For only the second time since returning to the Scunthorpe League in 2005, Crowle United Reserves began their league campaign with a victory - writes Gareth Parkin.
Finding themselves in the unfamiliar surroundings of Fourth Division football in the Scunthorpe and District Sunday League, they at least had a team of recognisable faces and Windsor Park to face Brigg Servicemen Reserves in what ended as a 1-0 win to the hosts.
Central defender Martin Davey had Crowle’s first two chances of the season - a header from a free-kick which was punched clear by Brigg’s goalkeeper and a shot that curled around the post three minutes later.
Home keeper Sam Thirkell was having the quietest morning before he was eventually called into action on 30 minutes. A Brigg midfielder slipped a delicate throughball behind Crowle’s defence for an attacker whose shot was smothered by the advancing Thirkell.
At the other end of the field Jamie Teal found Aaron Taylor in space on the right, Taylor lifted a shot over Brigg’s keeper but saw the ball rebound back off the post.
With goals before half time and little sign of any after the restart, the game burst into life just after the hour when BSR were awarded a free kick 30 yards out. A superbly hit shot struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced into play.
With a cluster of attackers approaching him, Thirkell punched the ball into the face of Crowle captain Daniel Harrison causing a moment of anxiety for the home supporters as they saw the ball miss the goal by inches as it went out for a corner.
The only goal of the game came with 20 minutes remaining. Substitute Lee Barrowcliffe found a little space on the right wing and delivered a low cross into the feet of Callum Brears who met the ball first-time with the outside of his left foot and into the bottom corner.
Neil Jacklin, another substitute, almost doubled the margin of victory with a long range shot when he saw BSR’s keeper off his goal line, but his hopes of starting the season on the scoresheet were dashed as the ball drifted wide.
Manager Danny Taylor applauded his team’s 1-0 victory at the final whistle.
The game marked the first three points of the season. It also signalled the first clean sheet in the league since April 2011 - 37 games ago.
Crowle United Reserves next travel to face Appleby Wanderers on Sunday.