TOW LAW TOWN v NORTON & STOCKTON ANCIENTS

FA Vase 1^st Qualifying Round - 10 September 2016

At this, the earliest stage of the FA Vase competition, the opportunity is taken to see a couple of ‘step 6’ clubs (both Northern League Division 2) in action and to make a first visit to Ironworks Road. And if visiting Tow Law it is as well to come early in the season on a day like this, warm and so still the windmills alongside the A68 are, for once, immobile.

The home of “The Lawyers” is perched high in the North Pennines so we have good views from the touchline terrace over the opposite stand (the seats forming black and white stripes reflecting the team colours) to the hills beyond. It is neat and tidy, and quiet before kick-off; hard to imagine it holding the five thousand plus that watched them beat Mansfield Town in a 1967-68 FA Cup tie. More recently, but still a while since, the Lawyers have had success in the Vase too, runners up in 1998.

Those days are long gone and as the home programme editor states quite bluntly Tow Law haven’t won a vase tie in donkey’s years. As for the visitors, they have made a good start in division two after last season’s relegation.

The game starts lively enough and Norton get in a couple of threatening crosses. For Tow Law, Chris Mordue provides Dean Thexton with a tap-in, but it is disallowed for offside. The two combine again, this time it is Mordue with the chance but he chips it into the keeper’s hands.

On twenty minutes Norton swing a free kick into the Lawyer’s penalty area. The defenders hold a line, but it seems the wrong one as no offside is flagged; and as keeper Jack Patton advances only late from his line, it is Marcus Laing for Norton who gets to the ball first. He lifts the ball over Patton and a defender’s despairing attempt to rescue the situation from under the bar just helps it home.

Minutes later Norton attack down the right and are able to work the ball across the box until, rugby-like, the create an overlap in James Wilson who is able, unchallenged, to fire past Patton for the second goal.

Tow Law are shell shocked and Norton’s dominance next finds space down the left. Laing curls an in-swinging centre and number 9 Nicky Martin, despite his relative lack of inches, rises to glance a header into the bottom corner of the net. The three goals have come in a twenty minute spell and it looks like game over already.

It takes Tow Law about ten minutes to regroup, but they show some fight with a fine shot from Lee Blades, well saved by Carl Robinson at the cost of a corner. This is followed by a couple of dangerous looking crosses from right and left, but there is no further change to the scoreline by half time.

Tow Law continue positively after the break, with substitute Kelvin Thear busy up front using pace and trickery to turn the Norton defence. Nothing comes of his efforts; but then left back Adam Quigley crosses deep to the far post where Mordue leaps to head back across goal and into the net.

There is still half an hour to go so the home fans have hope. But as Tow Law press, so Norton get space to play in at the other end. A clever turn in the box by Phil Caley and a mazy run from substitute Dan Wheeler both could have ended better.

Meanwhile Tow Law’s Thear continues to pester the Norton defence, causing a collision between the keeper and defender who are grateful to see the ball go dead before Thear can reach it. However Norton’s two goal cushion remains intact, enabling them to see out the game comfortably.

The difference between the teams has been Norton’s precision and composure during that twenty minute, three goal, spell. Tow Law huffed and puffed but never really found that telling pass into the penalty area. And they still haven’t won a Vase tie in donkey’s years.