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Saturday 29th January
Millers Back on Winning Trail: New Mills AFC 2 - Chadderton 0

New Mills recorded their first win of 2005 on Saturday with a convincing display against Chadderton in the Moore and Co Solicitor’s League Division Two game at Church Lane. The Millers who have suffered an amazing run of bad luck were rewarded both for their patience and tenacity. After surrendering all three points the previous week to lowly Castleton in a match which they totally dominated from the start to the finish, it looked for a while as though there was going to be a repeat performance as the visitors were penned back in their own half without the men in black and amber getting any reward.

The home attacked from the kick off and as in previous weeks chances were created but not taken. There was generally good build up play with several openings but somehow the target was missed. The best of these was a superbly taken free kick by Gavin Hunter which Joel Eckelongeni should have finished.

The team left the field at half time wondering, as were the Church Lane faithful, as to why the game was still goalless. The deadlock was broken on 58 minutes when the referee adjudged the opposing goalkeeper had picked up a back pass from the defender who closed out Eckelongeni and awarded a free kick. The ball was placed directly on the corner of the six-yard box and was passed to Kelvin Lugsden who, faced with around ten defenders on the goal line, successfully drilled the ball into the net.

The Millers then pushed for the killer second, but it did not come, and Chadderton attempted to salvage something out of the game. Their best two efforts were both back-passed by New Mills players, which were intercepted. Fortunately on both occasions Steven Lyons quick thinking saved the day. His second save however was one of the best seen on the ground for some while.

The points were sealed with a minute to go when two of the substitutes combined down the right hand side. Keeper Lyons threw the ball out from the back and it was played up to Craig Hall who skipped passed the full back and as the goalkeeper advanced played a precision pass to Bradley Jones who stroked it into the net to register his first goal at senior level.

This was a deserved victory for the Millers who leaped no fewer than six places up the table as a result. The team all played well with a particular dazzling display of old fashioned dribbling by Stacey Wild which entertained the crowd of 149 spectators. They will now hope to build on this for their next game away to Darwen on Saturday.

NEW MILLS: Lyons, Radford A, Radford R, Hobday, Littler, Lester, Lugsden, Hunter, Wild, Eckelongeni, Blackburm subs; Shackleton, Hall, Jones

The Reserve team drew 1-1 at Padiham with their goal coming via the penalty spot from Kyle Harrison. There is no game at Church Lane this Saturday with both teams playing away from home.

Saturday 22nd January
Millers Slip Up: New Mills AFC 0 - Castleton Gabriels 1

The New Year has started where 2004 left off in terms of the seemingly endless run of bad luck that the players of New Mills Football club are concerned. Last Saturday’s home game against Castleton was a typical example. How can a team lose all three points when they had a host of chances, around eighty per cent of the attacking play and home goalkeeper Steven Lyons has only one shot to save, and he did!

The Millers were straight out of the traps and had a host of good opportunities in the first period, with Stacey Wild hitting the angle. The approach play was good, and they looked solid at the back against the bottom team in the league. Their only shot was a rasping drive, which was easily held. The supporters were shaking their heads in disbelief at the interval with the score still locked at 0-0.

Although the first period of the second half was less frenetic, there seemed little danger when the ball was knocked into the penalty area. Unfortunately, the ball took a wicked deflection off Danny Jackson and rolled into the net.

This not surprisingly stirred the Millers into a frenzy of attacking play. Incredibly, the referee failed to give a penalty, then he blew for a free kick which wasn’t and although it was THREE yards inside the penalty area he rolled the ball back to outside the box.

A brilliant goal-line clearance prevented Jackson from an equaliser, and to rub salt in the wounds what seemed a good-headed goal was ruled out. The Gabriels' players celebrated their first clean sheet of the season on the final whistle, and to be fair to them they defended resolutely, as they not only rode out a great deal of luck – and poor finishing – but time after time they threw bodies in front of the ball. All credit to them.

NEW MILLS: Lyons, Radford R Radford A, Land, Ignotus, Littler, Lugsden, Hunter, Wild, Eckenlogni, Blackburn.Subsl Jackson, Jones.

This Saturday the first team are once again at home to Chadderton. They will be no doubt hoping to secure three points to lift them back up the table. There are a number of games in hand to be played by the Millers and if they can start a run going they will move in the right direction.

