| Football is often cliched; that it is a game of two halves. This was very much the case as Gadeside's second half performance at Barton Way on Sunday was nothing short of woeful as they suffered a crucial defeat to nearest rivals AFC Rangers and further made life difficult for themselves in trying to secure the league title. |
| Player-manager Adam Hills failed to make the starting XI after picking up and injury meaning a return for Jay Evans after recovering from a tight hamstring. Gadeside started the better of the two sides and pinned their opponents back from the word go. Playing with a swirling wind, Gadeside were often guilty of looking for a killer pass too soon and a series of overhit passes gave the half a frustrating edge. Dan Campbell saw a snapshot whistle past the post while James Bridges fired high and wide from a close range free kick after the keeper had picked up a backpass. But the best chance of half came from a succession of Gadeside corners. A left wing Ivanz Mani corner saw Bridges and Tom Oliver both challenge the same ball but both were unable to get sufficient contact and the ball dropped agonisingly wide of the upright. |
| Both sides had early chances in the second half with AFC's Brown smashing an unstoppable free-kick against the upright while Dan Campbell brought an outstanding save from the home keeper when his volley was destined to find the back of the net. But the game changed on the hour as AFC scored twice in a minute. The manner of the first goal clearly rocked Gadeside as a seemingly harmless free-kick was taken by the wind and arrowed over the stranded Sam Green into the top corner. The lead was doubled almost instantly when James Brophy timed his run to perfection to head home a left wing corner. With Gadeside clearly rocked, Hills made changes to try and salvage something from the game. But the damage has been done and from then on there was only one side in the game. |
| The third goal came in terrible circumstances as cross from the right should have been taken comfortably by Sam Green - but he fumbled and dropped the ball at the feet of James Hill who had the simplest task of walking the ball into the empty net. Gadeside were left to chase shadows in the final minutes and the final nail in the coffin came in the last minute when a cross from the right found Sapponaro who guided his header in the near post. The result leaves Gadeside 6 points clear having played a game more than AFC. They know one win from their final two games should be enough to win the league but if they do not buck up their ideas they could come unstuck. |
| Adam Hills commented: "We needed to have taken our chances in the first half. If we had taken the lead it would have been a different story. But taken nothing away from them, they played some very effective football in the second half. Too many of my players went hiding when we needed them to show some fight. We need to pick ourselves up and get back to the way we have played for much of the season." |
| Sam Green, Ian Freeman, Justyn Walcott, Tom Oliver (Daniel Brooks), Matt Evans, Danny Everritt (Tariq Khan), Ivanz Mani (Adam Hills), Tom Shurville, James Bridges, Dan Campbell, Jay Evans |