Amateur Football: Last-minute Daniel Walsh penalty gives Rastrick victory over Batley

RASTRICK Under 15s snatched victory over Batley to maintain their 100% start to the season thanks to a last-minute penalty.

Daniel Walsh was the player who held his nerve to settle the issue in a cracking Division IV encounter.

A confident Batley took the lead after just five minutes when Tom McFarlane broke through a static Rastrick defence to fire past the helpless keeper.

Rastrick finally began to get their game together thanks mainly to some good work by Josh Blayford and Matthew Henighan, whose accurate passing gave the strong-running Walsh the chance to send in a string of dangerous crosses to keep the Batley defence busy.

And it was Walsh who found the equaliser on the half hour mark when he spotted keeper Matty Reid off his line and launched a superb 35-yard lob from near the touchline into the top corner to make it 1-1.

James Page, Ryan Lane, George Meneghan and Ryan Simpson were now giving Rastrick a much more settled look and, by the time Henighan tapped in a Walsh cross at the far post to give his side the lead, Rastrick were comfortably in control.

But, not to be outdone, Batley went straight to the other end to score an almost identical goal when Kyle Kearsley’s cross found an unmarked Kieran Goodall who tapped the ball home at the far post to level it at 2-2.

Lewis Gabriel, Jordan Irvin, Robbie Halford and captain Ryan Dews were proving a difficult barrier for the Rastrick attack to get past as the second half unfolded but, with the game swinging from end to end, more goals seemed inevitable.

Batley’s Liam Pollard, Tyrell Simpson and Johnny Farnhill continued to cause problems for the home side, but their efforts went unrewarded as anything that got past the Rastrick defence was cleaned up by the excellent goalkeeping of Sam Wrench.

And Batley’s failure to take advantage of their chances was to cost them when Ryan Lane grabbed his second of the game.

The visitors were determined not to be outdone, however, and Joe Wimpenny finally got the better of Wrench to level the game yet again at 3-3.

Batley looked as though they would grab a well-earned point from the game but a clumsy challenge with just seconds remaining gave referee Matthew Tolley no alternative but to award a penalty.

Walsh successfully converted the spot kick to earn Rastrick victory which leaves them with three wins from their opening three games.