STRETFORD PADDOCK 3, NEWTON LE WILLOWS 2
On a day where they sought revenge, a Michael Burke free kick and another brace from Kieron Molloy were enough to secure Stretford Paddock three valuable points against Newton-le-Willows.
It was a win which lifted Paddock, who were well beaten 4-0 at Newton-le-Willows in August, to seventh place in Cheshire Football League, division two.
Willows started brightly by putting pressure on the home side’s defence. After a dominant first five minutes, they went ahead after a quickly taken shot was deflected past Paddock keeper Dan McKenna.
Unlike in the reverse fixture between both sides, Paddock responded. Three minutes after going one behind, man in form Kieron Molloy found himself with the ball in his favourite wide position. He knocked the ball past his defender, before beating him for pace. All that was left for Molloy was to slot the ball over the keeper to equalise.
The goal gave Paddock even more confidence and after a spell of control, they nearly made it two. Some good footwork from Paddock striker Tom Jones meant he was able to get a shot on goal. The shot was heading off target but helped goalwards by Molloy. Newton’s keeper pulled out a fantastic save to stop the home side from taking the lead.
Just before the break, dominant Paddock took the lead. A free kick from the edge of the box was hit sweetly up and over the wall from Burke. Despite getting hands on the ball, the pace on the strike meant Newton’s keeper was unable to stop ball hitting the back of the net.
Shortly into the second half, things got worse for the visitors after a stone-wall Newton penalty was not awarded and a comment aimed at the referee from Willows’ captain was punished with a straight red card.
Being a man up, Paddock dominated the second half by keeping the ball more than they did in the first. In the 58th minute, Molloy got his second. Callum Kilroe played a looping pass from the half- way line which was chested down by Molloy. Despite heading away from goal, he then volleyed the ball home to get Paddock’s third in style.
There wasn’t much more action until the closing stages. Newton managed to score a consolation goal in the 90th minute. However, two minutes before, they were reduced the nine men. Paddock and Newton received a red card each after an off the ball heated exchange after a foul, Joao De Andrade being the Paddock player dismissed.
Stretford Paddock: Dan McKenna, Ryan Pickering (Kieron Molloy 87), Tom MacFarlane, Callum Kilroe (Paulo Dos Santos 79), Michael Burke, Kayode Adewale, Nosa Iyamu, Jainiero Salmon-Harris, Kieron Molloy (Joao De Andrade (69), Ronaldo Brown, Tom Jones (Michael Okocha 75).