Bomber heads over defenders	Joel Ekelongeni confronts Gabriels' keeper
Ryan Radford lobs into goal area	Bomber swerves around defender

Saturday 15th January
Millers Lose Out : Nelson 3 - New Mills 1

New Mills travelled to highflying Nelson on Saturday and can count themselves a little unlucky that they did not return home with a point. Both sides have played little soccer recently due to the bad weather and this showed in the first twenty minutes or so when neither team threatened.

The game burst into life, however, on the half hour when an early through ball put Stacey Wild clear. He held off the defenders to coolly slot home his 9th goal of the season. The goal, which puts Wild as the Millers leading scorer, looked to be enough to give the visitors a half-time lead. The home team had been kept well at bay and it would have been deserved.

However, on 43 minutes the Nelson forward chased down a ball and as the ball crossed the line for a goal kick – as the linesman indicated - the player either slipped or just fell over. To the amazement of everyone inside the Victoria Ground the referee pointed to the penalty spot.
The New Mills players protested that the player had not been in any contact with goalkeeper Steve Lyons – there was clear daylight between them – but to no avail. Paul Barrett slotted in the equaliser and the half time whistle was blown.

The home team came out in the second period with their tails up and took the lead when on 58 minutes the Millers failed to clear the ball properly and Barrett notched his second and 12th of the campaign. The Millers then threw on their substitutes in an attempt to salvage something out of the game, and they were caught our just two minutes from time when Craig Bradshaw scored the third goal.

All in all this was a real game of two halves for the men from the High Peak. They were confident in attack and comfortable at the back during the first half. The decision by the man in the middle certainly not only affected the players, but it completely turned around the game for Nelson. In fairness, Nelson are a good side who like to pass the ball around. They are serious challengers for a place in the top two if they maintain their second half performance.

NEW MILLS: Lyons, Radford A, Ignotus, Littler, Radford R, Land, Hobdey, Hunter, Jones, Wild, Hall subs Blackburn, Pfeiffer, Jackson.

The Millers are at home on Saturday to the bottom side Chadderton. They will be looking to get their first win of the year and the game kicks off at 3 pm. The Reserves won an entertaining League Cup tie against Chadderton on Saturday winning 4-3 after extra time.

Monday 3rd January
Brave Millers Lose To League Leaders: Cammell Laird 4 - New Mills 1

There could not have been a more daunting fixture to open the New Year than to visit the unbeaten league leaders Cammell Laird, but it was a game which the players of New Mills were relishing.

Just how they came away with at least a share of the spoils is unbelievable. On a blustery afternoon at the Kirklands ground the first quarter of the game was an even affair. Then the referee somehow missed a blatant hand ball by a home player on the half-way line. Play was allowed to continue and debutant goalkeeper Spencer Liddiard made a fine block. The ball came back into the box and leading scorer Ronnie Morgan turned the ball into the net with the aplomb of a man who had just netted his 38th goal of the season – and his 104th in the last two and half seasons.

The Millers came storming back and they held the upper hand for the remainder of the half. They had two great chances both of which fell to striker Joel Eckelongy. His first of two headers rattled the cross bar and the second a better opportunity thanks to a fine cross from Ryan Radford was scrambled off the line. The supporters and players of the Lairds were glad to hear the half time whistle.

The start of the second half saw the visitors continue to press forward and a fine run by Ryan Radford saw the ball travel agonisingly along the home goal line. Then the home side doubled their advantage on 50 minutes thanks to skipper Derek Ward. The Millers continued to take the game to their opponents, but they were harshly adjudged to have won the ball illegally on the hour and from the resulting free kick James McCoy scored a third.

The men from the High Peak were finally rewarded with 20 minutes remaining when after a good build up Gavin Hunter got on the score sheet. Excellent chances then fell to Bradley Jones who had a shot tipped onto the crossbar by Steve Cushion, and then he raced onto a through ball only to be denied again by Cushion whose clearance went straight up the field and from which John Morgan added a fourth.

Chances were still being made at the other end and the best of these fell to Craig Senior and Stacey Wild. Although the scoreline suggests otherwise, New Mills had given the Lairds quite a fright. The management of the home side were quick to praise the Millers by saying they were the best footballing side to play there this season. The Millers will take heart from the game not only for some fine defending but the fact that they are creating so many chances. If they continue to play in this style, then they can look forward to the remainder of the season with confidence.

NEW MILLS: Liddiard, R Radford, A Radford, Hobdey, Ignotus, Littler, Blackburn,Hunter, Eckelongy, Lugsden, Jones subs; Wild, Senior, Rowell.