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Tuesday 7th September 2010
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Matches played Saturday 1st November 2008
Paull beat the weather, but not the opposition!!
The arrival of November, and darker afternoons following the move from British Summer Time, heralded a massive downturn in the playing condition which had previously been enjoyed each week in the Amateur League, and incessant rain on the days preceding the weekend had turned many pitches into the equivalent of paddy fields.
The Hull Parks department were left with little option but to advise that almost all pitches were unplayable, but an additional problem surfaced when it was discovered that the telephone notification service, normally contacted by clubs in inclement weather, was unavailable.
The result was chaos, but there was a modicum of relief when three league games went ahead, albeit not on ‘Hull Council’ pitches, plus one East Riding CFA Qualifying Cup game.
It must have been quite a novelty for Paull Wanderers to find that their ‘away’ game in Cottingham, against Geoff Wednesday, was a survivor – a situation normally restricted to their home venue which seems to withstand all inclement weather!
Paull Wanderers began the game in a similar manner to all previous games this season, conceding two goals within the first fifteen minutes, and with both sides searching for their first ‘three-pointer’, Wednesday thought they were almost home and dry.
Perhaps this was overstating the situation, and Wednesday did their best to assist Paull who finally started to play football to get themselves back into the game, and looked on to score when Terry Thompson went through on goal, but he was ‘wiped out’ as Wednesday conceded a penalty, but more importantly were reduced to ten men on the production of a straight red card.
Tommy Donnelly grabbed the ball to take the penalty kick, which he converted without any problem.
Paull Wanderers made good use of their extra man, and took control of the game, and with Terry Thompson twice getting on the score sheet, fortunes had turned around by the break.
Paull had three good chances to seal the game in the second half but they were not taken, and these failures became costly when Wednesday hurled the ball forward, and earned an equalising goal - with fifteen minutes to play.
Paull Wanderers pressed and pressed, but without any luck, to grab a deciding goal, and finished disappointed after outplaying their opponents for 85 % of the game – but not outscoring them!!
When Hull Athletic manager Charlie Duncan learned that Spring Bank Tiger’s pitch at Newington Park was a weather casualty, he immediately started seeking alternative sites, and was able to rent a Hull University pitch which was surrounded by flooded fields, but the actual playing surface was in fine fettle, and so the game went ahead, and what a cracking contest it turned out to be.
With both teams handily placed on the league ladder, the game was always going to be fiercely contested, and proved to be the case.
Hull Athletic appeared to have the edge in the first half, and started to take on an air of invincibility as keeper Shaun Leamon had one of those days’ keeper’s dream of – and he appeared unbeatable, and even more so in the second period as Spring Bank attacked with increasing frequency.
The first half break through came for Hull Athletic when Gareth Jones smashed the ball into (and through) the roof of the net after concerted pressure.
The second half saw Spring Bank deserving an equaliser, but keeper Leamon must have seemed like an octopus to the rampaging opposition forwards as his arms shot out at all angles to deny their efforts.
Eventually, and possibly, inevitably, Leamon made another good block, but the ball fell into the path of the Tigers’ Aso Hama Amen, and he placed the ball into the net for a deserved equaliser.
An immediate response followed from Hull Athletic, and a cross into the box skidded and a defender’s hand shepherded the ball away, but this movement was noticed by the referee who had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Gareth Jones is proud of his leading goalscorer tag, and a penalty was too good an opportunity to miss to add to his tally, so he despatched the ball coolly into the net.
It seemed that luck was going to hold out for Hull Athletic as the final whistle approached, but when, in the final minute, the ball richoted around in their area, it was hooked goalward by Salm Kadm, and a deflection took the ball into the net for an equalising goal.
The final league game able to be played was a Premier Division clash at Brough in which Eddie Beedle had a little too much fire power for Blackburn Leisure, and goals from Craig Copley, Gaz Morfitt (2) and Scott Wilson contributed to a comfortable win.
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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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