North West Counties Football League Division One South

St Martins 0

Wythenshawe Amateurs 4

St MARTINS welcomed third-placed Wythenshawe Amateurs to Park Hall Stadium on Saturday as they looked for a win to push for as high a finish as possible in the league.

A tense first half featured just one goal from the visiting side through Jordan Burton, but the game looked very much as though it could still go either way in the second half.

However, Amateurs came out in fine form after the break and scored three times including two goals in the last 10 minutes.

Both sides struggled to get hold of the ball in the opening few exchanges as they tried to figure each other out.

The first shot of the game fell to the Saints when Jamie Hands received the ball on the edge of the area and struck a left-footed effort towards the bottom corner – however Martin Blain in the visiting goal got down well to keep it out.

It looked as though the visiting side would take the lead when they were awarded a penalty after 10 minutes of play, but a great stop by George Austin kept the score level.

It wasn’t long until the game’s opening goal however when Amateurs took the lead after 14 minutes.

Jordan Burton picked up a loose ball and ran through on goal where he got the better of Austin to make it 1-0.

Both sides attacked well for the rest of the half, but neither were able to get a goal as they struggled with the heavy wind which disrupted the game.

After half-time, the Saints returned to the pitch looking for an equaliser from the off, but it was the visiting side again who found the net next.

They doubled their lead when Benjamin Woods found the net in similar fashion to Burton by chasing down a loose ball and beating Austin to find the net.

Chances were coming few and far between for the Saints who struggled to impose themselves on the game.

Their best chance came after 70 minutes when a shot from close-range headed towards the goal but lacked power to beat Blain in the Wythenshawe goal.

It looked a tough task for St Martins to get anything from the game as they still trailed by two goals with time running out.

Their task was made even more difficult when their visitors grabbed a third goal with 10 minutes left to play.

Some good build-up play by the leading side finished with a pass across the box to put a chance on a plate for Woods who made no mistake in getting his second of the afternoon.

Despite some good football by the Saints as the game drew to a close, they were unable to breach a solid and compact defensive unit despite rattling the bar with a late effort.

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts who conceded another goal as the game was almost at an end.

A good pass down the wing started a move which saw the ball crossed into the box towards substitute Harry Shipton who put his team four goals to the good on his first team debut.

St Martins sit 10th in the table and have six games left to play.

They come up against Sandbach United at home on Tuesday, March 19 (kick-off 7.45pm).