23/08/11: The Victory Club (1) v (3) New Derby
Scorers: Thompson 2, Robson
Starting Team: Stothard (GK), Josh McGill, Horn (c), Scott, Taylor, Gardner, Binks, Hutchinson (Bunyan), Robson, Thompson, Calvert
Subs (Unused): Cruddace, Young, Boiston, Saddington, Fullard
Yellows: Binks, Stothard
Reds: None
A brace from Martin Thompson and a howitzer from Stephen Robson helped the Derby record a comfortable 3-1 win over The Victory Club and in the process register their first league win of the season.
Scott Linton made one enforced change to the side which started Sunday’s win over Penshaw with Stephen Robson called up in place of James Dodsworth, who was missing due to work commitments. The game was given extra spice to it as seven of the Derby starting eleven had previously played for their opponents.
The New Derby almost got off to the perfect start inside the first couple of minutes but Stephen Robson, after beating the Victory keeper to a cross, could only poke a left footed effort inches wide of the target.
Shortly afterwards Rob Calvert also missed a very presentable opportunity when he got in behind the Victory backline but he was only able to skew his left foot shot into the side netting.
The Derby pressure was relentless and after around thirteen minutes the Victory cracked although the concession of the goal owed much to their own undoing. A ball over the top from Calvert caused confusion between the Victory defenders. First Mountford and then Hudson sliced attempted clearances back towards their own goal. Then, when Swan came out to collect the loose ball, he only succeeded in slipping over which presented Martin Thompson with an empty net to slide the ball home into.
On fifteen minutes, Graham Binks became the first player into the referee’s notebook when he told the Victory touchline where to go when they failed to award a throw-in the Derby’s way.
Shortly afterwards and the Derby doubled their advantage when Thompson netted his second goal of the game. After some excellent work on the left wing by Robson, who skinned two defenders, his cross was flicked on at the front post by Calvert. Thompson collected the ball and after cleverly sidestepping Swan as he came out to close him down, he fired a low shot into the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Victory left back, Mark Dryden followed Binks into the book when he was harshly cautioned for a foul on Calvert just outside the right hand corner of the penalty area. The free kick came to nothing.
As the game approached the half an hour mark, the Derby went 3-0 ahead when Stephen Robson marked his return to the Fulwell Mill Arena with a goal right out of the top drawer. After some neat work by Calvert which resulted in him playing the ball in behind the Victory defence, Robson outstripped Mountford for pace before firing a wonderful left footed half volley past Swan, who was at full stretch, just inside the far post. It was clear how much the goal meant to Robson who let out a roar of delight as the ball nestled in the corner.
The Victory badly needed to get to half time without conceding any more goals. From an offensive point of view they were offering next to nothing with their long ball tactic proving fruitless as Horn and to a lesser extent Scott won everything in the air.
Derby keeper, Jordan Stothard, who had been a virtual spectator for most of the first half was finally called into action just before the interval but rather than a Victory player testing him out it was his own right back. Josh McGill’s attempted headed clearance from a long throw-in seemed likely to loop over the Derby keeper but he reacted well to back-pedal and tip the ball over the bar.
The Derby survived a further scare in the final minute of the half when Victory captain, Greg Davison, planted a free header over the bar from six yards out. He didn’t need telling by anyone that he should have done better.
At the break, Linton praised his side’s effort but reminded his players that the job was only half done.
The Victory came out all guns blazing at the start of the second period as they sought a way back into the game. Tackles were flying in thick and fast and one particularly nasty challenge by Anth Collins on Martin Hutchinson left the Derby playmaker riving on the floor in agony. Incredibly the referee deemed the tackle to have been a fair one much to the disgust of Hutchinson and the Derby touchline.
Just after the hour mark, the Victory Club were handed a way back into the game when Sam Scott conceded a needless penalty following a blatant shove in the back of Victory substitute Peter Harding. Despite, Harold Horn’s best efforts to put the taker off by claiming he couldn’t kick the ball properly, Greg Davison, as he normally does, coolly converted the spot kick.
Thunderous tackles continued raining in but a lot of the quality had gone from the game and it had turned into a midfield scrap.
Both goalkeepers had their names taken by referee, David Morton, for swearing. The referee had seemed intent from the word go on getting his cards out as often as possible – unfounded rumours that the referee’s Christmas party still needed paying for were rife on the Derby touchline.
Stephen Robson nearly restored the Derby’s three goal cushion but he saw his twenty five yard free kick saved by the legs of Swan. Calvert was also denied by the Victory number one as he made an excellent save plunging away to his left to keep out a shot which was destined for the bottom corner.
With fifteen minutes remaining, Linton sent on Bunyan for Hutchinson who was still no doubt feeling the effects of the tackle earlier in the half. Bunyan ‘aka Judas’ was greeted by a chorus of boos from the Victory touchline as he made his way in their direction to take up his position at right back.
Bunyan’s first real impact in the game was to be floored by a crunching challenge by Collins which left the makeshift Derby right back requiring treatment on the same ankle he injured in the pre-season game against Millview S.C. Having escaped a caution for his earlier fouls this time Collins was not so lucky and he became the fifth player to be given a yellow card.
As the game entered the final ten minutes, Victory midfielder, Steve Jackson, was very unlucky not to reduce the gap to one but Stothard clawed away his well controlled shot which was headed for the top right hand corner.
In the final couple of minutes, Thompson came agonisingly close to completing his hat-trick but his right foot effort from Josh McGill’s well weighted low cross clipped the outside of the post and went behind for a goal kick.
The final whistle followed a few moments later bringing to an end a bruising encounter which in the end saw the New Derby run out comfortable and deserving 3-1 victors. With their first league win now in the bag the Derby will look to make it two on the spin this coming Sunday when they go head to head with The Willow Pond FC. Things will be tough for Scott Linton’s men in that one as they will have to do without last nights man of the match, Stephen Robson and top marksmen, Rob Calvert, amongst others, meaning that this fixture will surely test the strength in depth of the Derby squad.
