Jonny good show

SHELF PANTHERS MATCH REPORT 2 OCTOBER 2011
Penistone 3 Shelf Panthers 1

Another barnstorming defensive display by Jonny wasn’t quite enough to save the Panthers from their fourth defeat in a row at the start of the season.

The Shelf centre-back, who picked up his second successive Man of the Match award, was called into action in the first minute, bravely flinging his body in the way of a shot at point-blank range to prevent a certain goal.

The home side went close again in the 11th minute when Adam Renard athletically hooked the ball off his own line. But a minute later, the Panthers surged into the lead. Tom Mann’s exquisite flick carved up the defence and Toby buried a half-volley from the edge of the area low to the keeper’s left.

Having squandered healthy leads in two of their previous matches, the Panthers couldn’t afford to rest on their laurels. But, after going close through a Tom Wood free kick, they found themselves exposed at the back by a quick long ball which allowed the home side to equalise in the 17th minute.

The Panthers rode their luck as a snap-shot thundered off their crossbar and came down just the right side of the goal-line. And a minute later Tom Brett had to dive low to his right to turn a powerfully struck shot round the post.

Shelf had to soak up more pressure – then with half an hour gone, Luke made it 2-1 with a sweetly-struck shot on the run that curved elegantly round the keeper. The technique was magnificent: it would have been even better in the opposition’s net, rather than his own.

A goal from an acute angle two minutes after the restart made it 3-1, and the home side – playing brawny, direct football – enjoyed the lion’s share of the second half chances.

More last-ditch heroics by Jonny – including a kamikaze double-block five minutes from time – helped to keep the Panthers in the match.

At the other end, Shelf’s best chance came when Toby sprinted clear through the centre, but the keeper reacted well to save the first shot and Robert’s close-range follow-up.