Flixton 1 Winsford United 3

11:50am Monday 1st October 2007

CONTROVERSY is never far away when Winsford meet Flixton and this game was no exception.

After a first half in which the hosts were probably the better side they completely lost their cool in the second period as three players saw red.

Blues gratefully accepted the gift of three points.

The referee gave them several warnings before losing his patience and taking drastic action.

The matche seemed set for a different conclusion when the hosts took the lead on five minutes.

Steve Tobin picked his spot as Winsford's defence allowed him space to shoot.

There followed a siege of the Winsford goal but Michael Langley was in top form as he produced fine saves to deny Steve Moores, Ben Deegan and Anthony Hargreaves.

Twenty minutes had gone by before Blues had their first effort when Chris Sheppard teed up Paul Pomford, but his shot just cleared the upright.

That was as close as they came in the first half.

Seven minutes into the second period defender Ben Mortimore, who had been cautioned for persistent fouling in the first half, showed dissent for the umpteenth time by throwing the ball away when a decision went against him and picked up his second yellow card.

Things went very much downhill for Flixton after that.

Top scorer Deegan, another who had been cautioned in the first period, clattered Ian Callaghan and he too was ordered to the dressing room.

Predictably Winsford were now beginning to take control and only the linesman's flag denied Darren Connell an equaliser.

Any hope the hosts had of taking something from the game almost certainly went on 70 minutes when Hargreaves' x-certificate tackle on Mischa Showers warranted a straight red card.

To their great credit Winsford were not drawn into retaliation but instead concentrated on taking three points.

Even so they had to wait until the last ten minutes before getting the equaliser when substitute Phil Mason finished off a move started by Les Miranda.

Six minutes later Blues took the lead with the goal of the game when Miranda's long cross from the left was met on the volley by Showers.

With a three-man deficit the home side were unable to launch an attack and debutant Mason completed the scoring in the final minute when he converted a fine passing move with a clinical finish.

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STAR MAN: 7-Mischa Showers - Awesome strength in midfield
BLUES: 1-Langley, 2-Sayer, 3-Pomford, 4-Callaghan, 5-Barnes, 6-Bluck, 7-Showers, 8-Calland (16-Mason 70), 9-Connell (14-Ennion 78), 10-Miranda, 11-Sheppard
Subs not used: 12-Kennedy, 15-Owens, 17-Joe McKane