SCSL Division One – Saturday 26th November 2016
After two successive cup defeats Stone Dominoes returned to winning ways on Saturday and moved to the top of the table as a result.
Shane Lindop had added to an early Jules Paterson strike for the hosts but Dominic Walls had reduced the deficit before the break; Tom Broadhurst’s goal early in the second half proved to be the last of the game.
Joint-manager Kyle Adams was delighted with the response of the Dominoes players.
“We’ve suffered two heavy defeats against admittedly good sides recently but we know we haven’t been at our best so it was important that the lads rallied today,” said Adams.
We were much better out of possession and had that bit of attitude back we’ve been missing and we should have probably scored a few more in the end too.”
Dominoes were still without Endon Adams and Ash Cooper but did welcome back captain Jake Hughes.
The home side started the brighter and might have gone ahead 3 minutes in when Lindop found himself through on goal but he could only direct his shot straight at Dominic Burchell in the MMU goal.
Lindop played a part in the opening goal when he flicked the ball through for Paterson who took the ball in his stride before firing past Burchell into the bottom corner.
Jack Steele might have thought he had doubled the lead 5 minutes later when he struck a volley well at the far post but he was denied by an excellent clearance off the line.
Lindop’s quick thinking produced the second goal just after the half hour mark when he intercepted a clearance from Burchell and lifted the ball straight back over the stranded goalkeeper into the net.
Some quick thinking from the away side led to the deficit being reduced just before the break as James Plumb’s quick free kick on the edge of the box caught Dominoes napping and the unmarked Dalls tapped in at the far post.
The two-goal lead was restored almost immediately after the break when a half-cleared free kick dropped to Tom Broadhurst inside the MMU area and he placed the ball left-footed into the bottom corner for his first of the season.
The visitors came close to a second minutes later but Dan Marsh, making his first appearance of the season, got down well to turn a Matthew Lofthouse effort round the post.
Paterson could have doubled his tally for the afternoon with 20 minutes remaining when he capitalised on some poor defending but his attempted lob found the outstretched hands of Burchell.
A final chance fell to Paterson with 5 minutes remaining but Burchell was again on hand to deny the striker well, but it was to be Burchell’s side who went home empty handed as the home side took all 3 points.
Stone Dominoes: Marsh, Nellis (Fox 90) Amponsah (Parkes 65), Steele, Thorp, Myatt (L.Adams 45), Thompson, Hughes, Broadhurst, Paterson, Lindop; Subs not used: Beardmore
Goals: Paterson 8, Lindop 32, Broadhurst 47 (Stone Dominoes); Dalls 40 (MMU Cheshire)
Referee: C.Birchall
