GFA Challenge Trophy

Tytheringron Rocks 1 Stonehouse Town 3

STONEHOUSE Town were the visitors to the Hardwicke Field for the second round of the GFA Challenge Trophy on Tuesday evening under floodlights.

The County League side, undaunted to be facing Hellenic League opponents, started by attacking confidently, whilst Tytherington missed the best of their opening chances, when a free kick just outside the Stonehouse penalty area sailed high over the bar.

On 13 min Stonehouse took advantage of an innocuous challenge by a Rocks defender inside the penalty area,and Adam Ireland slotted home the spot kick to the left of the Tytherington keeper.

The visitors continued to enjoy the majority of possession due, not only to their style of play, but also partly due to some wayward distribution by the home team.

Shortly before half-time Stonehouse increased their lead when Barney Jones drove home their second goal.

The second half saw Tytherington take the initiative with several goal opportunities, including a couple of point blank saves by ex Rocks keeper Adam Clark.

However it was this keeper who, on 52 mins allowed his former team a glimpse of a fightback, when he allowed a shot from Connor Burns to squirm through his hands to close the gap to 2-1.

Tytherington began to create more opportunities in front of the Stonehouse goal but shots on goal were more speculative than determined, and the home team paid the price for their failure to score again, when Adam Ireland took advantage of slack defensive work to claim his second goal of the game.

A free-kick for Rocks, following a high tackle just outside the Stonehouse penalty area, was scrambled away, and another couple of goal opportunities were missed, leaving the home side reflecting on what might have been, had all their chances been taken.

Despite another narrow defeat, this time by 3-1, Rocks maintain the determination to convert endeavour into positive results.

Tytherington's next home game is on Saturday, when League leaders Ardley United are the visitors, kick off 3pm