Ossett Albion 3 Witton Albion 1

UniBond Division One Saturday, September 22

WITHOUT a management team they may have been, but Witton still should have won this first visit to the Ossett Cricket and Athletic Club.

Despite the name, a fair bit of football gets played here too, and most of it was from Witton as they made the early running.

However, although Mike Moseley and Carl Rendell tested Andrew Carney in the opening 10 minutes, this period ended with Osett taking the lead.

Lee Morgan's under-hit back pass gifted possession to Danny Morris, and the game's outstanding player slotted the ball past Greg Price.

Witton recovered from this to equalize when Danny Graystone's thunderous 25-yard shot cannoned off the bar and into the net via the back of Carney two minutes later.

Then Mark Garrity, David Anane and Rendell could all have given the visitors the lead, while at the other end, an eye needed to be kept on Morris.

He tested Price with a shot which the keeper did well to palm out, but he was relieved to see Morris fire over the bar when the rebound went straight back to him.

However, Ossett did regain the lead seven minutes into the second half, and again the unfortunate Morgan was central to it.

He was adjudged to have handled Craig Goodyear's free-kick and skipper Mick Carter slotted in the penalty.

An instant equalizer wasn't forthcoming this time, as Witton cursed their luck when Moseley's cross hit home defender James Glover and then the post, and a goal-bound diving header by James Birdsey hit Moseley.

It was during this late flurry of attacks that Ossett seized their chance to break away and clinch the three points when Glover fired in from an acute angle.

Witton: Price, Morley, Styles (Cox 70), Pritchard, Morgan (Hawkes 80), Jones, Graystone, Garrity (Birdsey 57), Anane, Rendell, Moseley. Attendance: 126. Star man: Carl Rendell.