Witton at wit's end over play-off failure

The lights were switched off in a subdued clubhouse at Wincham Park at midnight last night when the last shell-shocked Witton Albion official made his way home.

The numbness and disbelief were understandable. Two years in a row Witton had held the UniBond League title in their hands on the final day of the season; twice they had let the opportunity slip. Twice the Cheshire club then had the chance to make the Conference North through the play-offs; they have now twice blown that route, too.

Last night’s defeat in the play-offs semi-final by Buxton was a long, slow agony as Witton went down 6-5 in a penalty shoot-out after the match had finished at 1-1 and extra time failed to produce any further goals.

Buxton now travel to Gateshead on Saturday with the prize of a remarkable third successive promotion at stake. The venue for the match was confirmed only this morning because the International Stadium had already been booked for a wheelchair athletics event. The organisers have agreed to bring forward the schedule and clear up in time for the footballers to take over.

Peter Riley, the Witton match secretary, said: “The saving grace of the evening was that Buxton went out of their way to say how they felt for us after their victory. It proves that something special remains at this level of football.”

Witton enjoyed three heady seasons in the Conference before relegation in 1994 presaged a fall into the second tier of the Northern Premier League. “We were lucky that we gained seven or eight very good players who joined us when Colne Dynamoes collapsed [in 1990] and we had money in the bank from the sale of our old ground,” Riley said. “But when we fell, we did so very steeply and nearly went into administration.”

The club has been hauled up again under the chairmanship of Mike Worthington with the backing of a loyal band of supporters. “There are supporters who put in money each week to help to pay the players’ wages,” Riley said. “It’s amazing, but it’s that kind of club.”

Their playing revival followed the appointment of Jim Vince, the former reserve team manager, as first-team manager. “If we had scored one more goal or conceded one fewer we would have taken the title last season,” Riley said. The crown went instead to Burscough and Witton’s misery was increased by losing to AFC Telford United in the play-offs final.

For much of this season setting that disappointment right had looked like plain sailing and Witton led the table for seven months. The first wobble came when they were beaten 3-0 at home on Easter Monday by Fleetwood Town, their closest rivals. That cut a 14-point lead to 11, with Fleetwood having three matches in hand.

But when it came to the final day of the season, Witton still had only to secure victory at home to Worksop Town, but they crashed 3-0 and Fleetwood lifted the title with a 1-1 draw at home to Frickley Athletic.

Last night Witton trailed to a goal in first-half stoppage time when Neil Ross followed up after Jon Kennedy had parried a free kick by Scott Maxfield. They did not equalise until the third of five minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half, Andy Warlow pouncing when Buxton failed to clear a corner.

Witton failed to maintain their rediscovered momentum in stoppage time and fell behind in the shoot-out when Kevin Rapley’s kick was saved by Scott Hartley. Terry Bowker, the Buxton central defender, missed the chance to finish off Witton but a second save by Hartley, off Ian Kearney, gave Gregg Anderson, the other central defender, the chance to secure the victory.

So a season that for long looked as though it would result in the Northwich clubs being reunited in the Blue Square North ended with the two-division gap remaining in place after Northwich Victoria escaped relegation from Blue Square Premier with their late-season rally.

Buxton, meanwhile, travel to Gateshead conscious that they will be underdogs. Tony Tomlinson, the chairman, said: “We played them at home a couple of weeks ago and went down 4-0. Last Saturday we went up there with a weakened side — several players were out through injury — and got stuffed 5-0. They must be deemed to be favourites — slightly.”

Tomlinson is nevertheless delighted that Buxton have set behind them the travails of the 1990s, caused in large part by the National Lottery undermining the club’s own previously successful lottery. Much of the credit for galvanising their financial fortunes and setting in train the necessary improvements to Silverlands must, he says, go to Chris Brindley, the financial director.

Nicky Law was the manager who took them to successive league and cup doubles in the Northern Counties East League and UniBond first division before departing to Alfreton Town, the Blue Square North club. John Reed, the former Harrogate Town and Stalybridge Celtic manager, has maintained the momentum.

“Support has been the best it’s been for 30 years,” Tomlinson said. “It dropped to a hardcore of about 150 in the troubled times of the late 1990s. Now it’s up to 500 - more on the big occasions.”

WALTER GAMMIE