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Tuesday 7th September 2010
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Matches played Saturday 21st March 2009
Crown cut it so fine.
Every now and then a game is played with such passion and commitment that from a spectators point of view, it is enthralling, but for the teams involved it is difficult to view the game dispassionately, and appreciate how well each side has performed.
The early stages of the clash between the continually improving Quaddy Rangers side and title chasing Crown FC was end to end as both teams sought to dominate, and Crown enjoyed useful possession but were not able to threaten the Quaddy goal.
After 10 minutes, Quaddy were awarded a free kick close to the half way line after Danny Thompson was fouled, but remained calm to deliver the free kick into the area where Dave Bettney stole in unnoticed and timed his powerful header to perfection to bury the ball in the back of the Crown net, with keeper Rich Davy helpless.
Quaddy were keen to pepper the Crown goal where keeper Davy appeared to be off his game, and looked particularly dangerous from well placed set pieces from Mike Newdick.
The game remained high tempo through to the break, with Crown playing neat football, but still rarely threatening to level the scores.
Just as the second 45 minutes was about to commence, Quaddy were forced to reshuffle their side after Rich Wilcox decided to remove himself from the game, and the energetic attacking approach of Dave Bettney was lost to the Quaddy side as he was necessarily moved into the heart of the defence.
With Crown desperate not to lose ground in the championship hunt, they strove harder to equalise as the game wore on, introducing ace marksman Glenn Morfitt despite him having been struggling with back problems.
An unfortunate flashpoint resulted in both sides being reduced to 10 men with seven minutes to go, and with the clock running down the equaliser, which had been so elusive, finally came, when a high ball in the Quaddy area proved to be just out of the reach of the agile, but small Quaddy keeper Mark Foster and the ball was turned across goal for Jamie Kemp to turn into the net.
With literally seconds remaining, Crown were correctly awarded a free kick for a handling offence, and the kick was taken quickly to catch out the Quaddy defenders, before being pulled across the box where Morfitt was on hand to turn the ball over the line, amid protestations for being offside, which were refuted.
For the game to have slipped away from Quaddy was a real sickener, particularly for Dave Bettney who had excelled in his enforced defensive role, but they should take heart from an outstanding effort.
Crown, on the other hand, were delighted to have pulled the game ‘out of the fire’, and keep leaders Sutton Fields Rangers, who won by a similar narrow margin against AFC West Hull, within their sights and reach.
The final semi final place in the League Intermediate Cup was at stake in the second round, second leg tie between Pinefleet Wolfreton and Kingburn Athletic Reserves, but, despite holding a single goal advantage from the previous encounter, Pinefleet were only able to muster eleven players to attempt to complete the task. The disappointing turnout, did however, act to bring the players available together, and make them determined to win, but it was Kingburn who started the fastest and were pressuring Pinefleet from a number of set pieces.
It was not long before the tie was all square, as a Kingburn corner was heading home from close range by Mark Clark, and another set piece almost brought the second goal but Bob Beautiman did well to clear for Pinefleet, off the line.
After the early onslaught, Pinefleet started to find their feet and enjoy a bit of possession and turned the Kingburn defence with some mazy runs from Ryan Thompson. The game was in the balance at half time as the score remained 1-0, and the aggregate all-square.
The second half was a cagey affair with both teams cancelling each other out before Pinefleet had a golden chance to take the lead after Andy Hemmings intercepted a Kingburn attack, broke clear and bent a through ball to Graham Waudby who raced clear but somehow missed from in front of goal.
Not to be deterred Waudby broke clear again, but this time squared the ball to Liam Stafford who finished well. With time running out Kingburn threw everything at Pinefleet, but they were caught with the proverbial sucker punch when Waudby again broke clear and set up Stafford to finish the tie, ensuring the narrowest of Pinefleet wins in both legs.
The Lair and AFC Preston were hastily paired together after the problems pertaining to Blackburn Leisure and Raine FC became known, and, pleased to actually be in action, they produced a thoroughly entertaining game with battling performances to finish with a scoreless draw, the first such score line recorded in Preston’s playing history.
The return fixture at Sandhill in a fortnight looks very interesting, and may provide one side with bragging rights, but more especially the teams are looking for more of the same!!
SC Electrical and Eddie Beedle are comfortably placed on the Premier Division league ladder, but both suffer from inconsistent results.
