Barnoldswick Town 1 Abbey Hey 2

FIELDING a new goalkeeper is becoming something of a habit for Barnoldswick Town.

Scott Reid was their sixth in their last nine Premier Division matches as the new year opened with another home defeat.

Manager Stewart Airdrie decided to make a rare start and the early signs were encouraging for the relegation battlers.

Mark Threlfall beat three defenders before hitting the Abbey Hey crossbar with a shot that bounced down too awkwardly for Airdrie to apply a finishing touch.

Town also went close to scoring after winning a free kick just outside the visitors’ penalty area.

Paul Walker took it and when Threlfall’s header was only half cleared, Kieron Lee picked the ball up and drove in a shot which keeper Johnathan McIlwaine dived low to smother.

At the other end, Jonathon Hardy tried his luck from the edge of the Town penalty area but it was straight at Reid who made the save look easy.

Town immediately went down the other end with Airdrie flicking the ball on to Threlfall whose shot was inches the wrong side of the post.

Abbey Hey had a great chance after 18 minutes but Nico Collins screwed the ball just past Reid’s left-hand post.

Harry Thompson almost opened the scoring a minute later. His shot was half stopped by McIlwaine who took sufficient pace off the ball for a defender to clear before it could cross the line.

On the half hour mark Airdrie was nearly put in on the visitor’s goal before play swung immediately to the other end where Collins forced Reid into another good save.

But it was Town who took the lead after 42 minutes, Threlfall heading a long pass into the path of Airdrie.

The Town boss took the ball on before slipping it past the groping left hand of McIlwaine into the net.

Just when it looked like Town would finish the half in front, poor defending once again allowed the visitors a way back into the match. Collins was left to tap the ball into an empty goal with Reid stranded.

The second half was nip and tuck with both teams on the attack. Threlfall had a shot saved, then Collins fired just wide of Reid’s goal.

Town were beginning to up their game and five minutes later, Threlfall shot just wide while a Thompson cross went right across the six-yard box with Threlfall and Matthew Cavanagh unable to connect.

Substitute Joel Melia, who replaced Airdrie, used his pace to break clear of the visitors defence after 75 minutes, and was nudged as he went past McIlwaine.

Although he managed to stay on hbis feet, the contact put him off his stride and the chance was lost.

If he had gone down it would probably have been a penalty.

Town also felt they should have had a spot kick when a cross from Threlfall appeared to be cleared by a defender’s but the referee waved play on.

Minutes later disater struck. A poor clearance from Town’s keeper Reid went straight to Collins.

The Abbey Hey forward’s shot from about 10 yards was parried by the diving Reid with the ball rolling towards the far post.

Collins was alert and got to the rebound first to inflict another defeat on Town.