Neville and Carragher. McCoist and Tyldesley. Stretford Paddock and Haydock.
Football has a habit of regularly bringing together the most unlikely of pairings.
So once again Paddock travelled to Merseyside to meet with Haydock FC for the sixth time in just over two years. Haydock are comfortably Paddock’s most commonly faced opposition since joining the Cheshire League. If that wasn’t familiar enough, Paddock and Haydock finished just one solitary place apart in the final league standings of the last two seasons.
Unfortunately for Paddock, even if their respective league positions were historically close, the previous meetings between the two sides were far from close. Haydock had won four of the five games – with two of the wins by four goal margins. They also comprehensively dumped Paddock out of the league cup in the process. Anybody that follows Paddock is under no illusion that a game against Haydock is always a serious stylistic challenge.
But does that matter for anything in 2024? Paddock certainly went into the game in better form, sitting top of Division Two with three wins from four games. Whereas Haydock were down in 8th after picking up just two wins from their opening six games. Despite sitting mid-table at this very early stage of the season, Haydock had scored more goals than any other side in the league, but also had one of the leakiest defences. Haydock games so far were definitely a good watch for the neutral and their 3-3 midweek draw with Moore United showcased how they keep the scoresheet busy at both ends.
Paddock’s three match winning run was put in jeopardy before a ball was kicked when manager Stephen Howson had to make a string of enforced changes for the game as Ronaldo Brown, Joao De Andrade, Alex Black and Kayode Adewale were added to the injured and unavailable list alongside many long term absentees. They were replaced in the starting line up by Victor Iyumva, Mike Taylor and making their first starts for Paddock – Tayo Tek and Elliot Watson. Paddock would have to start the game without any of the forward three that started the opening game of the season and worryingly without a recognised forward on the pitch. Haydock had started the new season without their talisman from previous years – Jonny McDonough – who has kindly allowed someone else to win the golden boot this season.
The game kicked off and immediately it became clear to Paddock supporters that their side were intent on a fast start. Within three minutes, winger Vic Iyumva picked up the ball on the half way line and carried the ball at pace past two Haydock defenders who tried to force him wide. Despite the defenders in close proximity he managed to get a shot away from the edge of the box but his strike was well smothered by Haydock stopper Joe Draper. Haydock didn’t start slowly but they did seem to fail to get to grips with the speed of Paddock’s play in the opening stages. They were caught out a few moments later when Iyumva picked up the ball once more to the left of the penalty area and skipped between two defenders who had no choice but to bring down the Paddock wide man. The resulting free-kick was hit tamely over the crossbar but Haydock were clearly frustrated and one of the men in blue managed to talk himself into the referee’s notebook and for a short trip to the sin bin.
With the extra man on the field, it was Victor Iyumvva who again posed the biggest threat to Haydock’s goal. He was intelligently played into the box by Mike Taylor but again the Haydock keeper was equal to Vic’s effort on goal – his second in the opening ten minutes.
Haydock, to their credit, seemed to regain their composure after being reduced to ten men temporarily. Although Paddock had the vast majority of possession in the early stages, they actually created more chances with both sides at full strength as Haydock upped the energy and physicality in midfield and dropped their back line to deal with the wide threats of Paddock. Haydock returned to eleven men without conceding and were now in a position to wrestle some control over the game and they definitely grew into the game as the first half progressed.
With 33 minutes on the clock, Haydock had their first decent chance which forced a good block from Florin Selanceau. Haydock won the first and second ball from a goal kick, which gave their midfielder a chance to slide a through ball to the attack, but the Paddock keeper was out fast to smother. The first sight of goal galvanised Haydock who upped the energy once more and Paddock began to lose their grip on the game. Paddock remained committed to playing possession based football, but as a result they struggled to play out from the back under the relentless Haydock press, which forced errors and lost possession.
