After a controversial mid-week defeat, Windscale got the show on the road again with a 3-1 Wearside League win at home to Silksworth CW.
After three minutes some silky passing in midfield allowed Ryan Fitzwilliam to play Travis Fyfe in behind, and although it came to nothing was an encouraging start.
When Reece Fretwell found Fyfe again, this time on the right wing, he whipped in a splendid cross, which Ben Mahaffy was just unable to get on the end of.
The Atoms had to use stand-in goalkeeper Lewis Selkirk after regular chopice Levi McAdam wasn’t ready to return after an injury on Tuesday night.
Selkirk was willing to pull-on the gloves again and distinguished himself with a remarkable double save from a Silksworth freekick.
Fitzwilliam suffered a cut leg in a reckless and dangerous challenge which could easily have produced a red card but the Windscale defender was just told to pull-up his sock!
Somewhat against the run of play it was Silksworth who took the lead on 40 minutes when a free kick from fully 35 yards found the net. Selkirk was unlucky in not being able to respond as he slipped on the greasy surface and could only watch the ball find the net.
With Silksworth leading at half time, Windscale manager Stephen Fawcett was not unduly concerned as the Atoms had played well and he was sure there were goals to come.
His optimism was quickly repaid five minutes after the restart when Fretwell floated in a free kick, and although the initial effort from Andrew Begbie was blocked, the loose ball was rifled home by Ben Mahaffy.
With their tails up Windscale continued their dominance for the rest of the second half.
Jack Wordsworth and Josh Wise replaced Travis Fyfe and Rob Davidson respectively, as the Atoms went to three up front, with Kegg now being the target man.
On 78 minutes the Atoms took the lead. Callum Bell, who had replaced the injured Fitzwilliams, swung in a corner, which was initially headed clear, until fired back in by Wordsworth.
From the resulting shot, Ray Sempill forced a stunning save by the Silksworth keeper to turn the ball away. But from there Fretwell picked out Begbie, who’s first time strike gave the keeper no chance as the ball settled in the far-left corner.
The Atoms kept going forward and on 87 minutes Kegg was brought down, around 30 yards from goal.
Fretwell was charged with the free kick and he whipped in a fine effort which rocketed towards the top left hand corner.
It was a peach of a free kick and it wrapped up all three points for the Atoms, although they still had a chance to score a fourth.
Man of the match Kegg found Leeson on the right edge, and his curling shot was parried by the keeper but from a tight angle Begbie found the side netting.
he cut by a man and shot, which was met with a great save by the keeper, leaving the ball to Begbie with a man on the line and a short angle, but it was toe-punted into the side netting.
The win saw the Atoms jump to ninth place in a tough Wearside League, with their next game on Saturday away to Annfield Plain.
Here’s Stephen Fawcett’s verdict on the match:
