Post by slush on Mar 23, 2007 7:39:50 GMT
Grumpy Old George eclipsed by Clarke’s ‘bright young things’!
Easington Utd Reserves 3 – 2 Old George FC
IF anybody reading one of last week's reports thought one of the teams took defeat at the hands of an Eastenders outfit badly, they should have been at Low Farm on Saturday.
Premier Division leaders Old George certainly didn’t take kindly to the end of their quest for a league and cup ‘double’. Indeed the Goole outfit proved to be some of the least desirable visitors Low Farm has had the misfortune to welcome.
They were undone by John Clarke’s battlers including four 16-year-olds who, along with their team mates, refused to be cowed into submission. They even afforded themselves the luxury of throwing away a two-goal lead against their opponents for the second time this season before snatching a memorable win through Brett Fisk’s 86th minute goal.
Clarke, along with fellow “veterans” Foster and McNaught, has been party to many similar games during his 20-year Easington career and he had his side “well up” for the task in hand. Helped by their opponents’ late arrival (following a road accident) and rushed preparations, the Stiffs enjoyed the best of the opening 45 minutes.
On a pitch that was unrecognisable from the poor surface of seven days’ earlier, Easington took the game to their opponents although clear-cut chances were hard to come by.
Youngest player on the park Tom McLaughlin had two of the better shooting opportunities, seeing one saved comfortably at the near post and completely air-kicking another, while Adam Metcalf curled a left foot strike wide of the far post.
At the other end, the back three of Campbell, McNaught and Fisk, supported by the outstanding Potts in the holding role, ensured the leaders were not given more than a fleeting glimpse of Rawlings’ goal. On one such occasion the Goolesters thought they’d taken the lead, only for referee McWatters to adjudge the scorer to have been in an offside position.
The second half couldn’t have started better for Easington who scored twice inside the opening five minutes. Almost immediately from kick-off, tidy approach play saw the ball reach Foster. He showed neat control on the thigh before striking a volley that pinged back off the bar to the waiting Barnett who put away the rebound.
Stung by this, George were then hit a second time when they failed to clear their lines and ‘Bezza’ struck the sweetest of shots past the bemused keeper for his and the Stiffs’ second.
With Potts continuing to hold the line behind the hard-working McLaughlin and Richardson and wide duo Metcalf and Barnett at last starting to really stretch their opponents, Easington looked good for more goals, especially as Foster and, in particular, Smith began to exert more and more pressure on the hard-pressed central defensive duo.
And after Rawlings had had to react smartly to tip over a speculative 30-yard volley, the Stiffs should really have settled matters with a third on the hour mark.
Foster cleverly worked himself space on the edge of the box and looked likely to shoot before teeing up Barnett on his left; the youngster however, appeared caught in two minds and eventually delivered a cross that was just beyond the arriving Smith when a shot may well have been the better option.
George made the most of their escape, courtesy of a rasping 25-yard strike from the substitute, which flew into the top corner leaving Rawlings (“That’s dead!”) a tad embarrassed! No matter – the keeper would redeem himself.
Despite reducing arrears, the visitors were becoming increasingly frustrated by the energy of their opponents and in the 66th minute the game erupted into what your average hack would term a “mass brawl”, involving about half-a-dozen players from both sides. The spark to which had been a crude challenge on Foster to which the striker reacted, before players and officials of both sides became embroiled (the highlight being a Goolester’s attempted “haymaker” that succeeded only in sending its deliverer flying into Judy’s Tea Hut having completely missed his target!). The upshot was Groundsman Biglin left wearing his cuppa and referee McWatters issuing a straight red card apiece to both the original culprit from George and Easington’s Mark Richardson.
The incident benefited the visitors more and, within, four minutes, they were level. As things heated up, a poor tackle by the otherwise impressive McNaught resulted in a penalty that was duly despatched. Just as in the earlier league meeting, things were tied up at 2-2.
Medforth and Cousins now entered the fray for Easington and the last 20 minutes became some of the most exciting seen at the Farm for a long while as both sides sought to avoid extra-time. Barnett passed up the chance of a hat-trick when drilling wide following a Foster free-kick, while the George keeper showed good reflexes to deny Campbell’s close range shot.
At the other end, Rawlings flung himself to his right to save well at the near post following a counter-attack, before more swift movement going forward put Smith in, only for the Goole goalkeeper to show similar agility.
As the minutes ticked away, the Eastenders snatched it. Another quick break saw Smith outstrip the fullback and get to the byline before delivering a cross that caused panic in the visitors defence. Twice the ball was somehow scrambled away from off the line before it came to Fisk on the left of the box. Whether his resulting strike was intended as a cross or shot doesn’t matter – the ball found its way through a crowd of players and into the net.
There was still time for another “Georgian” to see red, following a crude elbow on the livewire Smith, before the Eastenders could celebrate their finest victory of the current campaign.
The game finished amid the predictable “Wait till you come to Goole” warnings and more slight damage to the changing room as had been the case on the leaders’ previous visit. More importantly, however, it ended with the Eastenders looking forward to facing Reckitts Reserves for a place in the last four of the League Senior Cup.
