Post by slush on Nov 7, 2006 12:51:33 GMT
Improvement maintained despite defeat
North Ferriby Utd Reserves 3 – 2 Easington United
THE third meeting this season between these two sides proved as keenly contested as the previous two, with North Ferriby finally gaining their first win over the Eastenders.
But manager Mack was far from downhearted. Indeed he cited this as his side’s best performance, not only in the three games with Ferriby, but perhaps this season – ranking even better than that which had yielded such a comfortable victory at Hessle the previous week.
Aside from a fifteen-minute spell leading up to half-time and a brief passage of play in the second half, during which they were a man light, the Eastenders enjoyed total control of proceedings.
But they were left to rue isolated moments of poor defending, a host of near misses, some wasted chances, a controversial penalty incident and an assistant’s flag.
With Dave Walmsley out with sore ribs, ‘The Weasel’ gained employment in the lone striking role as the Mack stuck with his 4-5-1 formation; and he had the chance to give his side the perfect start when being put clear inside two minutes, only to find the side netting.
Mike Nicholson in for the absent Stu Campbell was the other change in the starting line-up and he capped off a flowing five-man move to give Easington an 8th minute lead; Ian Barrow putting over a cross that Danny Medforth headed perfectly into the path of Nicholson who rifled home from 18 yards.
The Eastenders had the bit between their teeth and could have been out of sight by the half-hour mark. Barrow hit the bar after Dan Potts had put him through, Powley beat out another thumping Nicholson effort from a Medforth corner before then smothering Barrow’s drive from an acute angle.
All that Ferriby offered in return, apart from long hopeful punts to front pair Matty Edeson and Alex Reveley, was an Edeson free kick whipped into the side netting.
But, from nowhere, they now conjured up a passage of play that saw them head into half-time 2-1 up.
First John Batch’s slip allowed Adam Wilberforce to shoot past Appleyard for 1-1; then a scramble in the box culminated in Craig Smalley inadvertently teeing up Reveley six yards out.
Stung by the turnaround, Easington came out in determined mood and the second half proved, if anything, even more one-sided than the first.
But for all the territorial dominance – Ferriby hardly crossed halfway for fifteen minutes – it was 65 minutes before the Eastenders’ next real chance.
In fact it was a moment of controversy as ‘The Weasel’ seized on a poor back-pass to close in on goal. Tugged back by the defender, the Easington man stayed on his feet but off-balance could only shoot straight at Powley with referee Greenwood deeming that to be sufficient advantage.
The incident prompted a spell of Easington pressure with Andy Graham twice stealing in to meet Medforth corners; glancing one header wide, then seeing a defender hack the next off the line.
When Graham was then forced off with the re-opening of a head wound, Ferriby almost took advantage. Reveley broke clear only to strike the post before lofting the rebound gently into Appleyard’s arms; while Wilberforce twice snatched at efforts when seemingly well placed to go on.
With Adam Metcalf on for Ollie Musgrove and restored to full strength, Easington made their hosts pay for these misses. A free kick from halfway was whipped in by Batch and met by Medforth’s thumping header into the top corner. 2-2
Having worked so hard to earn what would have been the least their efforts deserved, Easington proceeded to lose even that; Mark Griffin somehow eluding three tackles before hitting an unstoppable shot past Appleyard on 81mins.
Even now the Eastenders thought they’d saved matters. Medforth’s free kick was flicked on by Batch to the far post where Milner arrived to stab the ball home, only to be denied by an assistant’s flag.
Then in the dying seconds, Appleyard came close to being the unlikely hero when yet another Easington set-piece caused consternation in the home box leaving the Eastenders keeper with clear sight of goal – only for his shot to skew horribly wide.
Ferriby: G Powley, D Thompson, C Evans, R Levesley, J Atkinson, L Widdowson, M Griffin, B Clement, A Reveley, M Edeson, A Wilberforce (Subs: C Smethurst, D Moon, L Brigham, S Lyall, D Tarbottom)
Easington: K Appleyard, C Smalley, K Milner, D Potts (M Richardson, 84), J Batch, A Graham, I Barrow, M Nicholson, D Medforth, O Musgrove (A Metcalf, 74) (sub not used: C Senior)
Referee: Mr. J. Greenwood
Att: 23
North Ferriby Utd Reserves 3 – 2 Easington United
THE third meeting this season between these two sides proved as keenly contested as the previous two, with North Ferriby finally gaining their first win over the Eastenders.
