Gazette Sport

Ben Rhydding take a step closer to promotion dream

By Sportsdesk

6:38pm Wednesday 10th March 2010

Brooklands 0 Ben Rhydding 3

Ben Rhydding took a step closer to their dream of gaining promotion with an assured display against Brooklands which saw them deservedly come out winners by three goals to nil.

The build up was not without its scares, the main worry being the fitness of ’keeper, David Carter, who managed to play and make some telling saves despite suffering from gastroenteritis.

Rhydding did not start as dynamically as coach Demi Dowley and manager Mark French had hoped and for the first five minutes Brooklands looked the more dangerous.

But the Ilkley side settled with the engine room midfield of Alex White, Dave McNally and Jon Clough getting through huge amounts of work and stifling the opposition midfield.

With skipper Craig Smith at his imperious best leading a well-organised defence, in which Steve Mitchell and Dave Exley were rock solid, Rhydding began to move the ball around the back in an effort to use Danny Foster’s electrifying pace at right-half.

They began to threaten the Brooklands defence through the powerful running of man-of-the-match, Andrew Parkes, Luke Lambert, a constant thorn in Brooklands side, and Sam French and on another day would have had a hatful of short corners as a result of their pressure.

They did manage a couple of shorts in the first-half, the first one coming with drag flick specialist, French, on the bench taking a breather. It did not matter as Exley, in true old school fashion, stepped up and buried a pile driver of a shot just inside the post.

The second-half saw Rhydding pretty much in total control as Mark Wilson made some telling runs when he was on the pitch and Matt Bell began to show glimpses of what he is capable of.

More goals had to come and did as Rhydding won more short corners. French hit the ’keeper’s pads from one and Parkes was on the rebound like a flash to make it 2-0. Another short saw the ball rebound to Foster, the injector, who beat the ’keeper to provide Bell with a tap in to seal victory.

With just two matches remaining the Ilkley side require two points to clinch promotion but they will be keen to wrap it up this weekend in their last home match of the season against Oxton who will be no push over.

A win in front of what should be a large home crowd would provide the perfect end to a remarkable campaign but the management team of French and Dowley will be desperate to keep the players’ minds on the job in hand until the final whistle goes.

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