HYDE UNITED 3, WITTON ALBION 2
Hyde United took a giant step towards Northern Premier League, premier division survival following their home basement battle victory against Witton Albion.
It was a huge win which lifts the Tigers 10 points clear of second-bottom Witton who have three games in hand. Two teams go down and the third bottom side with the worst record from one of three divisions will also be relegated.
And it was achieved in dramatic fashion with Lewis Earl hitting the winner in the second of nine and a half minutes of stoppage time.
“It was a long nine and a half minutes, but we needed the victory. That was a big win, probably the biggest of the season,” explained manager Nick Spooner.
“We played down the importance in the build-up, but the three points puts a bigger gap between us and Witton.”
It was a clash full of excitement and drama as Hyde were 1-0 ahead at half time then went 2-1 down with 22 minutes left after gifting the visitors two goals.
But the indomitable spirit of the Tigers was rewarded as they battled back as Spooner has won two and drawn one of his four league matches in charge at the Project Solar Stadium.
Hyde dominated the opening period but all they had to show for their efforts was a penalty on the half hour when Northern Ireland Under-21 goalkeeper Dermot Mee, on loan from Manchester United, upended Tom Pratt when he burst through on goal with Liam Tongue scoring from the spot.
The match unravelled for the Tigers early in the second half.
First, they conceded a penalty as Hattersley’s Harry Ditchfield hauled down half-time substitute Joe Mwasile, once of Mossley, as he cut in from the left past the right back.
James Foley found the net from 12 yards, but only just as goalkeeper Joe Green got a strong hand to the kick.
Things went from bad to worse when the usually reliable Brad Roscoe failed to find Green with a header back to the keeper as former Wales U21 striker Callum Saunders, son of former Wales international Dean who was watching, intercepted the ball and rounded Green to score.
Hyde were level within four minutes when a long clearance was helped on by Huddersfield Town loanee Sam Peplow into the path of Jack Dyche who raced through on goal to slot low past Mee.
The Tigers produced a grandstand finish as they had a penalty appeal rejected for a handball seen by all 656 spectators, but not referee Jordan Crossley then in the 88th minute came an unbelievable save from Mee to turn Peplow’s shot, arrowing towards the top corner, on to the crossbar.
The referee signalled eight minutes of second-half stoppage time cause by serious injuries to Witton’s Rob Hopley and Hyde’s Tongue who was taken from the field on a stretcher after dislocating his knee cap.
Hyde finally found a winner in the second minute of added time which stretched to nearly 10 minutes.
Mee was left wafting thin air as he failed to get to a corner from substitute Jonah Mitchell and Earl hooked in an acrobatic effort at the far post.
It was Earl’s third goal for the Tigers with all three important strikes as two earned maximum points in games and the other in a cup semi-final.
Earl praised the spirit and togetherness of the Hyde players and the fans who stuck with the team during a difficult spell in the match and were jubilant at the final whistle.
“The character shown by the lads was great. When we went 2-1 down, we gathered together and said let’s get back into the game. It was definitely a six-pointer,” he said.