Post by slush on Feb 7, 2007 13:17:21 GMT
Tom and Thommo star in Stiffs success
Easington Utd Reserves 4 – 3 Reckitts Reserves
AMID much protest at the end caused by the timing of referee Jeff Smith’s final whistle, Reserve team boss John Clarke took satisfaction from another hard-earned 3pts in his side’s quest for Premier Division survival.
Two goals apiece from strikers Darren Thompson and Craig Foster eventually proved the difference between the sides, with the younger half of the duo leaving his manager glowing in his praise. Clarke was also keen to highlight the contribution of Tom McLaughlin who took advantage of Pasha Brown’s absence to gain a rare start in the middle of the park and produce a ‘man of the match’ display.
In the event the Stiffs, who showed signs of their recent inactivity in a rusty first half performance before displaying the kind of football they’re capable of afterwards, just about deserved the points.
The end-of-game furore came about when Reckitts were awarded a free-kick deep in Easington territory with the final whistle due, in the words of the referee “any second now”. The visitors then proceeded to hesitate over the taking of the kick before finally working it to a player in a goal scoring (but offside?) position but, as he was about to shoot, the final whistle blew. The ball duly hit the net. Cue pandemonium!
Earlier, Thompson had given Easington a 15th minute lead with a fine individual goal; chasing down a defender before dispossessing him, outstripping two more and scoring from an acute angle.
Reckitts – fielding a much-change and much-improved side from that beaten 5-0 in October – responded with an equaliser on the half-hour mark, only for Thompson to net his and the Stiffs’ second four minutes later, having been put through by Adam Metcalf.
The hard-working Foster almost made it three when linking with Thompson before being denied by the goalkeeper. Again, however, the locals failed to hold on to their advantage and half-time arrived with the score 2-2.
The second half saw the Eastenders regain the lead, courtesy of a well-worked free-kick taken by Stu Campbell and converted with aplomb by Foster. The points then seemed assured when Foster rounded the keeper to make it 4-2 and would have been had Thompson not blazed over from eight yards out after Danny Campbell’s flick at a throw-in.
A rash tackle by the other Campbell then allowed Reckitts to reduce arrears near the end before those present were treated to the fireworks at the end!
Easington: C Rawlings, D Campbell (L Smith), B Fisk, T McLaughlin, A McNaught, S Campbell, A Metcalf, M Richardson, C Foster, D Thompson, A Barnett (Sub not used: Clarke)
Easington Utd Reserves 4 – 3 Reckitts Reserves
AMID much protest at the end caused by the timing of referee Jeff Smith’s final whistle, Reserve team boss John Clarke took satisfaction from another hard-earned 3pts in his side’s quest for Premier Division survival.
Two goals apiece from strikers Darren Thompson and Craig Foster eventually proved the difference between the sides, with the younger half of the duo leaving his manager glowing in his praise. Clarke was also keen to highlight the contribution of Tom McLaughlin who took advantage of Pasha Brown’s absence to gain a rare start in the middle of the park and produce a ‘man of the match’ display.
In the event the Stiffs, who showed signs of their recent inactivity in a rusty first half performance before displaying the kind of football they’re capable of afterwards, just about deserved the points.
The end-of-game furore came about when Reckitts were awarded a free-kick deep in Easington territory with the final whistle due, in the words of the referee “any second now”. The visitors then proceeded to hesitate over the taking of the kick before finally working it to a player in a goal scoring (but offside?) position but, as he was about to shoot, the final whistle blew. The ball duly hit the net. Cue pandemonium!
Earlier, Thompson had given Easington a 15th minute lead with a fine individual goal; chasing down a defender before dispossessing him, outstripping two more and scoring from an acute angle.
Reckitts – fielding a much-change and much-improved side from that beaten 5-0 in October – responded with an equaliser on the half-hour mark, only for Thompson to net his and the Stiffs’ second four minutes later, having been put through by Adam Metcalf.
The hard-working Foster almost made it three when linking with Thompson before being denied by the goalkeeper. Again, however, the locals failed to hold on to their advantage and half-time arrived with the score 2-2.
The second half saw the Eastenders regain the lead, courtesy of a well-worked free-kick taken by Stu Campbell and converted with aplomb by Foster. The points then seemed assured when Foster rounded the keeper to make it 4-2 and would have been had Thompson not blazed over from eight yards out after Danny Campbell’s flick at a throw-in.
A rash tackle by the other Campbell then allowed Reckitts to reduce arrears near the end before those present were treated to the fireworks at the end!
Easington: C Rawlings, D Campbell (L Smith), B Fisk, T McLaughlin, A McNaught, S Campbell, A Metcalf, M Richardson, C Foster, D Thompson, A Barnett (Sub not used: Clarke)