Dominoes managed to take the spoils and claim their first win of 2018, thanks to goals from Adam Bradley, Jules Paterson and Jordan Condliffe at Wellbeing Park.
SCSL Premier Division
Saturday 17th February, 2018. 14:30 KO
After making the better start against the Vics, Bradley eventually opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark. His powerful strike from close-range was no less than the hosts deserved, however it wasn’t to be plain sailing in this battle between 13th and 14th place.
Knypersley’s only league win this season had come in the reverse fixture and when Cameron Allen equalised for the visitors with a diving header in the 32nd minute, the away side started to play some good football leading into the break and Liam James was forced into a couple of decent saves.
In the last minute of the first-half Dylan Bromley put in a defence-splitting pass, but Paterson’s effort failed to find the net on this occasion and the sides went back into the dressing rooms all-square.
As the second-half began it would be up to the hosts to try and grab the game by the scruff of the neck and this time Bromley struck a decent shot from outside the area.
The second Dominoes goal would not be too far away though and with the home side now operating with a front three in an attempt to take control, it was Paterson who ran through again and this time he just about lofted his effort over the on-rushing Vics number one, before slotting the ball home to put Dominoes back in contention to leapfrog a couple of sides in the table and further the gap between them and Knypersley.
Until this point, Ash Thompson and Jordan Condliffe had been fruitless in their efforts up top, but an inspired solo run from Thompson deep into the second-half led to a strike which just whipped past the right-hand post.
With legs looking a little tired into the last 20, Adams and Ryder brought on fresh players and both Jermaine Akinbiyi and Adam Catalano in particular looked threatening on the new look right side for Dominoes.
The decisive moments of the game came in the dying embers and we saw two big moments that made the difference. At one end, Knypersley forced a strong one-handed save from James and shortly after this Dominoes found themselves with men spare during an attacking move in which Condliffe gladfully received the ball in the box and located a cool strike into the bottom corner of the goal. A big three points for Stone Dominoes and a result which sees them jump up to 11th in the table – now above Cheadle Town and Hanley Town Reserves.
Stone Dominoes 3 Knypersley Victoria 1
DOMINOES TEAM: L.James, C.Dale (A.Catalano 57), M.Thorp, R.Parkes ©, F.Hughes, N.Glover (J.Akinbiyi 72), D.Bromley, A.Bradley, J.Condliffe, A.Thompson (L.Foyle), J.Paterson.
DOMINOES GOALS: A.Bradley 26, J.Paterson 59, J.Condliffe 87.
KNYPERSLEY GOALS: C.Allen 32.
REFEREE: R.Crawford
