Pikes guarantee top-five spot (From Gazette & Herald)

Pikes guarantee top-five spot

Buxton 0, Pickering Town 0. PICKERING Town guaranteed themselves at least fifth spot last night with a draw which boss Steve Brown described as "possibly the best point of the season".

With several first-teamers absent, Brown fielded by far his youngest side of the season for a match which was delayed 15 minutes after the Pickering players were delayed in traffic.

He was full of praise for the way the youngsters responded in front of a crowd of 421.

"We played some good stuff. Their keeper made three good saves. I'm absolutely delighted. It was a great collective effort. They handled themselves with so much credit."

In the second half, Kevin Martin saved well from Jonathan Froggatt, while Buxton's keeper made an outstanding save from Matthew Morton.

Brown added: "Steve Baxter did really up front and Lee Pallender was excellent."

Pikes team: Martin, Ellwood, Brunton, Morton, Pallender, Young, Dickinson, Adams, Russell (Baxter), Wood (Waddington), S Swales (Ramm).

Pickering Town 2

Eccleshill Utd 1

Pickering picked up another double in an eventful final home league match last Saturday, which saw four men sent off in the first half.

It was a particularly eventful first period for Stephen Swales. After his cousin, Mark, was foiled by a good save by keeper Craig Bates in the first minute, Swales scored the Pikes' opening goal after 19 minutes. He netted in the bottom corner from ten yards after a five-man move. Four minutes later, Swales was elbowed in the face by Jamie Buchan, who was the first of three United men to be dismissed.

The game then erupted after 31 minutes, again following an incident involving Swales, in which he appeared to elbow Eccleshill's Sean Hutchinson. The visitors' manager Tony Brown stormed onto the pitch in protest while the game was still in play and a mellee ensued between both sets of players.

After a six-minute hold-up, Pickering's Adam Russell, who kicked the ball into the crowd of players, and Paul Gelder were sent off for violent conduct, and Stephen Swales was cautioned.

Sean Hutchinson was then shown a straight red card for foul and abusive language towards the assistant-referee, so it was now ten-man Pikes versus eight-man Eccleshill.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, the visitors equalised in the second half with 13 minutes left. Ben Hardy scored a brilliant solo goal with a powerful 30-yard right-foot shot which almost burst the net. But the Pikes' blushes were spared when, just three minutes after coming on as a sub, Steve Young got on the end of a cross from Drew McAubrey to score from close range after 80 minutes. Joe Connor and Mark Wood went close in the closing stages but Town had done enough to complete their second league victory over Eccleshill this season. Lee Pallender was the Pikes' man of the match at centre-back.

Pikes boss Steve Brown said: "We've played against nine men before and it's never as simple as it seems. Their boy up front was always a threat.

"The big postive was Steve Young coming on and getting the winner. He has been a big club man over the last few years."

The Pikes lost 1-0 last Wednesday at Harrogate Railway. Their goal was scored by Graham Marchant, the leading marksman for their championship-winning reserve side. The Pikes had Alex Willgrass sent off after 45 minutes.

The reserves play their last home league game tonight (Wednesday) against Garforth, kick-off at 7.45pm.

The first team visit title-chasing Eastwood Town this Saturday in their final game of the season. Contact Tony Dunning on (01751) 472627 for details on coach travel.

Updated: 10:54 Wednesday, April 28, 2004