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| Cressex
Club - Challenge Cup (27/11/2005) 2005 - 2006 Season, Hithercroft Youth  This game was originally scheduled for 20th but had to be postponed because of a frosted pitch last week. The weather was overcast and dry but with a bitterly cold wind, the pitch being slightly muddy and soft. Hithercroft were without their goalkeeper, Matt Hedges, for this game against Premier Division opposition and so Loz Dunn kept goal for the first half and Alan McKie took over for the second half. Leon Read was present and named as a substitute but, as he was suffering from an injury, he was not called upon to play in this match. Pam Ife ran the line and Mr Robert Hey was the referee. If the weather was dull this game certainly wasn’t! The game kicked off promptly at 10.30am and after 6 minutes of play the visitors had taken the lead when Hithercroft’s defence hesitated, calling for an off-side decision that was not given, allowing an opposing player to run through and put the ball into the net. In the 14th minute Loz cleared the ball from a Cressex free kick but the ball went to a Cressex player just outside the 18-yard box whose shot hit the crossbar. At 10.53am Cressex were awarded a penalty when one of their players was ‘allegedly’ tripped just inside the box and the Cressex No.10 made no mistake with his shot, putting it to the right of Loz. Cressex went further ahead in the 31st minute when their No.4 crossed the ball into the middle from the right-hand side and their No.10 struck the ball from about 6 yards out into the Hithercroft net. Seven minutes later Hithercroft pulled one back when Richard Vere headed the ball across to Tyrone Francis who lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper into the Cressex net. The restart was surprising when Cressex struck the ball directly at goal from the half-way line but it hit the crossbar. Two minutes before the break the Cressex No.10 struck a superb shot from about 25 yards, the ball ending up just inside the left-hand post for a 4-1 lead. At 11.21am the game resumed with Loz having handed over the goalkeeping duties to Alan McKie. Within 5 minutes Cressex had added a 5th goal to their tally when a shot from the right ended up inside the far left post. At this point Hithercroft’s Dan Birch had to leave the field with a leg injury and so Peter Morgan came on as his replacement two minutes later. At 11.30am Hithercroft sent the ball down the left to Baz David but his lob over the keeper hit the crossbar. One minute later Matt Seaton put the ball into the Cressex net, slotting it through the small gap between the keeper and the right-hand post. On the one-hour mark Hithercroft centred the ball, Paul Morgan brought it under control and, to shouts of “Hit it! Hit it!” from manager Pat Vaughey, he struck the ball which rebounded in off the left-hand post for the home team’s third goal. Two minute later Cressex broke through the defence but their shot was blocked when Alan went down on it. Then Alan sent a long clearance downfield to Baz who got his head to the ball as the Cressex keeper came forward but his header went over the crossbar. Baz received a rib injury in a collision and had to leave the field of play for treatment. In the 73rd minute Dewayne Dublin received a long pass and, as the Cressex keeper came out, he pushed the ball through to Tyrone Francis who then tapped it into the net to bring Hithercroft back to 5-4 behind. Baz was then able to rejoin the game in spite of nursing his sore ribs. Six minutes later Cressex went 6-4 ahead when their No.10 received a cross and struck the ball into the Hithercroft net. However, the home team were now completely on top of the game and, in the 81st minute, Matt took the ball down the middle, pushed it out to the right from where Dewayne hit the ball into the far corner for Hithercroft’s 5th. Paul then tried a header that went just wide of the right-hand post and David Blackman struck a shot just wide before the final whistle saw Cressex Club go through to the next round of the Challenge Cup with this 6-5 win. This had truly been a game of two halves with the Premier Division side having the most of the first half but, after a ticking-off by Pam at half-time, the Hithercroft lads showed a complete change of attitude and dominated play in the second half. Had they played the first half in a similar manner it would have been they that went through into the next round. Hithercroft scorers: Tyrone Francis (38m & 73m), Matt Seaton (55m), Paul Morgan (60m) and Dewayne Dublin (81m) Hithercroft M.o.M: Loz Dunn Hithercroft team: Loz Dunn (GK in 1st half), Alan McKie (GK in 2nd half), Richard Vere, Dan Birch, Jamaine Warner, David Blackman, Dewayne Dublin, Tyrone Francis, Matt Seaton, Baz David and Paul Morgan. Hithercroft sub: Peter Morgan |
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