The deciding factor came down to an individual moment under par in Ammers’ 1-0 defeat to Brigg in the NCEL Division One in an otherwise even contest at the EC Surfacing Stadium.
Jack Viles’ inability to hold the initial free-kick was capitalised on by Dean McCarthy, squeezing in the rebound from a tight angle.
Ammers were unchanged from the 4-0 victory over Worsbrough Bridge earlier in the week. Ethan Kachosa and Amari Smith joined the bench whilst Ashton Campbell and Newton Conde were absent from the squad.
Brigg forfeited space to Ammers full-backs, Jonathan Daniel allowed space down the left. Birama Diallo created his own centrally with a Cruyff turn onto his right. He glanced at goal but decided on Fin Wade’s run into the right of the box instead. The winger wasn’t quick enough to catch the ball before it runs behind.
Player-manager Brett Agnew, already clearly the talisman in Brigg’s efforts to move high quickly, nutmegged Liam Parker on the swivel. The centre-half recovered though, turning back to face away from goal using his back-heel before clearing.
Bruce Fernando had the same luck as Diallo on the opposite side in his attempts to play in Ralph Bertrand.
Agnew pinned Kongolo goalside to control and shoot on the swivel, the bounce taking the pace out of the strike before reaching Jack Viles.
Jordan Spencer’s attacking run beating his defender down the left will be a familiar sight for Ammers fans from his time at The Southerns Stadium. The delivery is beyond Agnew but met by Luke Mascall’s volley, fortunately straight at Viles. It began with Ammers handing possession away from a long ball to the lonely Chigumira, covered by defender Jacob Nornburn with Lewis Hill in support in goal.
Parker showed his familiarity as a striker, volleying at the back post from Morton’s corner, the power and distance from goal forcing Hill to only parry.
Viles rescued Daniel’s blushes at the other end, one-on-one with Mascall who went across goal for the top corner, Viles pushing away wide to his right. Mascall pipped Daniel in the race to a direct ball down the right only due to his sliding challenge, leaving Daniel grounded as he advanced to goal.
Parker retained his lead in the battle with Agnew when chasing down a ball in-behind Ammers’ defence, a fight which, regarding stature, looked almost equal.
The bombardment of rain midway through the second-half may have impacted Diallo allowing the ball to slip off his boot, Stephen McCarron benefitting thirty-yards out with a dipping shot but Viles looks comfortable in seeing it over.
In return for conceding possession, Brigg have support in numbers in the box as they increase the tempo. Mascall ‘s cross skipped across the sodden grass, past Agnew but Boswell shot from the back post, across the face of Viles’ goal rather than into it.
How Boswell made it as far as he did through the centre of Ammers’ midfield was surprising, Viles again denying the winger not as shocking, pushing the strike from the edge of the box high into the air before catching it on it’s way down.
Brigg have the box crowded for the remainder of the half, first Agnew hitting a loose ball only as far as the body infront of him before Brad Ronis ran onto a cross from the left but kicked thin air.
Brigg continued to overload the box after the break, now limiting Ammers’ time in possession.
The ball hovering around the edge of Ammers’ box, the hosts could ignore Agnew’s physicality in the build-up and rather put him straight through on goal but he’s angled his run away from goal, adjusting somewhat ninety degrees to shoot. The finish repliacates the awkwardness in it’s inaccuracy, into the side-netting.
Multiple phases of the continued battle between Parker and Agnew transpired by the corner flag, Ammerts defending deep to their left. The Brigg forward is clear from his marker onto a long-ball forward but when trying to turn infield, Parker’s interception returns the ball to the visitors. By the byline, Agnew’s aggressive sliding tackle switches possession again but it’s not withstood, Parker’s pressure winning a goalkick.
Dean McCarthy’s battles are with the bar as his volley from inside the box dips onto the bar and rebounds away. The follow-up is blocked by Viles at his near post.
Kachosa was clear on the counter down the left, sending a cross the complete distance of the box to Diallo who’s shot is blocked by a sliding challenge.
Brigg continued the pressure, having the answers to Ammers’ long-ball into Chigumira, McCarron’s header immediately returning the ball back to the edge of Ammers’ box. A low ball from the left was met equally by Kongolo and Mascall, the ball stuck under the legs of both competitiors before being put behind for a goal kick.
Ammers and Viles’ hand in conceding Dean McCarthy’s deciding goal epitomised how both teams had cancelled each other out prior. Viles was unable to hold the initial free-kick and Brigg were first to the loose ball. McCarthy’s work was made harder as Brigg’s interception away from the ‘keeper had pushed the ball against the direction of goal. The ball did remain inside the box to McCarthy’s benefit, shooting in from a tight angle and despite several Ammers bodies sliding in to attempt to stop the ball crossing the line.
Parker’s first touch in a reverted centre-forward position is to flick a header onto Chigumira’s run beyond but the centre-half read the intent.
The make-shift forward again won the aerial battle, inside the final ten minutes, when Amari Smith’s diagonal ball searched for Parker, the ball dropping to Boateng to his left who’s shot deflected off the back of a defender and wide.
The space outwide was exploited by Chigumira into added-time, running the full distance of Brigg’s half. Turning inside to attack the near post, a late interception cut the run just short of goal, as close as Ammers were to get to equalising.
Ammers continue to catch-up with postponed fixtures on Wednesday, 6th March when Wombwell visit North Leeds.