Windscale’s first home game in the Wearside League since early December produced their most disappointing performance of the season.
Against a far from classy Silksworth Colliery Welfare, the Atoms failed to raise their game to a sufficient level to earn the three points that were on offer and lost 1-0.
The conditions were not conducive to good football for either team, with a strong wind and a wet surface. However, neither team was capable of producing anything of note in the first 30 minutes, with plenty of effort but very little in the way of chances created.
It was Windscale that had the first real opportunity when Ross Leeson headed wide from a corner.
In the 37th minute, Silksworth got their first effort on target which was easily dealt with by Ian Studholme, the Windscale custodian. The half then petered out to leave a 0-0 stalemate at the interval.
With the weather deteriorating further at the start of the second period, Silksworth, with the wind at their backs, began to take a bigger percentage of possession. The home side regularly gave the ball away in some poor passages of play.
In the 52nd minute, Atoms’ central defender Steven Walker prevented a Silksworth goal, bravely heading away a free kick then having to leave the field for treatment after suffering an injury.
It was the home side who had the best opportunity of the game after Walker returned to the contest.
Lewis Jolly shrugged off a tackle and delivered a cross to the far post, where Kieran Frazer’s diving header shaved the outside of the upright.
Following this, It was Frazer who unfortunately decided the outcome. In the 66th minute, he was back to help defend a free kick which was hoisted on the wind into the Windscale penalty box.
Frazer got his head to the ball but only managed to deflect it passed the stranded Studholme to give the visitors an undeserved lead.
Silksworth did have the ball in the net again with ten minutes of the game remaining, but the goal was rightly ruled out for offside.
The result was hard on Windscale who probably deserved a point from the game. They now have three consecutive away fixtures, with next week’s visit to West Auckland Three Tunns providing the first opportunity to regain some form.
