Ollerton Narrowly Beaten In Second Pre-Season Game

Ollerton were beaten by two goals to one in their second pre-season game on Tuesday night. In the first of two friendlies this week, Ollerton faced fellow Northern Counties East League side, Clipstone FC, who ply their trade a division higher than Dave Winter's Division One debutants.
Ollerton were without half a dozen first team players but still managed to field a team that pushed their opponents all the way and Ollerton held their own for the majority of the game.

It was Clipstone who applied the early pressure but after failing to find the net, Ollerton took the lead on seven minutes. A loose ball played around the Clipstone defence was pounced on by Chris Hewitt, and he rounded a defender before firing in at the near post.
One of Ollerton's new signings this summer has been 'keeper Gavin Saxby and he put in a impressive performance during the first half, making several terrific saves to keep Clipstone at bay.
Ollerton were also pushing for second and Chris Hewitt fired wide of the target on two occasions before Sam Stretton could only flick Lewis Bingham's corner agonisingly wide of the upright.

The half time break saw a host of changes made by both teams and when the action got back underway Ollerton could, and maybe should have, doubled their lead. Clipstone's goalkeeper played a poor pass out and Lewis Bingham was fastest to react, but his lob was just wide of the target, much to the relief of the Clipstone stopper.
This missed chance came back to cost Ollerton as Clipstone equalised shortly afterwards, a low shot from just inside the area getting the better of Simon Smith.
The visitors applied some strong pressure following their equaliser but the closest they came was when a whipped ball across the box was deflected onto the bar.
Ollerton managed to settle back down and they too came close to taking the lead. Good link-up play by Josh Brentnall and Danny Wiltshire led to the latter firing over from just inside the area.
Then came an important few minutes in deciding the course of the game. Lewis Bingham was hacked down in the area and the referee had no choice but to point to the spot. Wiltshire stepped up but his low effort to the keeper's right was parried away well by the Clipstone 'keeper.
Moments later, and Clipstone scored what turned out to be the decisive goal. After keeping the ball well, the play was worked out right where a low shot beat Smith with help from the inside of the post.

Overall, the game was another good test for Ollerton who will have taken a lot from the game. There were many positives to take from the performance but it has also highlighted some of the areas they need to work on as they continue to prepare for the start of their new chapter in the Northern Counties East League, with Belper United on Friday next up.

OTFC Team: Saxby(Smith), Cooke, Evans(Mitchell), Stretton(Dodd), McAllister, Schofield, Hewitt(Brentnall), Dockwray(Doolan),Wiltshire, Bingham, Dodd(Atkinson)