Panthers made it four wins from five games with an impressive away performance against Norton Canes Boys on a pitch with grass which would not have looked out of place in the Grand National!!!!
Regardless of the tough conditions Panthers could have had the game wrapped up in the first ten minutes had Sam Steptoe & Ben Malpass been more clinical. It was however Ben Malpass who opened the scoring on thirteen minutes when he managed to steer a bundled right flank cross into the keeper’s bottom left hand corner. (0-1).
Panthers were now in the ascendancy and were creating chances at will. On eighteen minutes goalkeeper George Bailey launched a long ball up field which Thomas Williamson latched onto and smashed past the Norton Keeper. (0-2).
Panthers wrapped up the game just five minutes before the break with man of the match Lewis Page slotting home from just inside the box to make it three nil. Just two minutes later a neat break by Thomas Williamson down the left saw him drill the ball across the face of the goal where Ben Malpass was waiting to tap in his second of the game and his tenth of the season. (0-4).
The second half was always going to be more difficult with Panthers playing into a strong head wind. Nevertheless, Panthers could have extended their lead with Jamie Wilson, Jack Miller-Flynn, Kaine Garratt and Elliot Kelsey all going close. It was Thomas Williamson who put the final nail in the coffin for Norton when he beat two defenders and drilled the ball past the helpless keeper to score his second of the game and his twelfth for the season.
The last ten minutes of the game were a disappointment for Panthers as a much improved Elliot Kelsey was carried off with a calf injury. Following the passage of play which saw Kelsey get injured the referee awarded a free kick for an innocuous challenge, which Norton converted well with a far post header.
Overall Panthers were much the better team and could have hit double figures. The pressure is still firmly on Chasetown Colts as Panthers sit just three points behind in second place.
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