Report

Following an unwelcome week off after our tremendous win at North Shields Athletic two weeks ago, we travelled to Bullocksteads Leisure Centre to navigate our way around this awful weather and get our home game against Hebburn Town Reserves played whilst we have some forward momentum. Having won 3-0 away at our opponents back in August, expectations were high, but so were the opposition’s desire for revenue. Setting up to contain in a defensive 5-4-1 formation, we initially struggled and our impatience in possession saw us give more half-chances on the break to our opponents than we created in the first half. After Ross Gilchrist saw an Olimpico cleared off the line, we began to ramp up the pressure as the first half went on and that culminated with a deep cross from Callum Doyle beyond the back post fizzed past across goal by Ross Gilchrist and when that proved too hot to handle for the keeper, James was the fastest to react and slot the ball home. That settled us, and from then on, we were on top until half time and for most of the second half after weathering an initial storm. As the space opened up, our strength in depth from the bench told, and after we took control of the midfield of the park, Charlie Digby’s perfectly executed whipped cross was expertly finished on the run by Harry Jones at the near post for only his second goal of the season. James Harper and Harry Poole both almost added another that would not have been undeserved in tricky windy and wet conditions, but a third win in the league in a row and another clean sheet sees us move to continue in the right direction and back up to fourth.

Russell Ward