HYDE UNITED 1, STAFFORD RANGERS 0
An inspired substitution held the key as Hyde United defeated Stafford Rangers to go top of Northern Premier League, premier division.
Edy Maieco scored the matchwinner two minutes after making his entrance midway through the second half.
It was a goal worthy of winning any game as Maieco, signed early in the season from FC United, found the net with a superbly executed angled volley from Callum Spooner’s dinked ball over the visiting defence.
“It is always great when you make a change and that happens,” explained Tigers’ manager Nick Spooner.
Hyde’s manager pointed out having Maieco as a substitute underlined the strength on depth of the squad.
“Everyone on the bench would be in any other team in the division, a great position to be in,” he said.
He added it was a huge victory after a run of three consecutive draws had seen them drop valuable points.
With only two games in the division beating the freeze, this victory saw Hyde claim top spot on goal difference from South Shields who have played four fewer matches.
Hyde stretched their lead over third-placed Gainsborough Trinity to five points, though the Lincolnshire club has two games in hand.
Spooner declared he would rather have the games played and points on the board to avoid an end-of-season backlog of fixtures.
Hyde’s manager described it was a “great result” and important to return to winning ways. It was no classic but an afternoon in which the result was all-important as was only a second clean sheet in eight games.
With no match involving the Manchester teams and the non-league programme decimated by the weather, there was just shy of 1,000 spectators at The Project Solar Stadium.
There was a lively opening as Hyde’s Manasse Manpala brought a decent save from Cameron Belford in the third minute.
Stafford’s Callum Saunders, a former Wales U21 international, then had a goal ruled out for offside.
The early promise quickly faded, and the game died as they cancelled out one another.
The second half was equally dreary until Maieco brightened the proceedings with a magnificent goal which was out of keeping with the game.
“It was a lovely volley. Edy is a talented player with unbelievable feet. He has given me a selection headache,” said Spooner.
Hyde’s defence was only troubled once, and that was three minutes after they had taken the lead.
Midfielder Jack Baxter fired in a terrific shot on the turn which struck the upright and rebounded to safety.
In the three minutes of added time, Hyde’s game management was exemplary as they kept possession and held up the ball largely near the corner flag as they were determined not to slip up as they had done in recent times from winning positions.