If this performance doesn’t convince our own players that we do belong at this level then nothing will. It wasn’t just that we got a great result yesterday at Hetton Lyons it was in the way in which we did it that pleases me most. We didn’t just park the bus and defend for our lives, when we got the chance we played some great football and we created more chances in this game alone against Hetton than in all previous games against them put together in the past.
Sacriston had 3 key players missing for this game in Gregory, Bladen & Ward. Hetton started the game quickly and got in behind us a couple of times without making the most of the opportunities. The pitch at Murton is massive but the playing surface was particularly bumpy in most areas and made playing good football difficult but both teams tried to do so none the less.
Hetton came close a couple of times during the first half with a couple of shots and headers from crosses with Potts in the Segga goal forced into a couple of good saves. Gary Draper’s excellent movement along with the powerful Harrison up front who was magnificent particularly in the air gave us a much needed outlet and got us further up the field.
Then on 18 minutes following some good keep ball in and around the box Segga created a great chance when Grant Boyd did well to shift the ball on to his right foot from 12 yards out and his shot looked destined for the bottom left corner of the net but it went agonisingly just wide.
The game by now was quite even and very competitive in all areas. Stuart Fenton unfortunately had to be substituted on 30 minutes after failing to run off a dead leg and was replaced by Andrew Solan who went on to have an excellent match.
Then on 38 minutes our big moment came when Danny O’Brien managed to keep possession of the ball following Graeme Embleton’s corner and he managed to turn on the ball and shoot with his right foot (DROGBA-ESQUE) which nestled nicely into the bottom left corner. We did then have a difficult 5 minutes or so until half time and Hetton nearly levelled on 43 minutes when a near post corner was met powerfully on the head by the Hetton player but the ball cannoned back of the bar and away to safety.
Half time came and went and we started the 2nd half much the better, we were having lots of possession and forced 3 or 4 corners from which O’Brien nearly scored from again in one instance but he put his header just wide.
Then on or around the 50th minute we went 2-0 ahead. Gary Draper knocked the ball forward in behind the Hetton defence and chased the ball down himself, the Hetton number 2 Denver tried to run his way out of trouble with the ball in covering defensively but he did it across his own box and lost control of the ball which then fell beautifully to John Harrison who lashed home a right footed volley into the net.
At this time we were playing so well and looking comfortable but on 55 minutes we gave Hetton a way back into the game. Denver got forward from right back and crossed to the far post where Potts came of his line to collect but the ball went over his head where Quinn seemed to have lost his man who had an easy header to tap into the empty net to make it 2-1.
Hetton were coming on strong now and for the first time in the match we seemed under a sustained amount of pressure. I brought on Greg Coates for James Thornton who had had a very solid game on the hour mark in an attempt to give us a more direct threat to goal on the counter attack with Gary Draper moving back into midfield.
Then on 63 minutes a simple through ball which went down the middle of our defence caused us all kinds of problems and as the Hetton forward, Collinson & Potts all converged on the ball on the edge of the box the Hetton man just got to the ball first and poked his shot past Potts into the goal to make it 2-2. Potts collision with Collinson winded him and as a result I substituted him for Matty Rudge who came on into midfield and Rob Draper went back to play at sweeper.
The remaining of the game became very open with both sides really needing the win. Hetton were doing most of the pressing but we looked very dangerous on the counter attack and we were not just sitting back as soon as we got the ball we were bursting forward and the next big chance came from one such instance on 80 minutes. Grant Boyd, John Harrison, Matty Rudge and Greg Coates were all involved in a really good passing move which eventually put Coates in the clear but the last Hetton defender was pulling away at him trying to put him off but to Coates credit he stayed on his feet and backed himself to take the chance and he just lifted his effort to far over the out rushing Hetton keeper and over the bar. That was our moment to win the game!
Just over a minute later Hetton had a great chance to score when their forward punched the bouncing ball forward in front of him to get into a shooting position inside the box which somehow the referee amazingly missed but thankfully Potts in the Segga goal played to the whistle and he came flying of his line and spread himself well to make a brilliant save. Our defenders closest to the incident Quinn & O’Brien went nuts with the referee for missing the incident however we defended the resulting corner well and carried on with the game.
Hetton did put the ball into our box a few times and did have a good chance with one header which was put over the bar but we were defending well and restricted Hetton to very few chances in the last 10 minutes or so. We did have one more big moment in the game when a burst from midfield by Draper got him to over halfway then he got to the ball to Coates who knocked it over the top for himself to run on to but the Hetton defender crudely stuck his arm out and blocked the ball. With the rest of the Hetton team committed up field Coates would have been through one on one. The player was correctly booked because the incident happened just inside Hetton’s half and there was too much ground between Coates and the goal to deem it a clear goal scoring opportunity. It didn’t stop it from being very frustrating for us though.
The referee blew the final whistle shortly afterwards as the game ended 2-2. On another day we could have won but we can take great pride from our performance going into our last 4 games starting at Newton Aycliffe next Sunday.
I would like to mention that apart from the one mistake the referee MR W. Burrell had an excellent match and was not intimidated and had a good presence on the field and always seemed to be in the right place to make whatever call was needed to make.
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The whole team were outstanding we carried no passengers out there with every player doing their bit for the team. Choosing a man of the match is tough but Gary Draper just shaves it from Grant Boyd for his outstanding physical effort he was like 3 players in 1 out there today. A striker, defensive midfielder and ball carrier from midfield he was just everywhere a truly monumental effort he carried the team through the difficult period just after when Hetton got back to 2-2.
