Ronnie Morgan scores first goal for Witton Albion at Kidsgrove Athletic (From Northwich Guardian)

Ronnie Morgan scores first goal for Witton Albion at Kidsgrove Athletic

11:27pm Tuesday 26th January 2010 in

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RONNIE Morgan’s first goal for Witton Albion may prove to be one of the most important after his winner kickstarted their push for the play-offs.

Points, not performances, matter most right now.

The former Cammell Laird marksman, making his first start for his new club, pounced to convert Carl Lamb’s cross from close range nine minutes into the second half.

It proved enough to beat their hosts, now in freefall after three successive defeats since the turn of the year without mustering a single goal.

They rarely threatened to alter that statistic against Albion.

The visitors, last victors against anybody at the end of November, even afforded themselves the dubious luxury of fluffing a penalty as they returned to winning ways.

Gary Finley’s men close to within three points of the top five and, with matches against two of the division’s bottom five teams up next, will hope to be back among the front runners by this time next week.

The Witton boss made four changes to the team that failed in its seventh attempt to return to winning ways at home to Chasetown on Saturday, starting with three strikers.

That trio – Morgan, Steve Foster and Carl Lamb – inevitably struggled at the outset to co-ordinate their positions, a cause not helped when creator-in-chief Brad Maylett limped off after a heavy collision with Danny Smith on the quarter hour.

That was almost the only incident of note in a forgettable first half as, two typically brilliant Brian Pritchard interventions aside, Witton’s restructured backline – Dylan Adams and Lee Neville were dropped – was rarely ruffled.

Not that they offered anything at the other end apart from Foster’s wayward effort after Morgan had found him in a space to shoot.

The second half was a better contest, in which Witton threatened more often and with more purpose.

Morgan was twice denied by last-ditch blocks when the hosts failed to clear a corner, although he was in the right place to steer home Lamb’s back-post cross after Tom Schwarz failed to divert the danger.

At the other Dave Walker had a goal chalked off, correctly, for offside before Albion earned the chance to settle the outcome when Steve Brodie, on as Maylett’s replacement, was felled by Sam Hall in the box.

But Grove keeper Steve Intihar’s instinct enabled him to react impressively to parry Foster’s spot kick.

That miss encouraged Kidsgrove to muster rally of sorts, although Aaron Grundy was called upon only once to scoop Hall’s header out of the bottom corner following deep Time Sanders’ free kick.

Adam Beasley wasted the hosts’ best chance though, somehow steering a header too high from under the bar after Matt Haddrell had spotted his well-timed run.

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Kidsgrove Intihar (GK), Smith, Dan Schwarz (Shotton 79), Tom Schwarz, Dove (Shenton 31), Sanders, Beasley, Hall, Edwards (Moss 68), Haddrell, Walker
Subs not used Matranga, Morris

Witton Grundy (GK), McAllister, Pritchard, Broadhead, Tandy, Heler, Henry, Maylett (Brodie 16), Foster, Lamb, Morgan (Moseley 75)
Sub not used Cadwallader
Goal Morgan 54

Referee Iain Siddall (Lancashire)
Attendance 173