Team: 1. Gaz McWatt; 2. Pete Jones; 3. Murray Hill; 4. Keith Martin; 5.

Danny Cheetham; 6. Ryan Hewitt; 7. Jake Jacobs; 8. Mark Jackson; 9. Matt Taylor; 10. Jeff Whittaker; 11. Wayne Broadbent; 12. Gareth Chew; 13. Chris Moore; 14. Mark Lees

Quote: "I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down....." (The Big Bad Wolf in "The 3 Little Pigs")

Report: Diggle were left livid with themselves after only managing a draw with newly promoted Cumberworth.  In truth, Diggle had no one to blame but themselves for failing to turn this into a reasonably comfortable win.

Playing at - in effect - a neutral venue (due to the unavailability of Diggle's usual home pitch), Diggle gave yet another debut to another new player - Murray Hill came in at left back; another player with former connections to our close rivals Uppermill, and a player with experience of football at a higher grade.

Diggle began the game at a fast pace and set their stall out early on to take all 3 points in this encounter.  Hill and Jacobs combined well on the Diggle left and the home side pushed Cumberworth back into their defensive third. Up front, Whittaker showed early promise and Taylor began to show the classy footwork of which we know he is capable.

Cumberworth were tough and uncompromising, but also extremely well drilled and organised at the back.  They looked like a side well managed and coached in terms of making life difficult for the opposition.

The first quarter of the game seemed to set the pattern for the rest of the game.  Diggle controlled possession, but a combination of solid defending, steady and unspectacular goalkeeping, and, in honesty, far too elaborate play from Diggle, meant that this was always going to be a tight game in terms of goals.

Against the run of play, Cumberworth grabbed the lead on the quarter hour mark. The goal was thoroughly deserved in terms of the effort that had been put in by the impressive Cumberworth centre back (number 4) in his efforts to lose his marker at a corner.  The 'Worth player dragged his unwilling Diggle marker all over the Diggle penalty box, before settling in an unmarked position on the edge of the box. The 'Worth player earned some luck as the ball bounced invitingly towards him on the edge of the box. The player needed no further help as he drilled a low shot under the Diggle keeper into the Diggle goal.

The Diggle crowd bemoaned the poor Diggle marking, but sometimes you have to credit players for losing their markers, rather than markers simply not trying.  Such movement in the box is something that Diggle need to learn from - more of that later.

Stunned by the goal, Diggle regained their composure and proceeded to camp out in the Cumberworth half.  However, despite numerous half chances, it had to be said that Cumberworth looked pretty comfortable most of the time. With pressure mounting, the Cumberworth defending got increasingly stretched and in the process they picked up 3 yellow cards.  They also lost the services of their impressive centre back (number 4) with an injury.

With seconds to go until half time, Diggle mounted one more attack and - finally - they got it right.  Mark Jackson delivered a corner from the right of the 'Worth goal, and Diggle centre back Danny Cheetham threw himself at the ball to power home a simply unstoppable header.  Again, the value of movement at set pieces was shown all too clearly.

Diggle began the 2nd half where they had left off and continued to press at the Cumberworth defence.  However, it was the away side who got the next goal to restore their single goal advantage.  This time is was truly dreadful defending to blame as a sea of 9 blue Diggle shirts failed to cope with the 3 Cumberworth yellow shirts in the Diggle box.  The away side somehow managed to elude all markers, won 3 unopposed challenges and finally poked the ball into the net from 8 yards out.  Cumberworth were joyful and Diggle looked foolish.

Diggle are made of the right stuff and they re-doubled their efforts to get back into the game.  Their equaliser came on 65 minutes and it was a carbon copy of their first goal: another wonderful corner from Jackson, powerfully despatched with another bullet header from Danny Cheetham.  Again, movement at the set piece was the key.

At 2-2 Diggle looked like they would move in for the kill.  Their cause was aided when 'Worth were reduced to 10 men just after Diggle's equaliser - and what a needless, senseless sending off it was.  The Cumberworth number 6, booked in the first half, and a real Rebel Without a Cause, went in late on the Diggle keeper and, for afters, got to his feet and had a kick at another Diggle player. The referee instantly sent the number 6 off, with very little protest from the visitors.

We noted earlier how well drilled Cumberworth were.  Their manager must have been furious with his player for such a needless sending off, particularly when his team-mates were battling hard to stay in the game.

Back to the action, and the last 20 minutes saw the game really open up.  It looked certain that Diggle would score but the same combination of good defending, good keeping and way too over elaborate attacking kept the scores level.

Both sides had shouts for penalties before the end of the game, which would have given the game a real twist.  All appeals were waved away by the referee.  FT 2-2.

Cumberworth battled hard for their point, and fair play to them.

Diggle felt that they had thrown 2 points away.  There were lots of plusses for Diggle - attitude, work rate, (some of) the passing and creation, organisation (2nd 'Worth goal apart), determination - all good and exactly what we need to progress.  However, whilst we had enough chances to win, their was a lack of consistent quality and inventiveness to break down a stubborn defence.  There was a worrying lack of movement in the final third; too much 'over playing' when in decent areas.  We need to be much more ruthless in front of goal and need much more pace and purpose when in the opposition final third.

Hill shone on his debut; whilst Hewitt led his defence well; Cheetham's goal were stunning; Martin and Broadbent were industrious; Taylor showed superb ball skills at times.  However, goals win games,  Possession counts for nothing.