Bootle Snatch Late Point In Manchester

Credit: Rob Collier

By Brendan Doyle

A Ben Hodkinson’s 85th minute strike with his weaker right foot seals a point for The Bucks in a 1-1 away at Wythenshawe Town.

Very early on in the game Jack Lenehan seemed to brought down in the Wythenshawe Town area and despite appeals for a penalty from the Bootle players and dugout, the referee seen nothing wrong with the challenge. Minutes later Ben Hodkinson delivered in a promising corner but the set piece was only cleared by the host’s defence.

Teddy Mfuni attempted to pick out a long diagonal ball to Demi Rhami but Bootle’s vice captain Jay Roberts was in the way to block a headed shot from Rhami, brilliantly timed run and positioning from Roberts. Wealth Da Silva managed to close down Tony Thompson in his own box and Thompson’s kick bounced off the centre forward but luckily only went out for a throw in.

A long ball from Jack Lenehan was attempted to find Courtney Duffus but the pass was too weighted and seen Aiden McKearney pick up the ball with safety. A dangerous looking ball via a free kick from far distance was delivered in by J’Nai Steede but the ball couldn’t find a Wythenshawe Town shirt and bounced out of play.

Wealth Da Silva carried the ball very close to the Bootle night on the right hand side but couldn’t quite manage to keep the ball at his feet as it rolled out of play. Domaine Rouse came very close to putting Wythenshawe Town ahead just before half time with a header from a corner aiming for the near side but Tony Thompson prevented the home side from taking the lead which ended the first half at 0-0.

The second half almost seen a Bootle opener within the first couple of minutes as a scrambled occurred between keeper Aiden McKearney and Domaine Rouse but it only lead to a Bootle corner. Lewis Earl carried the ball at his feet to the halfway line and attempted to feed Connor Rankin a through ball but the pass was too overstretched for Rankin.

As the game seemed to be turning out scrappy and even, disaster struck as a Tony Thompson error allowed Wealth Da Silva to tap in an effort giving Wythenshawe Town the lead. Bootle almost immediately tried to reach level in the game as used substitute Joe Woolley delivered a ball into the box hoping to find Connor Rankin but Domaine Rouse beat Rankin to the header.

Wythenshawe Town seemed to be 2-0 ahead and to have had three points sealed until the linesman’s flag went up, just over a minute later however, Bootle grabbed an equaliser as Ben Hodkinson took the ball onto his weaker right foot and smashed his shot straight into the far corner.

The next ten minutes including added time seen Bootle heavily challenging the Wythenshawe Town area and there were even four different handball shouts appealing for a penalty all within the space of seconds but the referee disagreed with each of Bootle’s appeals. The end result would finish 1-1 in Manchester.