Shropshire County League Premier Division:
Ellesmere Rangers Res 1-3 Morda United
A TYPICAL derby match had hard tackles and spectacular goals, but this only coming from the one side.
Morda turned up with the mentality of doing the basics of winning the game and getting three points, job done but right from the off the visitors looked more up for it.
Tom Steadman set about making tempers fly as early as the first minute as Morda took a foot hold on the game.
Just seven minutes and United had the reward for their high tempo start, Paul Hughes feeding James O’Reilly with a beautifully timed through ball and the defensive player slotted it home with the coolness of a top striker.
Steadman fired another warning sign before Hughes lobbed ’keeper Lee Davies from 40 yards and the ball was bundled in by Steve O’Reilly.In the midst of all this, Chris Catherall struck the Morda bar with some neat work but that is as close as they got.
Half time came with Morda always looking the more dominant force.Ellesmere had their spell and won a penalty but still no one knows quite what for.
Dan Pryce’s poor effort was saved by keeper Michael Pugh and Morda went on to further punish the home side.
John Butler on first team duties filled in superbly well, picking up the man of the match performance which was well deserved alongside skipper Matt Williams.
Steve O’Reilly clinched the win ten minutes from time with a spectacular 30 yard effort beating Davies into the top left hand corner.
Young local lad, Harry Davies, made his first team debut in the latter stages after only playing a few reserve games and impressed on his first outing.
That win moves Morda up to fifth and was described as a ‘precious three points’, by boss Norman Evans. Ellesmere scored a late close range consolation but it was too little, too late for the home side.