Witton Albion 1

Stocksbridge Park Steels 1

UniBond Division One

Saturday, March 17

IT was the two centre halves that provided the rise and fall of Witton Albion on Saturday.

Brian Pritchard's towering header looked to have given Witton the three points until virtually the last kick of the game, when his partner Lee Morgan bundled in an own goal.

Unfortunate though this late equalizer was, you couldn't say a draw was an unfair result - both sides were equally poor.

However, Albion should have made sure of a first victory in three weeks by adding to Pritchard's 52nd strike, a header into the roof of the net from Dave Heywood's pinpoint corner and his first league goal of the season.

Visiting keeper Ross Turner kicked straight to David Anane in the 65th, but the striker tried to beat Turner from the edge of the area, the goalkeeper redeeming himself with a flying save.

And just two minutes before Morgan's late indiscretion, John Paul Hughes, in a lively but ineffective first start, was put in the clear by Hennin's header, but Turner was again to the rescue.

Pritchard and Morgan were also instrumental in keeping others off the scoresheet, holding a tight reign on Steels' experienced forward line of Wayne Biggins and ex-Vics forward Liam Robinson.

But they did allow Biggins an early free header which he directed straight at Dean Greygoose, before Keith Ryan had a 15th minute goal chalked off for a marginal offside.

Morgan had to be bailed out by Pritchard in the 43rd minute when his weak back header didn't reach Greygoose. Ian Askey pinched possession and laid it back to Ryan, but Pritchard was back to make a vital tackle.

Albion's only real chance of a dismal first half showing came from their only good move, Anane and Charlie Boyd combining to send Hennin, away, who screwed the ball into the side netting.

After Greygoose did well to beat away Adam Longden's volley in the second minute of the first half, it seemed it was always likely Steels, who showed more fight than finesse throughout, would have to rely on a freak occurence to break through.

As it proved when Key's low cross was met by Lee Anderson, and as the ball headed out for a corner, Morgan couldn't avoid diverting the ball past an already grounded Greygoose.

Witton: Greygoose, Anderson, Garner, Pritchard, Morgan, Graystone, Heywood, Boyd, Hennin, Hughes, Anane. Subs not used:Faulkner, Staley, Murphy. Attendance: 272. Man of the Match: Brian Pritchard.