THIS was a game where the ball spent most of the time in the stream running alongside the pitch - and in truth that was the best place for it!

For players and supporters took it in turn plunging into the icy waters to retrieve the match ball and that was about as exciting as it got.

Now I am not saying these were the two worse teams I have seen because the playing conditions made it impossible for even the most gifted of players to shine on a bogged down pitch.

And giving them the benefit of doubt, if they had played on a decent surface then I am sure they could have served up a real cracker.

But it was frustrating to watch and no doubt frustrating to play in.

However there were flashes of mediocrity and also a bit of excitement when two substitutions changed the course of the game.

First Burnley Wood's player/manager John Lister brought himself on, took a throw-in, fell over but picked himself in time to see Andy Carter poke the ball home for a well deserved equaliser.

Then Hapton's Darron Young lived up to his own billing as 'super sub' to play an instrumental part in Ryan Lord's last-gasp winner. But apart from that, and Danny Pickering's header which opened the scoring, that was about it.

Not many players could muster up the energy to pull their boots out of the mud but Pete Salmon was one of the few exceptions.

Whether it was a case of being able to cope with the conditions or playing at a level the suited him, the Burnley Wood defender was a hive of activity at the back. Obviously not having the ability to play the ball out from the back he did the simple thing and did it well.

However his lack of height was a crucial factor in Pickering's opening goal because the tall striker was head and shoulders above his marker to head home Gary Brown's cross.

Burnley had chances to grab an equaliser before they did and Damion Stuttard was the main culprit when it came to missed opportunities. First he fired wide when well placed then headed over from just five yards.

Knowing it wasn't to be his day in front of goal he passed on the responsibility to his team-mates but this time it was Chris Cooke who missed a golden chance. Then came the first of the telling substitutions and Stuttard played a big part in Burnley's equaliser when he received the ball off Lister's throw in and sent in a cross that the unmarked Carter could hardly fail to miss.

Burnley stepped up the pace without really looking like they were going to score and it was Hapton's young strike force of John Pool, Lord and Pickering who always looked the more likely to get the winner.

And when Young joined the fray the four proved to be quite dangerous.

The substitute showed his intentions when he exchanged passes with Pickering but fired wide.

But in their next attack - virtually the last of the game - the two combined again with Young releasing Poole down the left wing. For the first time in the game Poole sent in an inch perfect cross that Lord finished with a crisp volley.

It was a goal worthy of winning any game but one of the few shots that did not finish up in the stream!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.