Reedham secured their first win of the season in the Norfolk Sunday Junior Cup. In an entertaining game Dersingham Social Club FC made them work hard for the win twice coming from behind to level the tie from 2-0 and 3-2, the latter of which took the tie into extra time.
The game started with Dersingham pinning Reedham back inside their own half with a series of corners and free kicks. Reedham, struggling to get a foothold in the game, defended resolutely. This was epitomised by Daniel Carter in goal. He dominated his area, punching and claiming crosses with authority. To add to that all that could be heard was gasp after gasp of disbelief from Dersingham players as Carter tipped efforts around the post and over the bar that looked for all intense and purposes as though they were going to nestle in the back of Reedham's net.
Then from Reedham's first decent spell of play the deadlock was broken. Good work down the left and a determined run and link up between Ricky Grimmer and Kieran Hunt led to a rash challenge inside the area from the Dersingham defender and the referee pointed to the spot. Craig Sharman stepped up and smashed the ball high into the roof of the net past a helpless keeper. Reedham 1 - 0 Dersingham
After more impressive saves from Daniel Carter, Reedham doubled their lead against the run of play shortly afterwards. Jack Horiwitz linked up with Kieran Hunt who twisted and turned inside the Dersingham penalty box and managed to get a shot away with his weaker foot. The keeper though, somehow managed to let the ball squirm under his body and into the net. Reedham 2 - 0 Dersingham
Barry 'The Stanchion' Payne replaced Jordan Castle who had turned an ankle but didn't last long himself catching his foot awkwardly. Jack Cronin came on to fill in the gap on the left hand side of the pitch.
The game resumed with more Dersingham pressure high up the pitch. A break down the Dersinham right was worked up to the corner of the 18 yard box and a bobbling ball was nicked away from Chris Edwards who left his foot in and upended the Dersingham attacker just inside the box. Another penalty in the game, this time despatched to the bottom right corner of the goal sending Carter the wrong way. Up to this point it was the only way Carter looked likely to be beaten. Reedham 1 - 2 Dersingham
Dersinham were now piling on the pressure for the equaliser and as a 50 - 50 ball broke outside of the box Edwards went diving in. Despite clipping the ball, he wiped out the attacker and earned the first yellow card of the game. Luckily the free-kick resulted in a shot over the bar. Shortly after, Carter then produced another stunning save to turn round a shot heading into the bottom right corner of the goal.
Some good link up play down the left between Kieran Hunt, Edwards and Cronin worked a crossing opportunity but a last gasp intervention prevented Ricky Grimmer a sight of goal. Reedham then started to work some space as they finally got their foot on the ball, Edwards avoiding an onrushing attacker to feed into the middle of the park to Hunt who in turn released Jake Lazell who beat his marker for pace and the goalkeeper but couldn’t keep his flicked effort under the bar.
Half-Time: Reedham 2 - 1 Dersingham
Reedham took off Edwards, who was walking a disciplinary tightrope and replaced him with Jordan Castle who had now recovered from his twisted ankle. Cronin reverted to left back and Chrissy Earl came on for Lazell to add some strength in the middle of the park.
Reedham started brighter in the second half but were hit with a sucker punch of their own. An injury to Craig Sharman needed treatment and his forced exit to recover on the sidelines left Reedham wanting. Dersingham applied some more pressure and numbers in attack, forcing the ball home after a scramble in the Reedham defence. Reedham 2 – 2 Dersingham
Sharman’s return from a calf injury gave Reedham their solid shape back and with a goal now needed to prevent extra time he was pushed up front, with Ricky Grimmer dropping into the back line. The move was inspired. A long ball bounced over the Dersingham back line and from a difficult angle Sharman controlled a beautiful volley into the corner of the Dersingham goal. Reedham 3 – 2 Dersingham
Dersingham now needed another goal and poured men forward at will. This left space for Reedham to exploit but a lack of a killer final ball or sometimes some over complicated passing meant chances came and went. Sharman went closest with an audacious attempt from the centre circle with a half volley that only just cleared the bar with the keeper stranded. Ultimately Dersingham carved out some chances of their own.
Daniel Carter was still proving to be a colossus at the back and with the clock ticking down he pulled off his finest save of the afternoon. A powerful strike was headed towards the far corner of the net but Carter threw himself across the goal and somehow got fingertips to it and pushed it around the goal for yet another Dersingham corner. Dersingham players looked on in disbelief yet again and what was becoming a man of the match performance from the Reedham keeper. The resulting corner caused further panic and a goalline clearance from Ricky Grimmer ensured Reedham held onto their slim lead.
Dersingham pushed again and a speculative shot from distance was heading wide until it caught the boot of Jack Horiwitz and flew in off the post. It was the only way Carter was going to be beaten again and was cruel on Reedham who had withstood some heavy pressure until that point. Reedham 3 – 3 Dersingham
The two teams played out the remainder of the half and headed for extra time. At the start of extra time Chris Sparrow for the first time in the game was turned by the winger and lunged in with a sliding tackle inside the box. Luckily he missed both man and ball and the chance was palmed away yet again by Carter.
Then a moment of genius. Reedham created a corner on the right and Jordan Castle’s delivery was poor. However, Sharman gambled and got in front of his man on the near post to tuck the ball into the net with a deft back flick in mid air. It was a brilliant way to bring up his hat trick and he celebrated it in style with the spectators on the sidelines. Reedham 4 – 3 Dersingham
The game now became very stretched with Dersingham knowing they needed to find an equaliser. Reedham overpowered them in midfield and again created and wasted a series of chance before Sharman wrapped up the game in style with a cool finish from inside the box. Reedham 5 – 3 Dersingham
Reedham saw out one final worrying moment as a back pass was picked up but the indirect free kick from 10 yards from the Reedham goal merely found the ‘Wall’ that had become Daniel Carter.
Craig Sharman can count himself unlucky because there are not going to be many games when you score 4 goals and still not get the man of the match award but sorry Craig, Daniel Carter edged it for me. It was a brilliant display of keeping. Solid on crosses, quick off his line, sound kicking and a range of world class saves kept Reedham in the game throughout an entertaining contest.
Reedham now move on to play Dynamo on their 3G pitch at Eaton Park. Another difficult test against one of the League’s strongest outfits. Up the Green and Whites!