But manager Mack was far from downhearted. Indeed he cited this as his side’s best performance, not only in the three games with Ferriby, but perhaps this season – ranking even better than that which had yielded such a comfortable victory at Hessle the previous week.
Aside from a fifteen-minute spell leading up to half-time and a brief passage of play in the second half, during which they were a man light, the Eastenders enjoyed total control of proceedings.
But they were left to rue isolated moments of poor defending, a host of near misses, some wasted chances, a controversial penalty incident and an assistant’s flag.
With Dave Walmsley out with sore ribs, ‘The Weasel’ gained employment in the lone striking role as the Mack stuck with his 4-5-1 formation; and he had the chance to give his side the perfect start when being put clear inside two minutes, only to find the side netting.
Mike Nicholson in for the absent Stu Campbell was the other change in the starting line-up and he capped off a flowing five-man move to give Easington an 8th minute lead; Ian Barrow putting over a cross that Danny Medforth headed perfectly into the path of Nicholson who rifled home from 18 yards.
The Eastenders had the bit between their teeth and could have been out of sight by the half-hour mark. Barrow hit the bar after Dan Potts had put him through, Powley beat out another thumping Nicholson effort from a Medforth corner before then smothering Barrow’s drive from an acute angle.
All that Ferriby offered in return, apart from long hopeful punts to front pair Matty Edeson and Alex Reveley, was an Edeson free kick whipped into the side netting.
But, from nowhere, they now conjured up a passage of play that saw them head into half-time 2-1 up.
First John Batch’s slip allowed Adam Wilberforce to shoot past Appleyard for 1-1; then a scramble in the box culminated in Craig Smalley inadvertently teeing up Reveley six yards out.
Stung by the turnaround, Easington came out in determined mood and the second half proved, if anything, even more one-sided than the first.
But for all the territorial dominance – Ferriby hardly crossed halfway for fifteen minutes – it was 65 minutes before the Eastenders’ next real chance.
In fact it was a moment of controversy as ‘The Weasel’ seized on a poor back-pass to close in on goal. Tugged back by the defender, the Easington man stayed on his feet but off-balance could only shoot straight at Powley with referee Greenwood deeming that to be sufficient advantage.
The incident prompted a spell of Easington pressure with Andy Graham twice stealing in to meet Medforth corners; glancing one header wide, then seeing a defender hack the next off the line.
When Graham was then forced off with the re-opening of a head wound, Ferriby almost took advantage. Reveley broke clear only to strike the post before lofting the rebound gently into Appleyard’s arms; while Wilberforce twice snatched at efforts when seemingly well placed to go on.
With Adam Metcalf on for Ollie Musgrove and restored to full strength, Easington made their hosts pay for these misses. A free kick from halfway was whipped in by Batch and met by Medforth’s thumping header into the top corner. 2-2
Having worked so hard to earn what would have been the least their efforts deserved, Easington proceeded to lose even that; Mark Griffin somehow eluding three tackles before hitting an unstoppable shot past Appleyard on 81mins.
Even now the Eastenders thought they’d saved matters. Medforth’s free kick was flicked on by Batch to the far post where Milner arrived to stab the ball home, only to be denied by an assistant’s flag.
Then in the dying seconds, Appleyard came close to being the unlikely hero when yet another Easington set-piece caused consternation in the home box leaving the Eastenders keeper with clear sight of goal – only for his shot to skew horribly wide.
Ferriby: G Powley, D Thompson, C Evans, R Levesley, J Atkinson, L Widdowson, M Griffin, B Clement, A Reveley, M Edeson, A Wilberforce (Subs: C Smethurst, D Moon, L Brigham, S Lyall, D Tarbottom)
Easington: K Appleyard, C Smalley, K Milner, D Potts (M Richardson, 84), J Batch, A Graham, I Barrow, M Nicholson, D Medforth, O Musgrove (A Metcalf, 74) (sub not used: C Senior)
Referee: Mr. J. Greenwood
Att: 23