Battling Bones prove point
If Rothwell Town do preserve their Division One Midlands status in the BGB Southern League this season, they will surely look back on their two games with Nuneaton Town as the ones that made the difference.
The Bones have struggled against most opponents this year yet have
somehow managed to take four points from a team that has been top-three all season.
Despite the huge number of places between the two sides in the league, there was little to choose between these two in the first half.
But it still caught everyone by surprise when Gareth Dean needlessly fouled Kevin Byrne in the box on 29 minutes and Robbie Maddox put Rothwell ahead from the spot.
Two minutes into the second half, the Bones were daring to dream as Michael Boyle-Chong doubled their lead.
But that was the cue for five minutes of madness that saw Nuneaton first pull one back through David Blenkinsopp's crisp 48th-minute
volley and then equalise three minutes later when Robert Oddy's free-kick from the right sailed over everyone and into the net.
Bones fans might have been fearing a complete collapse at this point but they regained their composure and began to compete with their visitors again.
They lived on the edge at times, none more so than on 80 minutes when
Stuart Dorrill saved from Levi Ramsay and Bobby White brilliantly blocked Blenkinsopp's follow-up.
But again, Rothwell were never at any stage outclassed and both sides might even have won it at the death.
But the point will suffice for the Bones.
It might be just be crucial come the day of reckoning this weekend.
Rothwell: Dorrill, Hackett, Glass, Maude, Flannigan, White, Locklin (sub F Koriya, 68 mins), Boyle-Chong, Byrne, Maddox, Marlow (sub Goodall, 80 mins). Subs not used: McIlwain, Underwood, Linton.
Nuneaton: Acton, Oddy, Nisevic, Pitham, Hadland, Dean, Marsden, Armson, Blenkinsopp, Foster, Ramsay. Subs not used: Murphy, Williams.
Referee: Alan Parker.
Goals: Maddox (pen 29 mins, 1-0), Boyle-Chong (47 mins, 2-0), Blenkinsopp (48 mins 2-1), Oddy (51 mins, 2-2).
Bookings: Dorrill (dissent), Maddox, White (both fouls).
Attendance: 304.
Old Bakehouse Rothwell man of the match: Martin Flannigan (excellent at the back).
Match rating: 7
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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