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Gingerbreads share spoils in league opener




The Gingerbreads break from defence, led by Oli Luto. (3666338)
The Gingerbreads break from defence, led by Oli Luto. (3666338)

Northern Premier League

Premier Division

Grantham Town 1

Bamber Bridge 1

Grantham Town shared the points with new boys Bamber Bridge in the opening game of the new season's league campaign.

Following a minute's applause to remember former chairman Roger Booth's wife Kathleen, who died recently, play got under way at a warm and sun-drenched Meres.

First day nerves might have accounted for both sides' apparent anxiousness in front of their respective opponents' box early on, and much of the early play was battled out in midfield.

The visitors showed more going forward throughout, but the Gingerbreads defended stoutly, whilst chances on target were few and far between at either end.

The first opportunity to do so fell to Bamber's Michael Potts whose 35-yard free kick sailed goalward, but Town goalkeeper Louis Jones saved comfortably in the 14th minute.

Aiden Kirby's dangerous cross was repelled by a header in the 23rd minute to deny Town a sniff of a goal.

Ryan White's 24th minute snap shot was blocked by Kirby, whilst Jones caught high at the far post to deny Alistair Waddecar a chance 10 minutes later.

Probably Bamber's best opportunity of the first half came on 35 minutes but somehow Danny Forbes put his close range effort over the bar after the visitors had found a way through Town's defensive ranks.

The last real action of the first 45 minutes saw Jones smother the ball from Brad Carsley's feet two minutes before the break.

Some real fire was injected into the game when Bamber went in front just two minutes into the second period, the Gingerbreads being caught off-guard when Mathew Dudley played a sublime ball through to Ryan White who made no mistake with his first touch, firing into the roof of the net.

Grantham did not lie down and striker Morgan Penfold had his 56th minute shot blocked after good work by Cenk Acar and Max Watters on the right.

Just seconds later, with Bamber not fully recovered from the shock of Town's counter-attack, Acar found the back of the net through the defensive scramble and past visiting keeper Lloyd Rigby.

Jones was alert to pull off an excellent save to deny White on the hour mark, and had to be on his toes again three minutes later to save from Dudley after an error by Tom Ward gifted the ball to the visitors.

At the other end, Ross Barrows' high, looping cross-cum-shot nearly caught the Bamber keeper out, but Rigby managed to tip the ball round the post for a corner kick.

Penfold was able to quickly turn and fire through the Bamber defence on 81 minutes, but Rigby gathered safely.

The Grantham number 10 had another opportunity to grab victory for the home side three minutes later, but he was just unable to get a header to Barrows' curling cross, and so the Gingerbreads had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Grantham Town: Jones, Barrows, Luto, Kirby, Ward, Batchelor (c), Hollingsworth, Everington (Curtis 60), Watters, Penfold (Bastos 87), Acar. Subs not used: Thompson, Bastock (gk). Att: 259.



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