REMEMBER WHEN

March 30th 1985

ROSSENDALE UNITED 1 GREAT HARWOOD TOWN 2

Super Harwood turn tables on United
A tremendous second-half comeback saw Great Harwood Town bring their disastrous run of five successive defeats in all competitions to an end, by completing the double over derby rivals Rossendale United at Dark Lane on Saturday.
The very first goals of the season for Harwood striker Roger Walker and central defender Alan Procter – only very rarely finding his way onto the scoresheet – clinched victory over a side Harwood beat 3-2 when the sides met at the Showground in December.
Rossendale, who included in their side former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Stuart Metcalfe, took the lead after just six minutes when former Stanley striker Paul Beck crowned a great move he started himself in the centre circle and which also involved Mick Mineiro and Mick Gardiner, by rounding Harwood’s former Rossendale keeper Harry Stephenson and slotting the ball home from an acute angle on the right.
Twice in the next 12 minutes, Rossendale went close to adding a second, firstly in the 12th minute when Gary Haworth found himself in the clear but put the ball over the Harwood crossbar from just inside the 18 yard box, and five minutes later, Beck created space for himself well but Stephenson did equally well to block his effort on goal and the danger was cleared.
But as the first half went on, Rossendale, dominant from the outset, became progressively less effective and Harwood came more into the reckoning.
In the 21st minute, Phil Greenhalgh made space for himself well on the edge of the 18 yard box but his attempt on goal went narrowly wide of the target.
In the 41st minute, Harwood skipper Brian Moran did well to win the ball on the right but his cross into the 18 yard box was a poor one.
A minute later however, Town had their best chance of the first half when Greenhalgh beat Rossendale keeper Alan Slater – a late replacement for the injured Steve Hobson – after a back pass but his effort was fairly weak and cleared off the line without much trouble.
Harwood’s lively finish to the first half gave promise of even better things to come in the second half but they had to reshuffle their side after the interval when Kevin Dobson had to go off because of injury. Moran filled in for him at left back and substitute Dave Eastwood took over from Moran in midfield.
Nine minutes into the second half, Beck headed wide for Rossendale but a minute later Harwood were level when a great pass from Brian Foy eluded the Rossendale defence 20 yards out, the ball came to Walker, who slammed it past Slater from the edge of the box.
It was the least Harwood deserved for their efforts in the last 30 minutes of the first half and the opening section of the second and five minutes after the equaliser from Walker – standing in very capably for the injured Mick Marren – Rick Grogan’s side took the lead and the goal that turned out to be the winner came from one of the most unlikely sources, Alan Procter, a vastly experienced central defender whose goals are very few and far between, and even more rare with his feet.
But as Eastwood put over a great cross from the left, Procter showed a striker’s finishing power as he side stepped a Rossendale defender and skillfully slotted the ball past Slater.
Nine minutes alter, Rossendale brought on substitute Gary Dunford in place of Mineiro and Dunford injected renewed vigour into the side.
Ten minutes from time, he had the best chance of grabbing an equaliser for the home side when, put clear by a great ball from United player-manager Dave O’Neill, he saw his attempt on goal chested off the line by Ian Nugent, himself a former Rossendale player.
In the end, Town were good value for their victory and will certainly be relieved to have finally got back on the winning trail after their four successive defeats against top sides in the North West Counties second Division, which finally put paid to their own hopes of promotion.
Those four league defeats were followed by the home setback against Horwich RMI on Wednesday, but hopefully Harwood will now be able to build on their fine performance and result on Saturday over their hectic spell of matches coming up around the Easter period.
Harwood’s Moran and Rossendale’s Haworth were booked for fighting in the 59th minute.
GREAT HARWOOD TOWN:
Stephenson, Vercoe, Dobson (sub Eastwood 45 mins), Martin, Procter, Bowman, Nugent, Moran, Walker, Greenhalgh, Foy.