Div 1 Playoff Final (H)
Won 1-0
(H/T 0-0)
Billed as the biggest game in the clubs 129 year history Moulton FC welcomed Eaton Socon in the Spartan South Midlands Division 1 play-off final knowing that a win would mean promotion to Step 5 of the National Non-League Pyramid. The Magpies showed two changes from Tuesday’s Semi-Final win over Irchester with Damian Osoimoejiokhian returning after Illness and Matty Long starting up front. The first real piece of action took place in front of the visitor’s bench with home skipper Andy Hall involved in some handbags with an Eaton player and earning an early yellow card in the process. The Eagles had a decent chance after 8 mins but Jonny Vallance in the home goal was down quickly to save and then smothered the follow up shot to keep his goal intact. Moulton had a great chance to take the lead after 14 minutes when Osiomoejiokhian advanced in to the visitor’s box after a great ball from Hall and was flattened by a defender, Nat Ansu stepped up to take the penalty but Shay Griffiths in the visitors goal dived to his right and kept the ball out. Griffiths was called into action soon after when Adam Dicks sent Ansu through on goal but again he was thwarted by the advancing keeper. After the early chances neither side managed to create anything worthwhile although Dan White did blast over from the edge of the box just before the break.
HALF TIME MOULTON 0 EATON SOCON 0
The Magpies took the initiative straight from the kick off and forced a couple of corners, from the first Dante Grey saw his effort deflected wide of the post but from the second Moulton took the lead. Lewis Isom swung the kick in low to the near post where MATTY LONG got in a telling header which flew through a flurry of legs and into the far corner of the net. Eaton replied and Jim Burnside had a decent chance but blazed over but the visitors were finding it difficult to create any clear opportunities, however they did force a free kick on the edge of the box but the effort hit the wall and was cleared. As the game wore on both sides made a flurry of changes and chances were few and far between but White did graze the bar with a header from another Isom corner but not long after the referee blew for time and brought down the curtain on the season and with it promotion to step 5 for the first time in the clubs history only 3 years after joining step 6, quite an achievement for little old Moulton. Today’s game was also a landmark for Manager Gary Petts as this was his 150th match in charge, a tenure that has seen us win 2 NFA Junior Cup’s , 1 Spartan League Division 1 Cup , and a Runner Up in the Gladwich Shield, as well as today’s icing on the cake , some record in 3 seasons.
FINAL SCORE MOULTON 1 EATON SOCON 0
TEAM Vallance, Dicks, Osoimoejiokhian, (Boateng 88), Grey, Melling, Neve,( Ashman 57), Long, Hall, Ansu (Burrows 71), White, Isom.
Subs unused N’Golo, Goodacre
PRESSBOX MAN OF THE MATCH Dante Grey

Editor - Steve Alibone