ALBION Sports signed off 2015 early as their last game was a home league clash with fellow high-fliers Barton Town Old Boys on Saturday, December 19.

They are not even in action today because of the way the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division fixtures have fallen.

Albion boss Kulwinder Sandhu has been sitting on that ever since that remarkable game midway through last month, which his side lost 5-3, and it has not made for a good festive period.

Sandhu said: "Their (Barton Town's) manager said to me after the game that they had got out of jail – and he was right.

"Those three points were an early Christmas present for him and his club. They must have thought that Christmas had come early."

The game saw Albion start with a second-choice keeper and then saw the gloves change hands three times.

Sandhu had to make adjustments as the match unfolded and he oversaw the changes that led to three outfield players taking a turn between the sticks.

Because first-choice stopper Jack Bentley was serving a suspension, it was goalkeeping coach Mark Bower who was in the starting line-up.

On the stroke of half-time, Bower clattered one of the opposition players in the area and was sent off. Striker Omar Habib took over but failed to keep out the resulting penalty.

A substitution during the interval saw centre back turned striker Matt Mathers come out with the gloves on for the second half.

With the game slipping away, Sandhu made a late change, switching Mathers to centre forward while skipper Asif Hussain took over in goal.

But even though Albion were level with Barton in the 89th minute, Sandhu's men still lost out.

He said: "Some people will never have seen four keepers for the same team in one game before, so that's another first for them. Watching Albion is never boring, I can tell you that.

"Once again, that was another game we would have won – even with ten men – with a proper keeper. But circumstance just keep making things difficult for us.

"I didn't think it was a sending-off offence, as the ball was going away from goal, and their bench agreed with me.

"It was just the type of game you want to put behind you as soon as possible and get back out on the pitch.

"But then we go into a two-and-a-half-week period without a fixture, which is typical of our fortunes lately."