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Sunday 5th September 2010
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Matches played Saturday 12th April 2008
Games get go-ahead, but Preston pegged back.
At a time when it is expected to be able to clear up any fixture backlogs, or complete remaining fixtures, the reality of last weekend was the loss of more scheduled matches due to the continual rain which is affecting the area.
After the use of pitches at Malet School was ruled out, Crown FC were hopeful of staging their Amateur League Premier Division fixture on opponents Kingburn Athletic’s pitch at Hessle, but with puddles dotted all over some playing surfaces at that venue, that potential solution was declared a non-starter, as was the game scheduled on Hessle Sporting’s adjacent pitch.
An alternative was available in this case, however, and Hessle were able to reverse the game to AFC Preston’s Sandhill Country Park, although that switch was not ideal as Preston’s 2nd team were also at home, leaving the senior game rescued, but by necessity, staged on a small pitch.
AFC Preston’s usual style is an expansive passing game and the confined areas proved more suited to Hessle’s battling ethic and though Preston enjoyed the greater share of possession, they failed to convert the final ball - a flaw which persisted almost throughout the afternoon.
Preston did take the lead with a neat move ending in Mark Rogers scoring, but the advantage was short lived, when Hessle’s pacey forward, Nino Birtwhistle, latched onto a long ball and slotted the ball past Rob Wilkinson to level the scores.
Hessle took the lead in the second half with Birtwhistle again on the mark, against the run of the game, after withstanding a lot of pressure from Preston.
Preston were finding the situation, and some refereeing decisions frustrating, but remained focussed enough to equalise when a late corner was well met by captain John Cross.
AFC Preston’s 2nd team no doubt took the field cock-a-hoop after a thundering ERCFA Qualifying Cup semi final win over Haltemprice Rangers in midweek, and were confident of achieving the right result to continue their title charge against Hull Grass Roots 2nd.
However, the game proved to be a harder task than anticipated as Grass Roots passed the ball very well, moved purposefully off the ball, and really gave Preston the run around, and it took Preston about 20 minutes to get into the game and eventually into their opponents half!
Preston had very few chances in the first half, and usual goal machine Ricky McNee just could not get into the game.
Grass Roots pressed and pressed but once again the complementary central defensive partnership of Preston’s Jonny Galtrey and Adam Butterly held firm, keeping Grass Roots at bay.
During the half time break, Preston related to the need to increase the pace in the second period if they wanted to break through the Roots defence, but the midweek cup exertions had taken their toll, and a tired looking side were unable to achieve a breakthrough, and the blank score-line could potentially have a profound effect on the title battle – as rivals Pinefleet Wolfreton Juniors close in – and the decisive game could be that between these two contenders in the last game of the season.
Truss 2 Frame and Kingburn Athletic had to withstand a hailstone downpour in squeezing in their Premier Division midweek match, but battled through the testing conditions, and although half chances were created during a scoreless first half, the failure to convert may well have been down to the elements.
It happens so often – a break – a restart – a goal!! Kingburn went 1-0 up in the 49th minute when Danny Shaw broke down the left hand side to put the ball low into the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Truss 2 Frame came straight back at Kingburn and Rich Wilcock scored with a low diving header, but, with key players missing, Truss were always fighting an uphill battle and in the 62nd minute Kingburn were awarded a penalty when Danny Shaw was brought down in the area from behind, and Ricky Johnson scored with a low shot which fit-again Truss keeper Mark Foster got a hand to.
The game went more Kingburn’s way after this as neat passing movements were strung together and after 85 minutes an attack found defender Anton Owen in the opposition area and he turned the full back before striking the ball with his left foot into the top corner for a 3-1 lead.
In the 87th minute, Luke Sherwood, who came onto the field 10 minutes earlier as a substitute, made the game safe when keeper Foster raced 30 yards out from his goal to challenge for a 50/50 ball but Sherwood, who was on the ground still managed to get his foot to the ball and tantalisingly roll it goal-ward and into the net.
Kingburn Athletic 2nd may still have a chance to affect the Division 1 title but needed to win a difficult encounter with South Holderness FC, yet fell behind after 10 minutes when South Holderness revealed their long throw secret weapon, resulting in the opening goal.
Steve Frankland made it 1-1 with a header from a cross from the left from Adam Cieslikowski and this sparked a goal flurry, as, two minutes later Cieslikowski latched on to a through ball from Nick Holmes and rounded the keeper to give Kingburn the lead.
Another two minutes and a low cross by South Holderness flummoxed defender Darren Burnett and as he moved to clear the ball but in the bad conditions, he merely succeeded in putting the ball into his own net.
The scoring settled down until South Holderness regained the lead after another long throw caused problems in the Kingburn defence, but in the 70th minute Nick Holmes floated a free kick across the South Holderness penalty box and Mark Clark scored with a diving header to again level matters.
Kingburn suddenly relaxed and stated to play passing football which paid off in the 79th minute when a move found Alan Campey at the back post and he hit the ball low into the net for 4-3 to Kingburn!!
South Holderness never gave up but could achieve nothing further before the final whistle sounded.
Two games within the week concluded The Courts first season in the league and though neither produced match points for them, the games highlighted their season long improvement, and more importantly their enjoyment in competing.
The Courts took a very well earned lead against League Junior Cup finalists Swiss Cottage in wet conditions after 10 minutes through Tom Grantham but Swiss pushed hard to get back into the game and eventually equalised and then followed up with a quick second.
Courts were starting to fight there way back into the game and look menacing, but were controversially halted in their tracks when defender Dave Taylor cleared a ball from within his penalty area but was adjudged to have felled a Swiss forward in the process.
The penalty was duly despatched and Swiss went on to pull well out off reach of the Courts, but still Courts rallied and scored a late consolation from a Danny Welburn header – a goal he richly deserved.
The last day of their season provided the Courts with a difficult finale – against title challengers, and now marginal title favourites Pinefleet Wolfreton Juniors, and both sides started by playing a fast game which flowed from end to end.
Pinefleet drew first blood through Chris Bucknell following a poor clearance but the lead was short lived as the Courts pushed on down the left and leading goal-scorer Jamie Lamplough burst through and hit a sweet shot over Pinefleet keeper John Farley into the far corner.
This provided a wake up call for Pinefleet who stepped up another gear, and after three games in a week, the Courts were unable to respond, and by the break Pinefleet twin strikers of Bucknell and Danny Barker had added two further goals each.
The second period did not produce the same goal flurry, but Barker did add one goal to the score-sheet, thus completing his hat-trick and thereby emulating his team-mate, and the game ended with Pinefleet very comfortable winners.
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Match Reports
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24th April 2010
17th April 2010
10th April 2010
3rd April 2010
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