After two consecutive defeats, Avro managed to get back to winning ways thanks to Jake Cottrell’s 79th minute goal which sealed a narrow victory in extremely difficult conditions.
The dreadful weather ensured that there was little goalmouth action in the first twenty minutes, with both teams struggling to find any kind of rhythm in the howling wind and driving rain. Nathan Corness had the first half chance of the evening when he found himself in behind our defence, but his effort flew high and wide of Shenton’s left hand post. Litherland came forward again just seconds later when Foy tried his luck from distance, but his long shot was easily caught by Shenton.
The home side fought back and Cottrell was inches away from giving his side the lead when his 25 yarder hit the post. Jack Worrall then drove forward from his customary right wing back position and went for goal, but visiting keeper Adam Reid comfortably tipped it over. The next fifteen minutes was pretty similar to the first twenty until seconds before the break, when Shenton was forced to get down low to his left to keep out a shot by Dunne.
Neither side imposed themselves on the game in the early stages of the second half, but on the hour mark, substitute Kane Wallwork fired a low cross across the opposition’s box and Shaquille Lewys was inches away from opening the scoring at the back post. It was Wallwork who was again at the centre of the action ten minutes later when he drove forward and took aim with his right foot, but Reid flung himself to his left to make the stop.
Just four minutes later, Avro finally broke the deadlock when Cottrell again found himself in space around 25 yards from goal, and this time his strike arrowed into the bottom corner. With five minutes left, Johnny Williams tried to get his side back on level terms with a curling strike which was just wide of the target. And then in the dying embers of the game, Litherland had possibly their best chance of the night when a half cleared corner fell to Jamie Clark and he steered the ball goalwards. However, Cottrell was well positioned to make the goal line clearance, and thus secure a hard-fought win for his side.
