Willenhall Town 1 Rossendale United 1
It was a day of firsts for Willenhall Town at Noose Lane. The first Unibond Division one league fixture. The first goal in that campaign and the first point. But the Red’s will be wondering just how they did not claim all three on a historic afternoon for Rob Smith’s side.
After scoring over 100 league goals last season to secure promotion, Willenhall’s striking prowess has never been in question, so it was a touch ironic that the club’s first ever Northern League goal was provided by a defender.
Vaughan Thomas wrote himself into the club’s history books with a 33rd minute leveler after Rossendale had threatened to spoil the party after taking an early lead, but after that, only the brilliance of visiting keeper Paul Eatock and some wayward finishing denied the Red’s an opening day victory.
Willenhall Town: Vaughan, Colwell, Whitcombe, Slater, Thomas, Myers, J.Smith, Swann, Tyrell (Hamilton), Edwards, Coates (Jackson). Sub not used: Curran.
Things were going smoothly for the home side until the 18th minute when The Stag’s launched their first attacking move of the game to devastating effect. Robbie Smith burst down the Willenhall left flank to fire in a deep cross and no one had followed Paul Forsythe, who had time to lean into the header to powerfully direct it back across goal to beat Nathan Vaughan.
A Jason Smith header from a narrow angle was the immediate response as Town tried to hit back and the home side were denied a penalty moments later when Mark Swan attempted to lift the ball over the defender only for Battersby to swat the ball away using his arm. Despite the loud appeals, play continued.
However, the moment the home fans had been waiting for came in the 33rd minute. A Danny Coates corner dropped at the feet of Thomas and he smashed the ball through a crowded penalty box to register the Red’s arrival in the higher league status.
Just before the break, Willenhall had a glorious opportunity of taking the lead when Swann’s cross looked certain to be connected with by Karl Edwards, but amazingly the striker missed from six yards out and as the ball ran through, Smith also failed to connect at the far post with the Rossendale defender left standing.
A mistake from United skipper John Rispin delivered the ball straight into the path of Edwards who’s shot across goal found Smith unmarked at the far post, but the midfielder scuffed his close range effort and Dave Whittaker was able to hack the ball off the line.
Eatock then came into his own; tipping an Edward’s shot around the post at full length, then repeating that feat from the same player before recovering quickly enough to scoop the loose ball out of the path of Coates who was following up.
The Stag’s keeper then produced the save of the game as his stunning one handed save denied Edward’s the third in a hat trick of good chances and for good measure, Whittaker cleared off the line for a second time as the ball span towards the open net.
The Red’s finally defeated the in form keeper later in the game but Mark Swann’s diving header was ruled out for offside and Willenhall had to settle for just a point.
Russell Brown