An eventful game at Roper Street saw Blackbrook progress to the 2nd round of the cup, overcoming a spirited Hindley Juniors team.
With Boddy on holiday and Jack Senior nursing a knee injury ‘Brook switched to a 4-4-2 formation. McCartney coming in on the right of midfield with Owen partnering Williams up front. Hindley started the brighter of the two teams putting pressure on the ‘Brook backline without creating any real chances. After seeing out the initial pressure and settling into the new formation ‘Brook started to play some wonderful football and took the game to Hindley. Joe Osbourne brook the deadlock – a nice team move that started down the left hand side saw Williams slip Osborne in and the midfielder made no mistake with a cool finish low to the keepers right.
Georgie Owen was next to step up bending home a superb goal from 20 yards, Williams again with the assist.
He might have got two assists but Williams soon added his name to the scoresheet with a quick fire first half hattrick, scoring one before winning a penalty which he converted himself despite the keeper getting both hands to the ball. His third came from a break down the right hand side and with the keeper expecting a cross, Williams calmly bent it in by the near post. 5-0 at half time, Hindley had no answer to some of the football Blackbrook were playing, by far the best 45 minutes they’ve played this season and a complete contrast to the last performance.
If the first half was a relative walk in the park, the second half was anything but. With complacency setting in amongst the Blackbrook players Hindley pulled back what initially looked like a consolation goal with a header but soon added a second with the winger tapping in at the far post.
The two goals kicked ‘Brook back into life and they took control of the game again, winning a penalty which. Daverin stepping up this time but the Hindley Keeper pulled off a great save.
The last 10 minutes were incident packed – Hindley, realising they were running out of time started to become more physical with little niggly challenges however it was Blackbrook that picked up the first yellow. Swaine, who had earlier had a talking to from the ref for an earlier foul brought down the Hindley winger and was shown the yellow, not happy with the decision, Captain Daverin congratulated the referee on his performance (amongst other things) and was promptly dismissed from the pitch, the first victim of the new sin bin ruling and leaving ‘Brook to play the last 5 with 10 men.
The physicality continued when Migoski broke down the right only to by hacked down in the box by the big centre back with a shocking challenge, the ref showed a yellow when really it could have been a red. Migoski had to go off injured with Senior coming back on despite his own injury.
Williams stepped up to take the penalty and finished superbly to bag his 4th of the game with just a couple of minutes to go.
The fun didn’t stop there though – Hindley on the attack again and a few 50-50 challenges going in from both teams saw Swaine receive his marching orders after picking up a second yellow following an aggravated reaction to a challenge. Penalty converted by Hindley in injury to make the score 6-3, full time.
MOM: Josh Williams (4G, 2A)
A real game of two halves – the first half was one Man City would have been proud of while the second was more reminiscent of Everton.
‘Brook will travel to Vulcan next weekend where someone will lose their 100% record so far this season.
