Tom hits four as Meltham go top

Jan 15 2008 by Linzi Nicholson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

MELTHAM ATHLETIC stormed to the top of the West Riding County Amateur League after a superb 5-1 win against Bradford-based Campion.

With former champions Bay Athletic managing only a 1-1 draw away at Overthorpe, Meltham took full advantage.

It is a magnificent achievement for the club, who are enjoying their first taste of Premier Division football since being promoted as champions of Division I last season.

And the result was important because a win for Campion would have seen them draw level with the Huddersfield side.

It took Tom Mathews just four minutes to break the deadlock, after the ball was played by George Dawson to Adam Mathews. He played a clever ball to his brother Tom, who beat his man and slipped the ball under the keeper.

Three minutes later it was 2-0 when a great ball from Paul Hutson to Adam Mathews was knocked on to Tom, who again tricked his marker and shot past the advancing keeper.

But Campion began to show resolve and an interesting midfield battle between Hutson and former Newcastle United player Des Hamilton developed.

However, it was a touch of class from Adam Mathews which led to the next goal. He planted a fine pass to Tom, who again beat the keeper (at his near post) to claim a hat trick.

But Tom was not finished yet and when Ben Traynor picked him out, he provided the clinical finish to make it 4-0 at half time.

Campion pulled a goal back after the break when Sam Wardill brought down a Campion forward on 55 minutes and Hamilton made no mistake.

Six minutes later a Meltham attack saw Nathan Addy brought down just outside the area by the Campion keeper when one-on-one on goal.

The Meltham supporters expected a red card but the keeper escaped with a yellow, while the resulting free kick clipped the wall and went out for a corner.

Meltham wrapped it up with a fifth goal on 76 minutes when Addy headed home from two yards.

And, in an interesting afternoon for Wardill, he gave away another penalty. Hamilton again stepped up and shot hard and low to Meltham keeper Adam Lawlor’s right, but he pulled off a tremendous save.

The fact Lawlor was awarded Meltham’s man-of-the-match, despite Mathews’ four-goal haul, suggested the match was not as easy as the scoreline may imply, but his handling in difficult conditions was superb.

Also in the top flight Golcar United’s recent resurgence continued when they beat lowly Keighley Shamrocks 2-0 at the Marley Stadium.

Goals by Richard Walsh and Wayne Dyson earned Craig Waterworth’s side a seventh league win as they moved up to eighth in the 16-team section.