Colne earned a vital three points with a narrow win at Glossop on Tuesday night. The Reds competed well throughout the game and could easily have had more goals on another day.
Colne looked good in a lively opening period and tested the home defence with some probing attacks. Oli Roberts created the first good chance after six minutes with a low cross from the left wing giving Craig Carney the opening for a well struck 20 yard shot which was blocked in the Glossop penalty area. And seven minutes later, a diagonal free kick by Roberts was punched away by keeper Morgan Bacon before Enock Lusiama blasted the loose ball over the Glossop crossbar.
At the other end, the Colne defence dealt capably with the home attack and keeper Andre Mendes gave a faultless performance in the Reds goal.
An outstanding move after 20 minutes opened up the home defence when Owen Watkinson and Lusiama linked well to set up a chance for Carney but his final shot flew wide of the home goal. And as Colne continued to create chances, Brad Knox saw his well struck shot saved by the keeper.
But in the end-to-end play Glossop came close when a free kick was fired hard and low into the Colne goalmouth and was blocked at the near post before being scrambled away. And in another attacking move by the home side Paul Dugdale made a vital tackle to clear the ball off the toes of Glossop’s main striker Jacques Etia as he broke clear in a good attacking move by the home side.
After 38 minutes, as Colne produced a good move on the left wing, Watkinson’s run took him into the area where he was brought down by a defender giving the Reds a penalty. But Watkinson’s spot kick was kept out by the trailing legs of the keeper as he dived to his right and in the ensuing scramble Carney blasted the rebound over the bar.
As the second half began, the Colne defence did well to stop the run of Etia as he threatened to break clear. But as play switched to the other end, a high ball forward down the right wing gave Watkinson an opening and as the keeper came out Watkinson challenged him for the ball and chipped it over him into the goalmouth where Lusiama headed it into the net from close range to give Colne the lead.
As Colne looked for a second goal, a superb long diagonal pass by Tom Hoyle found Watkinson on the left wing and his curling cross was pushed round the post by a good save by the keeper.
Glossop looked dangerous coming forward with Matty Gillam providing chances from the left wing and Luke Nock creating danger from the right. And the Reds defence did well to deny any clear chances for the ever dangerous Etia up front with Mendes again showing great handling to snuff out the danger of the Glossop attacks.
After 73 minutes, Colne came close when Roberts’ corner was played low to Carney on the edge of the area and his shot through a crowded penalty area was cleared off the line by a defender. In the closing minutes, Colne might have had another couple of goals as Watkinson had a good shot saved and Lucas Weaver rounded the keeper but his cross was scrambled away from the goalmouth by defenders.
A good performance by the Reds which they will hope to take into next Saturday’s game against Warrington Rylands in the FA Trophy.
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