Depleted Ollerton Secure Massive Victory!

Report by Will Lavelle

Much of the pre-match talk before Saturday’s game had been about Harworth completing their ‘Great Escape’ yet in the end, it was Ollerton who defied the odds as Dave Winter's depleted side recorded a crucial 1-0 victory to move five points clear of the drop.
In what was one of their biggest games over recent years, Ollerton arrived with several key players missing, and had to field central defender Luke Pickering in goal. Despite all this, Brandon Shaw's first half goal proved to be the difference.
Almost three years ago to the day, Ollerton travelled to Scrooby Road for a massive game in the Central Midlands which ultimately sent The Town on their way to promotion.
The 2-1 win over Harworth in 2016 was a special moment for different reasons but this win to all but secure safety from the division was just as important.
The game started in a cagy manner with both teams knowing that a loss would be damning. Neither team overcommitted early on, but it was Gav King who had the first big chance of the game. Harworth ‘keeper Jake Wildsmith misread the flight of a long ball over the top leaving Ollerton’s main marksman through on goal, but King’s subsequent effort was cleared off the line.
Neither team had been able to take a stranglehold on the game in the opening exchanges, but it was Ollerton who drew first blood through Brandon Shaw in the 25th minute. Jake Tittley launched a throw in into the Harworth box and Shaw duly converted to send Ollerton ahead in the relegation six pointer.
It was after this point at which the Harworth pressure began to ramp up and their breakthrough began to look inevitable.
Harworth had a penalty claim turned down after Jed Wilkinson went down under challenge from centre half turned goalkeeper Luke Pickering, but the officials waved away appeals. Matt Booth then threatened again for Harworth on the brink of half time, but Pickering produced a brilliant save with his legs to preserve Ollerton’s lead.
The Harworth pressure was constant throughout the second half but Ollerton held strong as a defensive unit, limiting Harworth to few clear-cut chances.
Harworth still pushed throughout the half with Tom Mullen and Matt Booth coming the closest through a diving header and curling far post effort respectively, but Ollerton looked set to hold on.
With a few minutes left, the job had nearly been done and the effort that had been put in throughout the second half from the whole Ollerton team had been second to none.
Ollerton were then almost exposed to one of the most excruciatingly painful moments in what had been a season of painful moments as Harworth rattled the bar with just seconds remaining in the match, but the result was a goal kick.
Harworth had huffed and puffed in the second half but failed to break Ollerton’s defensive resolve and with the eventual arrival of the full-time whistle, a large weight had suddenly been lifted from Ollerton shoulders.
With a run of one point from the last seven games for Ollerton, relegation had become a real possibility, but Ollerton will now be hoping they’ve done enough though as they moved above local rivals Shirebrook Town into 17th place.