy Lester nearly added a 3rd as his cheeky lob just went over Rob Marsden Crossbar. Both teams ended the half on a high but it was Lion who had the lead.

Straight after Half time Lester again found himself on the end of a close range effort which bought the first save of the second half from Keeper Marsden. Efforts from both side bought various save from both keepers. This was a game that was very difficult to call but on the 60th minute of the second half Darley Substitute Sam Wragg on at halftime for Liam Ashton Broke away down the right to send across a brilliant ball to be met at the back post by the former Rowsley Striker Lester to poke it home against his former club and make the score line 3.1 to the Lions. Rowsley managed to get back into the game and after various chances managed to put the ball into the Lions net. Again this gave Rowsley a lift and eventually grabbed an equaliser on the 76th minutes. They nearly added a winner after a mistake in the Darley back line on the 77thminute allowed Rowsley to get in behind the defence once again but after taking the ball around Keeper Dan Insley the chance came to nothing as the Rowley front man was only able to put the ball wide of the left-hand post. The final chance of the game fell to Darley Winger Jordan Watts deep into injury time as he used his pace to beat the Rowsley Defenders to run onto a loose ball only to shoot wide of the right hand upright. Honours even and bragging rights shared in a game that was thoroughly entertaining game of football