Walsall Wood 0 Brocton 0

The first really balmy evening of the new year saw a lengthy break at half time whilst the unfortunate Andy Brookes needed paramedic and ambulance help after a nasty moment just before half time. Hopefully his injury will turn out to be less serious than it looked.

The match began well for Brocton as Richard Miller continued his good form by meeting a hard low cross from Gary Fife, at the far post. Walsall Wood’s keeper performed a minor miracle to deny the goal, saving  at the foot of his post. The resulting corner, just ten minutes into the match found the head of Matt Skinner and the keeper was well placed to beat away his powerful strike. Even then, Lee Scott got to the ball quickly and lobbed the keeper, only to see the ball drift over the bar.

The move of the match came as the twenty minute mark approached as the ball was kept on the left and then worked all across the field to the right with neat one touch passes. Richard Miller’s eventual shot was once again saved and he hit a second effort on the volley with tremendous power across keeper and goal, but wide of the target.

Walsall Wood stepped up their defensive work and stifled much of Brocton’s attacking threat from that moment, but despite becoming more comfortable in that respect, they could only manage to hit the ball long in the hope of getting the Brocton back line turning.

Half time arrived with Brookes off the filed briefly for treatment before an ambulance was summoned. His initial treatment held up the restart and once the game got underway, it was understandably no longer the match that it had been. Both sides worked hard, but defences were largely in control and what invention there had been earlier was never quite in evidence again.

An honourable draw was the fair result, although one or two gilt edged chances came to the home side as the game drew to a close.