Cassidy is spot-on to earn new boys first points of the season

Phil Cassidy bagged the winner from the penalty spot
Phil Cassidy bagged the winner from the penalty spotPhil Cassidy bagged the winner from the penalty spot
Phil Cassidy bagged the winner from the penalty spot

Phil Cassidy’s first half penalty secured newly-promoted Town’s first points in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Rothwell Corinthians at Communications Park where all the goals came in the opening half.

With several players absent, Town made four changes to side that lost to Desborough Town in midweek. Molovan keeper Iustin Cerga came in for Matt Finlay, Ben Browne was signed during the week while Tom McGown’s name appeared on a team sheet for the first time in almost a year as he returned from serious injury.

Town could not have started any better when they broke the deadlock in the second minute. A long ball from Ross Harris found Alex Webb out on the left and is excellent cross was superbly volleyed home by Robbie Parsons on his debut.

Kieran Fitzgerald went close when he went through the middle of the Rothwell defence but keeper Martyn Thorpe did well to block his shot.

Jordan Henson should have equalised when clean through but mis-kicked and the ball ran gently through to Cerga. However, moments later Rothwell equalised when Joe Wright pulled the ball back to Lewis O’Dell who smashed the ball into the roof of the net giving Cerga no chance.

Town should have gone in front straight from the restart when Fitzgerald rounded the keeper on the edge of the box but his ball back in was intercepted by a defender and cleared to safety.

Ben Browne had a good chance to restore Town’s advantage when put through on the left but again Thorpe did well and got down to smother his shot.

Town went back in front when Rothwell failed to clear and Parsons was brought down. Cassidy took the ensuing spot-kick and placed it perfectly to the left of Thorpe and into the corner of the net.

The match had been very open in the first half and the same pattern continued throughout the second half.

Dan Bendon’s back pass was short but Cerga dived in to snatch the ball off the attacker’s feet and at the other end Craig Robinson just failed to reach Fitzgerald’s cross.

Rothwell had the lion’s share of the possession in the closing stages as they pushed for an equaliser. A superb tackle from Harris denied a certain equaliser as Town held on to secure their first points of the season.

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