So, the dream is over! As in any type of football, the plucky underdog gets beaten in the end. A physically stronger Bolton team outmuscled Dearne and in the end ran out worthy winners.
As with earlier rounds the first mission was to find the ground. My research had proved fruitful and thanks to the wonders of satnav I was guided right to the ground's entrance. Again, like Dearne's place it was a bit rough and ready, the pitch being sloped but the playing surface was fine. Dearne had hired a coach to get to the ground and they had a large number of friends and family watching the match. It was a great cup day out for them and they seemed determined to do well.
The match was very physical from the start with some strong tackles and it seemed to me that a number of the Dearne players were a bit intimidated by this, even though most of the tackling was within the rules. It did not surprise me, therefore, that Bolton took an early two-goal lead even though they did it from the only two chances that they had. The key, it became apparent later, was because they were kicking uphill. Dearne deservedly scored before halftime and it promised to be a competitive 2nd half.
That never materialised, though, as Bolton got a third goal and, although Dearne battled wel,l I never really got the feeling that they would get back in the match. So, I'm now a Bolton fan, following their fortunes on into the next round.
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