09/10/11: Humbledon Plains Farm (10) v (0) New Derby FC
Scorers: None
Starting Team: Stothard (GK), Wright, Horn (c), Dodsworth (Gardner), Ashman, Gourlay, Binks, Hutchinson (Boiston), Robson, Thompson, Calvert (Jake McGill)
Subs (Unused): None
Yellows: None
Reds: None
The New Derby were unceremoniously dumped out of this seasons League Cup as they were handed a footballing lesson by Premier League leaders, Humbledon and Plains Farm.
With four defenders missing, Scott Linton handed a first New Derby start to right back Mark Wright, with Iain Ashman switching to left back. James Dodsworth plugged the gap left by Sam Scott at centre half.
The opening ten minutes were a pretty even affair with both teams enjoying decent spells of possession without really threatening the goal.
On eighteen minutes the Derby suffered a blow when James Dodsworth had to be helped from the field with a hamstring injury. Jonny Gardner came on to replace him.
As the first half reached its midway point the score was still level although Plains Farm had started to up the tempo and Jordan Stothard was required to make a couple of good saves.
Plains Farm’s pressure finally told on the half hour mark as they opened the scoring. Following the concession of a free kick by Gardner right on the edge of the box, a Plains Farm player stepped up and fired a shot past Stothard and into the net.
A second goal followed four minutes afterwards after Plains Farm exploited the weak right hand side of the Derby defence.
Then, with three minutes of the first half remaining came the real game finisher. The Derby pushed forward and Rob Calvert was seemingly fouled in the Plains Farm penalty area. Rather than award a spot kick, referee, Kevin Raine, waved play on. Plains Farm responded by counter attacking at break neck speed and in the blink of an eye they were in the Derby box and firing a shot past Stothard and into the net.
With virtually the last kick of the opening period, Plains Farm scored a fourth goal when their right winger cut inside and drilled a shot in at the near post.
At half time, Scott Linton, urged his players to get back to what they had been doing in the first half an hour and play for pride in the second half.
Plains Farm scored for a fifth time ten minutes after the interval although once again the Derby could consider themselves to have possibly been on the wrong end of a refereeing decision. As Stothard came off his line to claim a high ball, the Plains Farm striker seemed to jump into the Derby keeper causing him to drop the ball. The loose ball fell kindly for the striker who was left with the simple task of tapping it into an empty net.
A sixth goal followed just before the hour mark although it was around this time that the Derby had their best spell of the match. After some good work down the left by Robson, his cross found Calvert at the near post and he forced a good low save from the Plains Farm keeper who had to get down quickly to parry the ball round his post for a corner. Robson, himself, then went close but he shanked his left footed effort from just outside the box comfortably wide. Then came the Derby’s best chance of the game. An excellent slide rule pass by Martin Hutchinson put Calvert clear. However, the quality of the finish did not match that of the through ball as Calvert shovelled his shot horribly wide.
That was to be the last meaningful contribution of Calvert and Hutchinson as they were replaced for the final twenty minutes by Dec Boiston and Jake McGill.
The Derby were having a real struggle defensively and it was no surprise when more poor defending on the right hand side of their backline saw Plains Farm score for a seventh time with just over a quarter of an hour remaining. That was quickly followed by an eighth goal, which was right out of the top draw. A beautifully uted free kick from twenty five yards flew over the Derby wall and right into the top right hand corner. Despite Stothard’s best efforts he could only get the slightest touch to it which proved to be not enough to keep the ball out.
In the final ten minutes, Plains Farm added another couple of goals to make the score 10-0 and in the process give the final score an even harsher look to it.
On the day the Derby know that they came up against a team right at the top of their game a point illustrated by their standing at the top of the league. A week off now follows for the Derby, giving them a chance to regroup before they return to action on 23rd October with a match against local rivals, The Victory Club, in the last sixteen of the Solex Manufacturing Cup. It promises to be a cracking match and a bumper crowd is expected at the Downhill Dome.
