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Horseshoes (03/12/2006) 2006 - 2007 Season, Afc Hithercroft  After a night of heavy rain and high winds this game at the Pedestal took place in dry and occasional sunny weather with a crosswind blowing towards the clubhouse. The pitch was slippery and became cut-up during the game making conditions tricky for the players. Pat Vaughey ran the line for Hithercroft this week as Pam was recovering from a minor operation. The referee was Mr Paul O’Hare, who had both goalkeepers changing their shirts before the kick-off owing to colour clashes with the opposing teams. The game got under way at 10.42am with Hithercroft playing from right to left as viewed from the clubhouse. After 24 seconds the home team took the lead when Ashley Anderson’s first shot came back off the underside of the crossbar but he followed on in to hit the ball into the net. Two minutes later the Shoes took a corner-kick from the right, the ball being played back to the No.10 who’s shot was nodded on into the net by their No.12, Chris Lodge, bringing the scores level at 1-1. In the 11th minute Hithercroft’s Dougie Carswell went into the referee’s book for a ‘stud-showing’ kick and his name was, unfortunately, later to be joined by those of many others. Six minutes later the visitors almost took the lead when, from a free-kick, the No.8 sent the ball into the 18-yard box where it was headed on but the Hithercroft keeper, Neil Stretton, dived to gather it on the line. On the 19-minute mark Hithercroft’s Kevin Midgley hit a curving shot from the left towards the top right-hand corner of the net but the keeper punched it clear. Three minutes later the Shoes’ No.4 tried a shot that had Neil going down to gather it. In the 27th minute Tyrone Francis brought the ball in from the right and his shot rebounded from the left-hand post. Tyrone, however, continued his run-in and struck the rebounding ball back into the net to put Hithercroft 2-1 ahead. On the half-hour the referee showed a yellow card to the Shoes’ No.5 following a tackle on Hithercroft’s captain Baz David. At 11.34am the second half kicked off and the Shoes' keeper, Bruno Figueiredo, was putting in some good work. Frank Smith sent in a hard angled shot from the left, Bruno blocked it and he also blocked Frank's follow-up shot. Fourteen minutes into the half both sides made a substitution each. In the 64th minute Ryan Forbes crossed the ball to Baz, Baz sent it inside to Ashley who then hit it into the Shoes’ net to put Hithercroft 3-1 up. Three minutes later Dougie sent a long clearance kick downfield, Ashley pushed the ball on to Richard McKie and he struck a hard shot at the top of the goal, only to be denied by a fine save from Bruno. On 71 minutes the referee, justifiably, produced his book when, following an unlawful tackle and an apologetic pat from a Shoes player, Richard responded with a push and earned himself a booking. Three minutes later Hithercroft replaced Richard with Jermaine Humphrey, moving Frank into the centre. On 77 minutes Hithercroft’s Dan Birch had his name added to the referee’s collection for kicking the ball away after a stoppage. One minute later the Shoes’ No.8 sent a free-kick just over the crossbar. In the 83rd minute Frank came in from the left and had his shot blocked by Bruno, only to see the same result from his follow-up attempt. The referee then showed a second yellow card to the Shoes’ No.5 for using abusive language and so sent him from the field. Shortly before the end of the match the Shoes’ No.16 also went into the referee’s book to give Mr O’Hare a busy evening of report-writing. In added-time Stuart Cutts took advantage of a defensive mix-up by Hithercroft to put the ball into the net and make the final score 3-2 to Hithercroft. The game had been a good encounter between the two sides and the six yellow cards produced by the referee in no way reflects on the attitude shown by the players to each other. The ground conditions had prevented both sides from showing their true skills but hopefully, the return fixture may allow them to do so. Hithercroft scorers: Ashley Anderson (24 seconds, 64 mins) Tyrone Francis (27 mins) Hithercroft M.o.M: Neil Stretton Hithercroft team: Neil Stretton (GK), Jamaine Warner, Dougie Carswell, Dan Birch, Kevin Midgley, Tyrone Francis, Richard McKie, Baz David, Frank Smith, John Baldock, Ashley Anderson. Hithercroft subs: Ryan Forbes replaced John Baldock (59 mins) Jamaine Humphrey replaced Richard McKie (74 mins) Three Horseshoes scorers: Chris Lodge (3 mins) Stuart Cutts (90+ mins) |
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