Following their midweek defeat, The Ambers brought Tom Cropper and Sam Fewkes back into the starting eleven to face Eccleshill United who were beaten 2-0 by Handsworth in their first meeting of the season just a few short weeks ago and have struggled to get their season going thus far.
Mitch Dunne started the game well, having a couple of efforts after neat 1-2’s with Masai Arbouin and then Tom Bishop in the opening couple of minutes, but neither attempt was on target, and it was Ambers’ keeper Dylan Parkin who made the game’s first save when he collected a dangerous Ndlovu cross.
The Ambers then created the first chance of note, when Bishop and Dunne combined to set up Kieran Wells, but the striker’s header was glanced just wide of Wilczynski’s left hand post, whilst a Henry Carne header from Michael Trench’s long throw into the box caused some nervousness but an Eccleshill head diverted the danger.
Whilst it was The Ambers who seemed to be edging the affair so far, it was certainly not one way traffic and Ndlovu fired over before some good footwork by Amole saw his shot deflected away for a corner, from which, Stamburi headed a glorious chance too high.
The twinkle toed Alfie Dodsworth then freed Dunne down the left but he was crowded out and could only manage a poked effort that trickled past the near post, before Dodsworth was flagged offside when in a good position, a contentious decision as the ball had taken a deflection off a defender as Dodsworth had moved forward from an on-side position.
Ndlovu was proving to be the driving force behind everything that United did going forward, and he forced Parkin into two excellent saves from long distance efforts, with Stamburi repeating his earlier miss with a free header in between.
The game was really livening up now with both teams giving it a good go, and it was the home side who came close next as they created a number of half chances in the Eccleshill box that culminated in Bishop missing the target by inches, before Dunne’s effort was spilled by Wilczynski who recovered well to grab the loose ball on the line.
There was then a let off for the hosts when Parkin fluffed a clearance having dashed well off his line, but Amole’s effort from all of 40 yards lacked the strength required to outpace a retreating Johno Williams and the skipper was able to clear the ball away from danger. That incident proved to be the turning point in the game as within a couple of minutes, The Ambers took the lead. Arbouin put his head in amongst the boots to win a brave header that released Dunne who looked up and picked out the overlapping Cropper on the far side. The right back, in acres of space, drove into the area and his low cross was touched in by Wells at the front post to break the deadlock just before the interval.
Handsworth almost doubled their lead in the opening minutes of the second half after a great through ball from Williams sent Wells haring down the middle, but his poked effort was saved at full stretch by Wilczynski who dove to his left.
Ndlovu chipped an effort just wide for The Eagles, before Bishop found Dodsworth in the area but his difficult far post chance just cleared the bar. Ghussein then made room for himself on the edge of the Ambers box, and he fired in a great shot which Trench bravely deflected away for a corner and the left back was again on hand to head Laird’s goal bound effort off the line, as Eccleshill turned up the pressure.
Half time replacement Parchment was starting to see more of the ball down the right hand side, and he fired in a couple of decent efforts that Parkin had to be aware of, whilst at the other end, Dunne’s volley after an Arbouin set up was comfortably held by Wilczynski, who was then quickly off his line to grab the ball from Dunne after a quick free kick by Fewkes caught the United defenders on their heels.
Ghussein then brought a flying save out of Parkin after a decent attempt from just outside the box, but minutes later the same player’s shot escaped the keeper’s grasp, and Amole was on hand to tap the ball in for the equaliser, that on the balance of play, was probably deserved.
With Brandon Bagley and Craig Mitchell both introduced from the bench to freshen things up, The Ambers responded well to the disappointment of conceding, and with just a minute of normal time remaining, the pair combined to concoct the winning goal. Dunne released Bagley down the right wing and, in almost identical circumstances as for the second Ambers goal in midweek, his low driven cross was turned in at the far post by Mitchell this time, the veteran striker claiming his second goal of the season.
With Mason Barlow and Craig Nelthorpe then brought on to reinforce things, The Ambers shut up shop and rode out the six minutes of added on time to see the game out and return to winning ways, joining league leaders Silsden on 21 points, but with a game in hand.