Match reports
Witton Albion 0–3 Worksop Town
Witton went into the last league match of 2007–08 a point behind Fleetwood and needing a better result than theirs. They were three goals down inside 32 minutes, finished runners-up and went into the play-offs for the second year running.
Match facts
Witton Albion0–3Worksop Town
- Date
- 26 April 2008
- Competition
- Northern Premier League Premier Division
- Venue
- Wincham Park
- Attendance
- 662
- Scorers
- Kevin Sanasy 2 (Worksop); Steve Akers 15 (Worksop); Paul Stansfield 32 (Worksop)
- Witton Albion
- Kennedy; Brownhill, Pritchard, Barras (Lloyd 46), Junior Brown, Brodie, Alex Brown (Thornley 56), MacPherson, Peers (Rapley 70), Evans, Warlow
- Worksop Town
- Hernandez; Ludlam, Dawson, Davies, Cockerill, Sanasy, Robinson, Stansfield (Burridge 55), Fretwell, Akers (Jordan 79), White (Palmer 65)
- Original club report by
- Andrew Simpson
The 2007–08 Northern Premier League title was settled on Saturday 26 April 2008. Fleetwood Town, who had overtaken Witton Albion in mid-April, were at home to Frickley Athletic. Witton, who had led the division from November, were at home to mid-table Worksop Town.
Background
Witton had 89 points before kick-off, one fewer than Fleetwood, and a far better goal difference: they needed a better result than their rivals. They had won their two previous home matches, against Guiseley and Frickley, without conceding. Worksop arrived with nothing to play for and a five-man midfield.
The match
It was effectively over in half an hour. Kevin Sanasy volleyed Worksop in front inside two minutes, getting in behind Junior Brown.
Witton's best spell followed. The Worksop goalkeeper Steve Hernandez made a one-handed save from Tony Evans after good work by Mark Peers and Dave MacPherson, and Evans then shot weakly when another Peers pass reached him. But on fifteen minutes Worksop broke, Paul Stansfield found Steve Akers in space and Akers rolled the ball under Jon Kennedy. On 32 minutes a cross from Ryan Ludlam came off Tony Barras and fell for Stansfield to score from close range.
Jim Vince sent his players back onto the pitch early during the interval and changed to three at the back, with Rob Lloyd replacing Barras. Worksop might have had a penalty soon after the restart and Kennedy saved from Andy White at a tight angle. Witton then pressed for the rest of the afternoon without reward: Hernandez kept out efforts from Rod Thornley, Liam Brownhill, Steve Brodie and Brian Pritchard.
Brownhill, an England C international, was the club's choice as man of the match for his attacking runs in the first half.
The final table
Fleetwood drew 1–1 with Frickley, which was enough.
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fleetwood Town | 40 | 28 | 7 | 5 | 81 | 39 | 91 |
| 2 | Witton Albion | 40 | 27 | 8 | 5 | 84 | 28 | 89 |
| 3 | Gateshead | 40 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 93 | 42 | 85 |
| 4 | Eastwood Town | 40 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 61 | 45 | 69 |
| 5 | Buxton | 40 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 60 | 50 | 68 |
Witton had scored more goals than the champions and conceded eleven fewer, and had lost only five league matches all season. Two of the five were the last two at home that mattered most: Fleetwood on Easter Monday and this one.
Aftermath
Second place meant a home play-off semi-final three days later against fifth-placed Buxton. It was the second season running that Witton had finished as runners-up: in 2006–07 they had missed the title on goal difference and lost the play-off final to AFC Telford United, a parallel the club's reporter drew at the time.