Still can’t decide yet whether this was a point won or two points lost. It was that kind of game.When Leyland have all their key players in the side they are a match for any team which soon became apparent, because although we took an early lead, it was Leyland who definitely bossed the first half, pulling a goal back and going dangerously close on a number of occasions. After the match everyone had their views about what went wrong, and to be honest there was a lot to discuss. What was strange was just how we underperformed in many areas, which was in stark contrast to the scintillating show against Canaries last week. We started with the same formation as last week, i.e. 4-5-1, but we just did not seem switched on as a unit this week, and Craig Hoyle seemed sorely isolated on his own up front. It doesn’t do any harm to sometimes switch tactics midway through a game. This can unsettle opponents and also means that certain players can play in positions which are more natural to them. In addition to that, a basic 4-4-2 allows you to take the game to your opponents rather than sitting in midfield and relying too much on the odd break forward. When we did change things around we became instantly more of a threat going forward and also the introduction of Adam Hoyle gave us that extra boost.
Hoyle really turned the game around for us and even though he only played one half, there was no other Cadley player anywhere near him for the Player of the Match award.
We got an early free kick which was taken quickly by Kilbane, but Page just failed to get to the ball on the left and the ball was cleared. Leyland went close on a few occasions and their front men were proving a real handful for the Red’s defence but it was Cadley who took the lead on 13 minutes against the run of play. Taylor crossed the ball in from the left and the ball was headed over the bar for a corner on the right. Taylor’s flag kick fell nicely for JAMES TOPPING who scored his first Cadley goal, smashing the ball into the net from 6 yards.
Leyland hit back strongly and Sielski did well to turn a low shot onto the post and the ball was cleared. We gifted Leyland an equaliser soon after following a needless handball in midfield. The resulting free kick caught us unawares and the ball was headed over the reach of Sielski and flew into the net for 1-1.
Leyland were asking all of the questions and as usual Heywood was constantly in the thick of the action, cutting out threatening attacks with positive clearances.
Cadley had a great chance to go ahead when Page slipped a great pass to Craig Hoyle, but the forward blazed his shot over the bar on the half hour mark.
Page thought he was in when he sprinted after a clearance but the Leyland keeper who was having an excellent game just beat him to the ball.
Our best piece of football in this half came just before the break when Tracey slipped the ball down the left channel for Dickinson who had made a surging overlapping run and the full back whipped in a vicious cross which was sliced over the bar by a defender for a corner.
Adam Hoyle came on 2 minutes into the second half and straight away he was involved, holding the ball up with his back to goal before neatly back-heeling to Page who found himself with just the keeper to beat, but somehow the chance went begging and the ball trickled out for a corner on the left. Taylor picked up a poor kick by the keeper and Harston found Hoyle in the box who turned his man before squaring low for Page to rifle in a good shot which cannoned off the keeper’s legs to safety.
On the hour mark Simon Bentham replaced Page on the right wing. Soon after, we took the lead with a goal of real quality. Dave Clarkson took a throw from the right and found ADAM HOYLE with his back to goal. The Cadley striker turned and headed for goal leaving the defence floundering before cracking the ball past the Leyland keeper for his sixth goal of the season.
Harston then latched onto a pass down the left, but was halted by the Leyland linesman’s offside flag. The ref overruled the liner and allowed Harston to go on, but by that time the momentum of the move had gone and the Cadley front man fired his shot straight at the keeper.
We were on top at this stage and Bentham floated over a good cross which found Taylor and his powerful drive was hoofed off the line by a defender.
Despite this pressure on the Leyland goal it was the home team that got the next goal when Sielski found himself in no mans land trying to get to the ball, but the forward then had the easy job of slotting the ball in for 2-2.
Bentham got a great cross in from the right and the keeper got to the ball at the second attempt to deny Taylor.
We went ahead for the third time in this match when Taylor and Dickinson combined well on the left and Hoyle broke into the area one on one with the keeper but was chopped down for a clear penalty. The spot kick was taken by MICHAEL TRACEY who smashed the ball confidently high into the net for 3-2.
Leyland were still looking very dangerous on the break and Sielski did really well to deny the Leyland front runners with a couple of top class saves. Leyland got themselves level with time running out when the tricky right winger skilfully unpicked the Cadley defence before lashing a powerful shot past Sielski at the near post. In the dying minutes Leyland had a great chance to snatch a dramatic late winner but keeper Sielski came in with a point blank block to frustrate the front man and the ball was cleared.
So we had to settle for just one point, but it has to be said that we had our chances to wrap this match up on many occasions. Any neutral spectator would probably have said that a draw was a fair reflection of this game, but we will still consider this result as having missed out on two precious points which would have helped our push for a top three position. No problems picking today’s Player of the Match. ADAM HOYLE was our best player today by a mile and has to start next week against Canaries.