Penalty helps Tigers to three vital away points

A second half penalty from Ash Burbeary was enough for Tigers to beat rock bottom Eastwood Town 1-0 on Saturday, in a poor game.
Eastwood town v Worksop town. worksop goal celebration.Eastwood town v Worksop town. worksop goal celebration.
Eastwood town v Worksop town. worksop goal celebration.

Both teams struggled on a bobbly pitch, but a vital three points maintains Worksop’s play-off push.

Simon Clark made two changes to the side that lost to Nantwich, replacing Lee Potts who dropped to the bench and Nathan Modest, who failed a late fitness test with the fit again Leon Mettam and Burbeary.

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Worksop dominated early on but were unable to create any clear cut chances on the poor surface.

It was the hosts that came closest to a goal on 15 minutes when a speculative effort from Paolo Piliero went just wide.

Worksop’s first chance fell to Mettam who flashed a shot across the face of goal after good interchange play between Craig King and Ryan Clarke.

Minutes later Tigers should have taken the lead when the ‘keeper, Richard Stainsby, fumbled under pressure from Mettam, the loose ball fell to Tom Denton and he blazed his shot over the bar from eight yards out with the goal at his mercy.

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Just before the half hour mark the Eastwood player manager and former Tiger, Chris Shaw, nearly caught Tigers unaware with a volley from 45 yards that had PaulBastock scrambling to palm away to safety.

Worksop continued to control most of the play without really looking like scoring; the closest they came was a 30-yard effort from Denton that was comfortably saved by Stainsby.

With the half coming to a close Eastwood had an excellent chance to take the leadwhen a quick throw set up Piliero whose cross-cum-shot was cleared off the line by Kern Miller, the rebound headed over.

The second half continued where the first left off with much of the play very scrappy, the only chance of note falling to the Badgers when Kallum Keane dragged his shot wide of the post.

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On 58 minutes Worksop finally took the lead when Shaw fouled Mettam from behind; Burbeary coolly slotting home the resulting penalty.

As Worksop looked to make the game safe Steve Towers had two efforts in the space of a minute, firstly shooting straight at Stainsby from the edge of the penalty area, then firing wide from 25 yards out.

With a quarter of an hour to go Clark brought on Matt Young in place of Mettam as Worksop changed to a 4-5-1 set up.

Young was immediately in the action in a rare cohesive passage of play as Miller’s cross field pass found King and his cross was headed back by Dentonto Young who shot weakly straight at Stainsby.

In injury time Eastwood had an excellent chance to snatch an equaliser as Gregg Smith rose above Miller but could only head over the bar.

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