Scholars rule over Bucks in game full of flashpoints

Chasetown thought they’d took the lead very early on into the clash before the man in the middle called it back for a foul on Tony Thompson in the Bootle net however, the Scholars would break the deadlock.

A lunging leg of a Bootle player on Chasetown’s Marvellous Onabirekhanlen saw the referee point to the penalty stop without hesitation.

Jack Langston stepped up and dispatched his spot-kick, drilling it into the bottom left corner.

Bootle had to step up their game and they did, coming out attacking and forcing the Scholars to defend deeply.

The visitors tested Chasetown ‘keeper James Wren on many occasions, but most would be caught with ease.

The closest Bootle come to a goal came when Ben Hodkinson, returning to the starting eleven, found space on the right. He cut inside and struck a curling effort which cannoned off the inside of the post before bouncing across the six-yard box, but no one was able to reach it.

HT: Chasetown 1-0 Bootle

Bootle came flying out the traps in the second half, deserving to score early on with the vast amount of efforts struck on goal.

The work around the box was quick and incise from the Bucks but a resilient Chasetown backline were valiant in their blocks, with many flying narrowly wide as well.

It looked like it was going to be one of them days for Bootle, where nothing was going to fall to them, but the perfect opportunity to restore parity was handed to them via a penalty.

There was dispute over who would step up, but Owen Robinson was the man to handle the pressure of the healthy Bootle crowd in Sutton Coldfield on his back. Despite James Wren getting finger tips to it, the penalty was too powerful and it rippled the net, levelling proceedings.

Chasetown were back in front before the crowd could adjust properly to the scores being level as the hosts manoeuvred an opportunity when a deep ball was sent into the area to the incoming Langston, who nodded past a hapless Thompson.

In a crazy turn of events, Ben Hodkinson was hauled down in the area and Bootle were given another spot-kick, which Robinson duly converted again.

The scoring wouldn’t end their as Chasetown finally rounded off the scoring deep into normal time time as Onabirekhanlen stuck home on the line to round off a crazy game.

FT: Chasetown 3-2 Bootle