RYLANDS 0 v 3 VAUXHALL MOTORS
Magnificent Motors crush league leaders!
Mick McGraa’s Motormen turned in a superb all-round team display to completely humiliate the hosts, who still remain as league leaders despite this emphatic defeat. But now Vauxhalls are just four points adrift, back in fifth place and this result has clearly opened the title race, as the visitors put in their best performance of the season to date.
The visitors got off to a perfect start, taking the lead after just five minutes, when Kynan Mason’s through ball looked beyond the target Hyden Cooper, but he somehow managed to prod the ball into the net, as a defender and keeper made a hash of tidying up the situation. Motors continued to dominate the early exchanges and both Ben Holmes and Karl Noon went close to adding to their early strike. In truth the hosts did have a string of corners, but nothing came of any of them.
On 24 minutes, Dave Webb saw his fiercely struck shot blocked but there was no denying them a second three minutes later. In the first thrust Noon saw his effort cannon off an upright but Holmes was following up to turn the rebound over the line. Further efforts from Joe Heath and Noon were off target before the interval whilst Rylands had offered no threat at all at the other end.
The Warrington-based club did have a better start to the second half and Jamie White fired one shot over the bar but midway through this period Motors struck a crucial third to effectively wrap up the victory. Cutting in from the left, Joe Brandon, who had been a thorn in Rylands side all game, hit a right foot shot beyond the reach of Graeme McColl in the home goal for a 3-0 lead.
It might have been an even heavier defeat for the hosts but for a tremendous save by McColl to deny Noon after another excellent Vauxhall move involving Brandon and Holmes. Rylands produced their best move close to full time but there was never any chance of them forging a comeback at any point in the contest, such was the manner of Motors dominance throughout.
This was Motors third consecutive victory without conceding whilst hitting 13 goals themselves to underline their determination to be in the mix at the end of the season.
Motors are at home to Cheadle Heath Nomads next Saturday (26th) at the Syncreon Arena (3pm), a side that did inflict their first defeat of the campaign back in August, so Vauxhall will be anxious to turn the tables on the Stockport side to enhance their own challenge.
Vauxhall: Leigh, Mason, Drummond, Carlin, Mitchell, Heath, Brandon (Hassall 85), Cooper (Willingham 62), Noon (Hamm 77), Webb, Holmes. Sub not used: Scarisbrick, Costello.