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| April 2001 | 2000-2001 Archive Latest News |
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| 25-4-01 | It's not over...yet | Weymouth (h) | |||
| 24-4-01 | Brewers blast Havant | Havant (h) | |||
| 18-4-01 | Into the final furlong | Stafford (a)/ Ilkeston (h) | |||
| 9-4-01 | Game over | Salisbury (a) | |||
| 3-4-01 | Moore at the death | Crawley (h) |
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| It's
not over...yet
The Brewers' title dream lingers on but they're running out of games, after a night of Dr. Martens League football which saw the status quo preserved at the top of the Premier Division. Christian Moore's goal just before half time proved enough to nick a hard-earned three points against Weymouth at Eton Park, while league leaders Margate survived a late rally to hold out 3-2 winners against Dorchester Town, condemning the Magpies, who Albion play on Saturday, to relegation. 'Gate travel to Cambridge City on Thursday night for what could prove to be the decisive game of the season. A win for Chris Kinnear's side from their game in hand would open up a virtually unasailable six-point gap at the top, and would leave Margate with one hand on the Southern League shield. |
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| Albion, buoyed
by Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of Havant & Waterlooville, started with
the same three-pronged attack of Moore, Anderson and Sugden, with David Rennie,
in at right back for the injured Jason Kavanagh, the only change from Saturday's
game.
Weymouth, in fine form before Saturday's surprise home defeat to Stafford, and challenging for a third place finish, were always going to provide a tougher test than Havant, but the Brewers started brightly and had chances to go in front early on. Danny Potter almost gifted the Brewers a goal on nine minutes when, in a rain-soaked penalty area, he sliced his clearance, but Dale Anderson lost the ball under his feet as he attempted to round the grounded Terras 'keeper. Five minutes later, Darren Stride swung in a deep cross from the right but Ryan Sugden could only steer his header over the bar. The game was flowing from end to end now, and the visitors were almost gifted a freak goal on 15 minutes. Terry Henshaw, on the edge of the six-yard box, inexplicably left a Terras corner go, which cannoned off the legs of Brewers 'keeper Matt Duke and away to safety. |
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Back
at the other end, Sugden and Neil Glasser had shots charged down after Clough's
free-kick into the box, and after a slight lull, the deadlock was broken
three minutes before half time. Neil Glasser played a ball into the box,
Darren Stride provided the header on, and Christian Moore was on hand
to fire home from six yards.
The Brewers never looked in serious danger of conceding in the second half, and while having the majority of the play, clearcut chances were few and far between, as the referee began to take centre stage. Ryan Sugden appeared to have been hauled down in the box on 68 minutes but the referee remained unmoved, as he did later in the game when Terras number 6 Matthew Hare's kamikaze lunge on Ryan Sugden failed to produce the first caution of the game (perhaps the ref had left his cards in his wallet?) |
| Manager Nigel
Clough rejigged things in the latter stages, bringing on Phil Starbuck for
Ryan Sugden (to a standing ovation from the crowd) and replacing David Rennie
with Aaron Webster, the latter switching with Terry Henshaw in the left back
slot, and the Brewers were ultimately happy to play out time having done
the job they set out to do.
A few more goals wold have been nice, but realistically, catching up Margate on goal difference is not going to happen - all the Brewers can do is keep winning their games and hope Margate stop winning theirs. |
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| A series of
postponements has meant Havant have had to cram a phenomenal amount of matches
into the last few weeks of the season, and the Brewers' new-look strikeforce
wasted little time in tearing into the battle weary Hampshire side.
Dale Anderson sent an early warning shot across the bows of the Havant defence on four minutes, slinging in a cross from the right that Christian Moore could only shoot wide. Moore set up Sugden for a shot deflected over on 19 minutes, before the deadlock was broken, in sensational fashion, five minutes later, when Christian Moore cut inside his marker to unleash a stunning shot from 25 yards. Sugden and Kavanagh both came close before the Brewers doubled their lead on 38 minutes, Dale Anderson robbing Hawks defender Aaron Cook inside the box, before slotting home from six yards. And it was game over when Ryan Sugden converted from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time, after Anderson was hauled down in the box. |
| Sugden
could have added a second ten minutes after the restart, rounding 'keeper
Danny Potter before shooting wide, and shooting across goal from Anderson's
cross five minutes later, before the Brewers' loan signing from Oldham Athletic
finally doubled his tally 18 minutes from time, latching onto substitute
Aaron Webster's ball in from the left to fire home from the edge of the
box.
The Brewers, perhaps mindful of Margate's vastly superior goal difference, continued to push for an equalizer, Sugden, on a hat trick, having a shot deflected over, Clough and Moore both shoting wide in the dying minutes, but in the event had to settle for 4-0. |
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| With Margate winning 2-1 at Clevedon (and relegating them in the process), the Brewers remain three points adrift of the leaders, having played a game more. Victory over Weymouth tonight (Tuesday) is a must if Albion are to keep their faint title hopes alive. |
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| While that was
happening, Margate dropped two points in a bizzare 2-2 draw with 9-men Folkestone
Invicta at Cheriton Road.