Having possession is only useful if it results in goals, and for all Paddock’s possession in the first half, they didn’t make it count. Haydock players were about to show Paddock exactly how it’s done on the stroke of half-time. A long diagonal pass from central defence hit over the midfield found the Haydock right forward who had drifted away from the Paddock defence and into a lot of space. He carried the ball with one touch to the byline before drilling it hard across goal with his second touch. The pace on the cross-shot was too much for Florin, and the ball squirmed in off the keeper at the near post to give Haydock the lead. A chance from absolutely nothing which will disappoint Paddock as much as it elated the Haydock supporters at the JMO. Haydock had come through a really difficult patch of the game unscathed, fought their way into the contest and now made their chance count when the moment came.
The referee signalled for half-time with Haydock in front and Paddock facing their first defeat of the season. Paddock made a change to prevent that happening, with Leo Dierickx-Nurse coming on to replace Joe Coleman. It didn’t have the desired impact on the scoreline, as Paddock didn’t come out of the blocks flying like they did in the first half.
Despite trailing and despite the huge majority of possession, the tempo and urgency didn’t seem to be there for Paddock. Haydock made life very difficult using their midfield energy and physical strength to prevent Paddock having an easy route out of their own defensive third. The press left Paddock attempting speculative passes which were mostly overhit and easy to defend. Supporters in attendance and online were growing increasingly concerned about the lack of chances.
Paddock’s only chance of note at the beginning of the second half also came from a speculative pass and again fell to Vic Iyumva. A long diagonal pass to the left by Mike Taylor was misjudged by the Haydock right back allowing Vic to collect the ball out wide. He skipped past two challenges with ease before his low shot was blocked by the right boot of the Haydock keeper who had made three excellent blocks already this afternoon with less than an hour played. It took 65 long minutes for his goal to be breached and it was absolutely no surprise who the chance fell to.
A goal kick from Florin was collected by Paddock substitute Leo, who collected back to goal on the half way line. He rolled a defender who was in close attention, skipped past an incoming challenge before sliding the ball through to Vic Iyumva who collected the pass and rolled it past the onrushing keeper. The shot trickled towards the goal – chased by Tayo Tek and two Haydock defenders – but none could reach it before it crossed the line. Vic Iyumva scored his first goal of the season but more importantly – Paddock had equalised.
It could be argued that this goal changed the final stages of the game and that Haydock’s performance suffered after conceding a goal. But the more likely cause is fatigue after such a high energy performance in the previous 65 minutes. Whatever the cause, Paddock certainly spent the rest of the game in the ascendency. Haydock dropped deep to defend their goal and prevent Paddock making their new momentum count. They left their hard working number 9 on the half way line to battle and fight with two Paddock defenders whenever Haydock cleared the ball – which he did well to his great credit. But inevitably the ball did come back to the Haydock half and it was now a question of if Paddock could make the chances, and finish them. Something which Haydock did so clinically in the opening half.
Paddock thought they would get a chance with fifteen minutes remaining when Leo was sent to the ground inside the Haydock penalty area. He took a heavy first touch, which gave the defender belief he could nick the second ball. Both players then arrived at the ball together, with Leo marginally in front, Leo hit the ground under the challenge from the defender. The Paddock players wanted a penalty. Haydock players dismissed it as a “coming together”. The referee agreed with the home side and the penalty appeal was waved away. Not a stonewall penalty by any means, but certainly one for the cliche “seen them given” category.
Paddock pressed on in the final ten minutes retaining possession as the tiring Haydock defence sat deep and cleared their lines as soon as they could. But could Paddock make it count and break down the stubborn Haydock defence? The final chance of the game fell to winger Tayo Tek, with just a few minutes remaining. Good work by Leo and Vic allowed the ball to find its way to Tayo inside the area who hit a left-footed snapshot at goal. The shot was firm, but straight at the Haydock keeper who elected to punch away Paddock’s final shot of the game to secure Haydock a hard earned point. The Merseysiders will feel they deserved it after working hard for ninety minutes and for surviving the opening stages with a man in the sin bin and clawing themselves back into the game.
Paddock will be disappointed with the end of their winning run but will be aware that Haydock are a side that will ask difficult questions of most sides in this division. Coming away from Skelmersdale with a draw after going a goal down with a depleted team is far from a disaster. As the Cheshire League ends its phase of midweek fixtures – and transitions to one game per week – time will tell if this is one point gained or two points dropped.
