FA Cup First Round heroes Norton United won their first ever league encounter with Chasetown FC with a goal good enough to grace any game of football.
With 16 minutes on the clock, Lee Cropper motored past Leon Miles and before Chris Slater could get across to challenge, he fired a powerful shot into the roof of the net beyond John Bateman.
The goal illuminated an otherwise very dull game with defences on top and goalkeepers largely troubled.However, Chasetown did have the perfect opportunity to equalise late on when Simon Brown was leaned on by the defender as he tried to bear down on goal. The referee had no hesitation pointing to the penalty spot. The Scholars had gone out of the league cup in midweek on penalties and their luck was out this time too as Chris Fletcher dived to his right to keep out Brown’s kick.
It was manager Craig Harris’ 100th league game in charge of Chasetown, seeing the former Scholars midfielder win 40 and draw 26, though the current run of one win in nine matches with four straight league defeats has seen his side slip down the league table, despite their three recent wins in the FA Trophy.
Chasetown: Bateman, Evans (Johnson, 42 mins), Charlton, Slater, Miles, Downes, Brown, Parsons, Waite (Lees, 76 mins), Davies, Edwards (Wellecomme, 62 mins). Subs not used: Haynes, Robinson.
Click below to see more of Dave Birt’s pictures from the game:
