It was a tale of two penalties as Colls spurned a first half spot kick while Widnes took advantage of a penalty of their own in the second half as the mid-table visitors turned the form table upside down to earn their first win in four outings, ending Colls' run of three successive victories in the process, although the failure of Runcorn Linnets to beat Newcastle Town means Micheal Clegg's black and whites remain at the top of the Evo-Stik League Division One West despite this defeat at a chilly Skuna Stadium. There was just one change to the starting eleven that defeated Droylsden 2-0 last weekend, with Glenn Matthews replacing Josh Messer at left back, while James Kirby came in to the matchday sixteen having recently rejoined the club from North West Counties League side Sandbach Town.
With both sides keen to keep the ball on the well-maintained Skuna Stadium surface, there was a certain element of the pair cancelling each other out, and it took until the twenty fourth minute for there to be a first serious glimpse of goal as Ben Hardcastle blased a left-footed effort wide of Owen Wheeler's right hand post from ten yards out.
Two minutes later and Colls were presented a golden opportunity to go in front, Wheeler dragging down Jordan Cover as the Colls front man looked to pounce on a loose ball just a few yards from the Widnes goal. Wheeler was shown a yellow card for his indiscretion but was to come out on top in the duel that followed between the two, Cover blasting his spot kick down the middle of the goal and finding only Wheeler's trailing legs rather than the back of the net.
Hardcastle had another half-chance shortly before the break when Cover teed him up from the right hand side of the box, but his strike from eighteen yards out was always rising and did little to trouble Wheeler.
Greg Hartley had had precious little to do in the Colls goal but was called upon to make a smart save from close range on 54 minutes, but ultimately there was little he could do with what turned out to be the winning goal on 63 minutes, Ben Hodkinson sending him the wrong way after a penalty had been awarded for a foul just inside the Colls box.
There was a certain degree of huffing and puffing from Colls as they looked to level the scores, but despite a trio of attacking substitutions in the form of Luke Giverin, Kirby and Ben Conway and a multitude of late corner kicks, they struggled to create anything meaningful and were instead left to rue on first half missed opportunities.
Micheal Clegg's side face a tough test as they look to get back to winning ways next weekend with a short trip to fourth-placed Radcliffe (Saturday 1st December, 3pm) before welcoming Newcastle Town to the Skuna Stadium the following Saturday (8th December, 3pm). Atherton Collieries: Greg Hartley, Dave Sherlock, Glenn Matthews (Luke Giverin 66'), Danny Lambert (Ben Conway 86'), Danny Lafferty ©, Matt Grimshaw, Ben Hardcastle, Tom Bentham (James Kirby 79'), Jordan Cover, Vinny Bailey, Gareth Peet. Substitutes (not used): Ian Rowlands, Dale Latham Man of the Match: Danny Lambert Attendance: 156
Match Report: Matt Lawton
Match Preview: Morpeth (A)
December 1, 2023
Atherton Collieries head to Morpeth on Saturday 2nd December, aiming to break a duck which has led to the Colls so far never recording a
