Steeton crushed by Nelson as survival the only consolation

In a performance that summed up the Chevrons’ North West Counties Football League First Division North campaign, the visitors struggled to create any real opportunities in attack, while being punished at the back.

Manager Roy Mason will be glad to have brought the curtain down on a disappointing year for the club, one which saw them only narrowly avoid relegation, and he is now looking ahead to what will be a summer rebuild both on and off the pitch for Steeton.

In driving rain and strong winds, the home side, who knew only a win would suffice in their battle against the drop, got off to a slow start and it appeared the visitors had broken the deadlock.

Ben McCready broke down the right wing and shifted the ball wide to Toby Jeffrey.

The winger then delivered a superb ball into the path of Josh McKiernon to tap home from a yard out.

The lineswoman on the far side though was correct in the decision to raise her flag and rule the Steeton forward offside.

This early disallowed goal for Josh McKiernon changed the narrative of the whole game on Saturday. (Image: Ian Meachin.)

This was as close the visitors got to the Nelson goal as the remainder of the contest went the way of the home side.

A string of great saves from James Catlow prevented the deadlock from being broken before the hosts finally found a way through to score.

In a near-carbon copy of the disallowed Steeton effort, Jack McKinlay broke down the right wing and whipped the ball inside the area.

Charlie Frost was on hand to get the right side of his man and head the ball home.

In the build-up to the goal, Emerson Mitchell was booked for a late challenge on former team-mate Josh Walne, and it was a decision that cost the midfielder later in the contest.

While the Grand National set off running at Aintree as the second half began, Nelson were the only side to clear the first hurdle following the restart.

From a drop ball restart early in the piece, the hosts worked the ball into the area from which Jack Doherty managed to lose his man and slot home unchallenged to double his side's advantage.

As the weather worsened, it became a case of when it rains it really pours for Steeton.

Already on a yellow card, another late challenge on halfway saw the referee left with no choice but to brandish a second yellow the way of Mitchell and send him for an early shower.

Now with a two goal and man advantage, the hosts went into cruise control to see themselves over the line in style.

Just three minutes after Mitchell’s dismissal, a third Nelson goal came.

Once again, some good football worked the ball into the Steeton area and once more it was Doherty who lost his man and finished past Catlow.

Bringing the entirety of the bench on looking for some sort of impact, things fell even flatter for Mason and his charges.

At the other end, the home side continued their pursuit of more goals, only to find themselves frustrated once more as Catlow again pulled off a string of superb stops to prevent further humiliation for those in green and white.

And then with two minutes remaining, Oliver Hodgson beat the offside trap to slide the ball in at the near post to put the icing on the cake and make it four for Nelson.