Barton Town Old Boys had plenty of chances in the 3-0 defeat to local rivals Cleethorpes Town
Barton Town Old Boys were beaten 3-0 as local rivals Cleethorpes Town boosted their own title aspirations at a packed Euronics Ground.
The result ends Barton’s slim chances of winning the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division.
The first game of the second day of the NCEL Easter GroundHop attracted a bumper crowd of over 500 – the highest so far of the weekend – and produced an entertaining game.
Barton were denied a penalty in very controversial circumstances when Cleethorpes were only leading by the solitary goal late in the game.
The first chance of the game fell to the league’s top goalscorer, Barton’s Scott Phillips, whose audacious chip almost crept in at the near post.
Minutes later Phillips squandered another chance as his shot was saved by Lee McFarland to deny the home side again.
Chance after chance went begging for the home side, as Ashley Lattimore and Danny Chambers saw their efforts saved by McFarland.
Tempers flare in the derby clash
Referee Rob Atkin gave one of the most controversial decisions of the season on the NCEL Easter GroundHop weekend
Action from Barton Town Old Boys 0-3 Cleethorpes
Barton’s Euronics Ground was packed and Dave Anderson said it was one of the biggest crowds the club have ever had
Cleethorpes fans were out in force – making up a large amount of the attendance
But, there was a huge contingent of groundhoppers
Cleethorpes had to wait almost half an hour before any real chances were created, Jonathan Ogelsby saw his cross-come-shot almost creep in above goalkeeper Arran Reid.
The visitors took the lead against the run of play after 35 minutes, having looked likely to fall behind. Brody Robertson hit a screamer from 30 yards out to treat the Groundhoppers to a sublime goal.
Danny Norton failed to take another Barton opportunity right before the interval, his shot was straight at McFarland as Cleethorpes went into the half 1-0 up.
As the second-half kicked off, both sides searched for the all-important second goal, and an end-to-end affair intensified as both sides pushed for the three points to help their title hopes.
Danny Chambers almost put the home side back in contention, but his shot was comfortably saved by McFarland.
With ten minutes left on the clock, substitute Gareth Barlow worked his magic on the right-wing before teeing up Chambers, whose shot almost crept in.
Barlow played a part when Barton should have been awarded a penalty. The striker was caught on the head as he attempted to win the ball inside the penalty area. Referee Rob Atkin spotted the infringement and bizarrely awarded an indirect free kick – an opportunity that Barton were unable to score from.
But with five minutes left Barton’s chances of coming back into the game were over as super-sub Louis Grant slotted home to round off the victory.
In added time Grant turned provided as he teed up Robertson for his second of the night to treat the vocal Cleethorpes supporters to a well-deserved 3-0 victory.
Barton Town Old Boys manager Dave Anderson:
“We just created loads of chances and I think today we’ve just been punished for not taking our chances, I think if we took a few of our chances in the first half it would have been a different game.
“We just got our heads down and they scored and then we got through to half-time and regrouped but the most important thing and the message we said at the half-time was second half we need to give it a go, and the thing I’m most disappointed about is that it didn’t happen.
“I think this is the biggest crowd we’ve had down here and I’d obviously like to thank the volunteers that have come down today.
“I know there was a major concern with the amount of rain we’ve had that the game wasn’t going to go ahead, but I’m really glad it’s gone ahead for everyone who came. It’s a good day all round for the club, but the bottom line is we didn’t do the job.
“At 1-0 with a decision like that we should have had a penalty, but that’s just football.
“It will even itself out in the season, but when the referee came off he said he’d made a mistake and it costs us the game. That hasn’t really helped it just rubbed salt into the wound really.”
Barton Town Old Boys: Reid, Owen, Gowen, Belcher, Dexter, Ricketts, Norton (Mortimer 60), Kirk, Phillips (Barlow 60), Chambers, Lattimore. Subs unused: Gill, Watson, Baker.
Cleethorpes Town: McFarland, Mascall, Kingston, Dickens, Heward, Richardson, Oglesby (McKay 83), Flett, Trott (Barlow 65), Robertson, Kennedy (Grant 65), Peck. Subs unused: Hanslip, Peck.
Referee: Rob Atkin
Ref Rating: 5/10
Attendance: 517
Man of the Match: Brody Robertson (Cleethorpes Town)