The return of Nigel Clough after a lengthy lay-off through injury seems to have had a marked improvement in the Brewers' form - that was evident in Saturday's match and again on Easter Monday, as Albion made it six points from their two local derby clashes, with a 2-0 away win at Stafford Rangers. |
| With
the several hundred Brewers fans who swelled the Marston Road crowd to over
1,600 still finding their places, Phil Starbuck, a man who may not
have been on many people's starting line-up, gave the Brewers a dream start,
firing home from close range after Stafford 'keeper Richard Williams spilled
Clough's corner.
Albion had the better of the first half, with Darren Stride going inches wide with a diving header, and Phil Starbuck almost getting his second with a bizzare overhead flick which Williams had to tip over. |
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| In the second
half, the Brewers had to endure a nervy spell in which the home side dictated
the pace, with Paul Kiely coming closest to scoring an equalizer, with a
shot which came back off the woodwork on 72 minutes.
The Brewers put the game beyond reach nine minutes from time, Clough supplying the cross, Jason Kavanagh the flick on and substitute Ryan Sugden the finish, his second goal in two games, to keep the pressure on Margate, who maintained their three-point cushion at the top of the table with a 3-0 win over Crawley Town. To use the old cliche, every game is a cup final from now on, with the Brewers needing to win all of their remaining five games and hope that Margate drop at least four points from their remaining six matches, if the long-awaited end-of-season clash betrween the two sides is to have anything resting on it. Albion enter the final stretch of a long season with two home games, against Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday, followed by the visit of Weymouth next Tuesday (24th April). That's followed in quick succession by two away games - to Dorchester Town on Saturday 28th April, followed by Crawley Town on Tuesday 1st May, before the season climaxes with the visit of Margate to Eton Park on May 5th. |
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| Game
over.
Christian Moore was the hero turned villain as the Brewers' title ambitions sustained what looks like being a terminal blow at Salisbury City on Saturday. Moore, who's injury-time winner against Crawley last week re-ignited hopes of a late revival to challenge leaders Margate, missed a penalty as Albion went down 1-0 at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium, while the Kent side beat Ilkeston Town 2-0, to open up a six-point gap at the top of the Premier Division. In a nightmare start for the Brewers, Jason Kavanagh sliced Phil Corcoran's cross into his own net with just six minutes on the clock, and the Brewers were left chasing in vain to overturn what proved to be the only goal of the game. |
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| The pivotal moment of the match came just before half time, when Moore, who had minutes earlier missed a sitter for the Brewers, hit a weak penalty which City 'keeper Justin Shuttlewood easily saved, after Dale Anderson was felled in the box by Darren Lush. |
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Albion
continued to dominate possession in the second half, but were denied by the
form of Shuttlewood, and left to rue what looks like being one defeat too
many, Margate can stretch their lead to nine points if they win their game
in hand at Weymouth tomorrow (Tuesday).
One positive from an otherwise gloomy afternoon, was the performances of the Brewers' two new signings. Defender Colin Hoyle, signed from Boston United last week, and loan capture from Oldham Athletic Ryan Sugden (pictured), both acquitted themselves well on their debuts. The Brewers face an arduos fixture schedule over Easter. First up is a long re-arranged trip to Havant & Waterlooville on Thursday night, followed in swift succession by two local derbys - Ilkeston Town visit Eton Park on Saturday, then it's off to Marston Road on Easter Monday to take on Stafford Rangers. |
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| Albion had
gone into a first half lead when Reds defender Marc Pullan could only
head Aaron Webster's cross in from the right into his own net. But Crawley
fought back and grabbed a deserved equalizer when Brewers 'keeper Matt Duke
failed to judge Dean Wordsworth's corner, allowing Danny Carroll to
head home from six yards, to the delight of a sizeable visiting
contingent.
The home side's desperate search for a winner looked to be in vain as a solid Crawley defence blunted the Brewers' attacking endeavours, and it took the arrival of veteran striker Andy Garner as substitute to bring some fresh ideas to the Burton frontline. |
| Garner's
role this season has been reduced to that of a bit-part player but he proved
he could still have a role to play in Nigel Clough's side this season, after
producing a telling contribution in the short space of time he was on the
field.
When Garner's goalward-bound shot on 90 minutes was blocked on the line by Stewart Holmes it looked like the Brewers' chance of snatching three points had gone, but the breakthrough finally arrived an incredible seven minutes into injury time. Aaron Webster's throw in from the right was flicked on by Garner into the path of Christian Moore, who stooped to head home, to the delight and relief of all around Eton Park, sparking renewed belief that the title race is far from over: |
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| "We've got eight games left.
We know we're good enough to win every game and that's what we're going to
try and do," said Garner after the match, "We're still in with a great
chance. I've been in this situation before with Gresley, and results like
this make a big, big difference."
A further boost came with the news that leaders Margate had been held to a goalless draw by Newport at Spytty Park, where the Kent side had a late winner of their own disallowed for handball. There's life in this title race yet! The Brewers travel to Salisbury City this Saturday (7th April), the last game before the hectic Easter programme begins, with the Brewers having to cram in three games in five games over the Easter weekend, starting with a trip to Havant & Waterlooville next Thursday (12th April), followed by local derbies at home to Ilkeston Town on Easter Saturday and away at Stafford Rangers on Bank Holiday Monday. |
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