DAMOLA Sotana’s first goal for the club made it three games unbeaten for Witton Albion.
The ex-Northwich Victoria Nigerian-born 24-year-old, who was brought in from Trafford in mid-December, came on as a second-half replacement for Adam Watson and found the target 19 minutes later to secure for Albion a 1-0 home success against relegation-threatened Wythenshawe.
“First half was probably the worst half game of the season,” said Witton’s player-manager Ben Harrison.
“There was no flow to it, a lot of free-kicks, a lot of stop-start, and they slowed the game down. Wythenshawe battled hard, they’re a tough team, big and physical.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We just didn’t get going in the first half but we kept going and then we did create a lot of chances.
“We hit the post twice and Hoops (James Hooper) was brilliant all game and he put in a cross. Dami was there and reacted well for the goal.
James Hooper swings the cross in for Witton Albion's goal (Image: Karl Brooks Photography)
Damola Sotona pokes the ball home for Witton Albion's winning goal (Image: Karl Brooks Photography)
“The lads are made up with Mamadou Djabi because of the shift he put in battling against two big lads and winning free-kicks, holding the ball up.
“It's a great win. We kept believing and tried to make sure we didn’t concede. They hit the post as well, and another shot was well saved.
“And apart from the two shots they had, and especially after we went 1-0 up, we defended brilliantly.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Witton hold 11th place on the Northern Premier League West table.
1874 Northwich, meanwhile, were 4-2 victors at Whitchurch Alport in the Midland League Premier Division.
With the likes of Chris McCann, John McGrath, Lucas Weir, Joel Jones and Jacson Coppack absent, and Niall Osborne, Henry McNulty and Ben Guest returning to the starting XI, manager Chris Herbert said fans can now see the depth of the squad.
“It was a very good performance,” he said.
“The lads were up for the game. Whitchurch are a good side, which we knew, and I thought we were very dominant.
“We showed the strength of the squad as we were missing some good lads as well.
“If you do your hard work first you get the rewards at the end of it and these lads got it.”
Mark Jones (25mins) and Matty Fenton (36) put 74 ahead at the break.
ADVERTISEMENT
Shaun Weaver, on his second appearance since signing mid-February, scored his first goal for the club to make it 3-0 after 60 minutes.
Alport pulled one back from the penalty spot but McNulty restored the three-goal advantage in the 82nd minute to kill off any hopes of a late fightback.
Whitchurch’s second goal came in the second minute of added time.
They remain fourth on the ladder, with a 12-point safety buffer inside the play-offs zone.
In the same division, Northwich Victoria made it three wins on the spin with a 3-1 success over OJM Black Country at Barton Stadium.
The pitch was not fit to host Winsford United versus Shawbury United the night before, but such was the improvement overnight that an inspection the following morning deemed the pitch playable for Vics’ fixture.
They did not allow Leslie Omorodion’s second-minute opener for the visitors to be a setback.
ADVERTISEMENT
Corey Knight (38) levelled matters, Will Lloyd (53) nudged them in front and Sam Deering (80) hammered the nail into the coffin.
Northwich Victoria celebrate a goal (Image: g.mooresportsnaturephotography.com)
Vics continue to look set for a mid-table finish, now being 16 points clear of the relegation zone and 22 points adrift of the play-offs places as they sit in 13th spot.
Barnton drew 1-1 at home with Ashville FC in the North West Counties League First Division South.
Substitute George Edwards (76) handed the Villagers the lead but Ashville equalised in the 90th minute through Joel Kelly, robbing debutant home keeper Max Beddow of a clean sheet.
Beddow, named the man of the match, said: “It feels like a loss to be honest, with conceding so late. And it was a poor goal to concede.
“We grew into the game gradually and I think we were lucky to go in 0-0.
“We got the goal that we needed and I thought we were a little bit nervous in the last 10 minutes or so.
“I think that ended up costing us the three points.
“I’m very pleased to be named man of the match, coming into a new team and not knowing anyone. It was pretty much first day, first game.”