Their meeting first went in Beedle’s favour when Matty Carr opened the scoring after 5 minutes, but Mike Green’s equaliser within a further five minutes left the game on a knife edge until the 70th minute when Carr’s second success secured the spoils for Beedle.
The Duke of Wellington were hoping to add a second win to their maiden success achieved a week earlier when Paull Wanderers visited Pickering Park, but faced a difficult task against a Paull side who were on a bit of a roll with three successive wins, as they head towards their League Junior Cup semi final.
Paull looked a lot sharper then Duke early on, and opened the scoring when Micheal Ward, on his return to the team, created an opening with a solo run and shot past the Duke keeper, John Paddison.
Paull added a second goal when the in-form and free scoring Tommy Donnelly repeated his previous week’s effort, lobbing the keeper from around 30 yards.
At this point, Paull were well in control of the game and had numerous chances to increase their tally, but had to wait until the hour mark, when Terry Thompson held his nerve, and extended his recent scoring revival, with a belter into the roof of the net.
Paull had not really needed to over extend themselves in the game up to this point, and their relaxed attitude cost them a clean sheet when a cross shot by the Duke’s Lewis Smith found the top corner of the net.
This success spurred the Duke on, and 4 or 5 more chances to score were carved out before Paull made the points absolutely safe when substitute Liam Frazer hammered the ball goalwards and over the keeper.
Conceding a fourth goal was unfortunate for keeper Paddison, who had earlier had produced several top saves.
Across the Park, AFC Hull faced AFC West Hull B, but were without leading scorer Sam Nicholson through suspension and skipper Jamie Gascoigne through injury.
AFC Hull almost took the lead after a quarter of an hour’s play when Dale Carty took the ball in midfield and went past two defenders, before providing a though-ball for Mark Friston to run down, but the West Hull goalkeeper's quick reading of the situation allowed him to get to the ball a fraction ahead of the onrushing striker.
The first goal arrived ten minutes later when Alex Albrow and Carty combined brilliantly in midfield before providing an inch-perfect ball into the box for Nathan Nicol, who gave the goalkeeper no chance from ten yards out.
On the half-hour mark, West Hull thought they had equalised when a rare defensive mix-up saw AFC Hull keeper Craig Lindley and a defender both go for a cross, and the resulting loose ball was bundled into the back of the net amidst some pushing and shoving on the goal-line but the referee ruled the ‘goal’ out.
This let-off served as a wake-up call to AFC Hull's in-form defence, who were much tighter and more disciplined for the remaining hour.
After thirty-eight minutes, long throw exponent Alex Albrow found Mark Friston completely unmarked six yards out at the far post and with time to spare, Friston brought the ball down before hammering past the scrambling goalkeeper to double AFC Hull's lead.
Two minutes later, Albrow turned provider again with another long throw to Dale Carty, who had managed to lose his marker, and he placed the ball into the waiting net, establishing a comfortable half time lead.
Seven minutes into the second period, Alex Albrow almost added to his side’s tally, but shot narrowly over the bar from eighteen yards out.
West Hull were by no means out of the game but were largely restricted to long-range efforts at goal, with one notable thirty-yard free-kick on the hour mark seemingly dipping under the crossbar but keeper Lindley produced a marvellous save as he edged towards keeping a club-record making third consecutive clean sheet.
AFC Hull were looked to exploit West Hull on the break and almost succeeded when Dale Carty flicked the ball on from the centre of the park for Tony Tummon to run onto, but Tummon's effort was stopped by a great save from by the in-form West Hull goalkeeper.
Carty took advantage of a quick, long throw out from keeper Lindley minutes later, beating his marker but blasted the ball narrowly wide from distance.
On seventy-three minutes, the West Hull goalkeeper spilled a cross and the ball fell to the advancing Albrow, but he could not get a clean contact on the ball, and struck the ball over the bar.
With four minutes remaining, West Hull almost scored a consolation goal, but a shot from twenty yards out was cleared off the line by midfielder Rio Buckley.
AFC Hull continued to look a threat on the break and in the last minute Jason Watson set up Albrow on the edge of the box, but he was denied a shot on goal by an excellent tackle from one of the West Hull centre backs, and the final whistle sounded to end a goal-less second half, but heralded yet another win for AFC Hull who must surely have now done enough to secure the league title….but still not mathematically.
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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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