Reserves: C Rawlings, A Metcalf (J Cousins), B Fisk, D Potts, A McNaught, D Campbell, T McLaughlin (D Medforth), M Richardson, C Foster, L Smith, A Barnett (Sub: D Thompson)
Easington Utd Reserves 3 – 2 Old George FC
IF anybody reading one of last week's reports thought one of the teams took defeat at the hands of an Eastenders outfit badly, they should have been at Low Farm on Saturday.
Premier Division leaders Old George certainly didn’t take kindly to the end of their quest for a league and cup ‘double’. Indeed the Goole outfit proved to be some of the least desirable visitors Low Farm has had the misfortune to welcome.
They were undone by John Clarke’s battlers including four 16-year-olds who, along with their team mates, refused to be cowed into submission. They even afforded themselves the luxury of throwing away a two-goal lead against their opponents for the second time this season before snatching a memorable win through Brett Fisk’s 86th minute goal.
Clarke, along with fellow “veterans” Foster and McNaught, has been party to many similar games during his 20-year Easington career and he had his side “well up” for the task in hand. Helped by their opponents’ late arrival (following a road accident) and rushed preparations, the Stiffs enjoyed the best of the opening 45 minutes.
On a pitch that was unrecognisable from the poor surface of seven days’ earlier, Easington took the game to their opponents although clear-cut chances were hard to come by.
Youngest player on the park Tom McLaughlin had two of the better shooting opportunities, seeing one saved comfortably at the near post and completely air-kicking another, while Adam Metcalf curled a left foot strike wide of the far post.
At the other end, the back three of Campbell, McNaught and Fisk, supported by the outstanding Potts in the holding role, ensured the leaders were not given more than a fleeting glimpse of Rawlings’ goal. On one such occasion the Goolesters thought they’d taken the lead, only for referee McWatters to adjudge the scorer to have been in an offside position.
The second half couldn’t have started better for Easington who scored twice inside the opening five minutes. Almost immediately from kick-off, tidy approach play saw the ball reach Foster. He showed neat control on the thigh before striking a volley that pinged back off the bar to the waiting Barnett who put away the rebound.
Stung by this, George were then hit a second time when they failed to clear their lines and ‘Bezza’ struck the sweetest of shots past the bemused keeper for his and the Stiffs’ second.
With Potts continuing to hold the line behind the hard-working McLaughlin and Richardson and wide duo Metcalf and Barnett at last starting to really stretch their opponents, Easington looked good for more goals, especially as Foster and, in particular, Smith began to exert more and more pressure on the hard-pressed central defensive duo.
And after Rawlings had had to react smartly to tip over a speculative 30-yard volley, the Stiffs should really have settled matters with a third on the hour mark.
Foster cleverly worked himself space on the edge of the box and looked likely to shoot before teeing up Barnett on his left; the youngster however, appeared caught in two minds and eventually delivered a cross that was just beyond the arriving Smith when a shot may well have been the better option.
George made the most of their escape, courtesy of a rasping 25-yard strike from the substitute, which flew into the top corner leaving Rawlings (“That’s dead!”) a tad embarrassed! No matter – the keeper would redeem himself.
Despite reducing arrears, the visitors were becoming increasingly frustrated by the energy of their opponents and in the 66th minute the game erupted into what your average hack would term a “mass brawl”, involving about half-a-dozen players from both sides. The spark to which had been a crude challenge on Foster to which the striker reacted, before players and officials of both sides became embroiled (the highlight being a Goolester’s attempted “haymaker” that succeeded only in sending its deliverer flying into Judy’s Tea Hut having completely missed his target!). The upshot was Groundsman Biglin left wearing his cuppa and referee McWatters issuing a straight red card apiece to both the original culprit from George and Easington’s Mark Richardson.
The incident benefited the visitors more and, within, four minutes, they were level. As things heated up, a poor tackle by the otherwise impressive McNaught resulted in a penalty that was duly despatched. Just as in the earlier league meeting, things were tied up at 2-2.
Medforth and Cousins now entered the fray for Easington and the last 20 minutes became some of the most exciting seen at the Farm for a long while as both sides sought to avoid extra-time. Barnett passed up the chance of a hat-trick when drilling wide following a Foster free-kick, while the George keeper showed good reflexes to deny Campbell’s close range shot.
At the other end, Rawlings flung himself to his right to save well at the near post following a counter-attack, before more swift movement going forward put Smith in, only for the Goole goalkeeper to show similar agility.
As the minutes ticked away, the Eastenders snatched it. Another quick break saw Smith outstrip the fullback and get to the byline before delivering a cross that caused panic in the visitors defence. Twice the ball was somehow scrambled away from off the line before it came to Fisk on the left of the box. Whether his resulting strike was intended as a cross or shot doesn’t matter – the ball found its way through a crowd of players and into the net.
There was still time for another “Georgian” to see red, following a crude elbow on the livewire Smith, before the Eastenders could celebrate their finest victory of the current campaign.
The game finished amid the predictable “Wait till you come to Goole” warnings and more slight damage to the changing room as had been the case on the leaders’ previous visit. More importantly, however, it ended with the Eastenders looking forward to facing Reckitts Reserves for a place in the last four of the League Senior Cup.
Reserves: C Rawlings, A Metcalf (J Cousins), B Fisk, D Potts, A McNaught, D Campbell, T McLaughlin (D Medforth), M Richardson, C Foster, L Smith, A Barnett (Sub: D Thompson)