This was one game too far for our team today. When you play Hetton Lyons away you really need most if not all of your squad available particularly the younger fitter players. We had 11 players plus 2 injured subs that also had to be used during the match.
The game was played at South Hetton and the playing surface was simply magnificent. It was like playing on a carpet with not one piece of grass out of place which was a nice change for us.
Sacriston got off to the worst possible start after 2 minutes when Michael Quinn conceded an unnecessary corner and from that corner the Hetton number 11 got in at the post unmarked to head home from 4 yards out.
Gary Draper playing his first game for a while had a great shot from 20 yards which just went over the bar for Sacriston in response on 5 minutes.
Hetton went 2-0 up on 7 minutes when a sweeping move down the left resulted in a cut back across the face of the 6 yard box which Sean Gregory desperately tried to intercept but he could only divert the ball into his own net. The interception attempt was needed because otherwise the Hetton player waiting in behind him had an open goal at his mercy.
Apart from one Hetton effort where there player hit a shot against the post for the next 15 minutes Sacriston had their best spell of the match and had more than enough chances to get back level. We had a succession of corners and from one of them we had several attempts on the Hetton goal with Gregory and Harrison having shots well blocked and saved and O’Brien had a header cleared of the line by a finger tip save by the Hetton keeper.
Then on 24 minutes Grant Boyd played a fantastic diagonal ball from left to right which landed perfectly at the feet of Craig Coates who found himself in the clear one on one with the Hetton keeper but for once Coates finishing let him down and the keeper saved easily.
Hetton Lyons went 3-0 up on 26 minutes when a blistering counter attack resulted in a tap in following a sweeping team move. Now it is hard enough to play against a great side like Hetton Lyons as it is but they certainly don’t any help from the referee. This goal was at least 3 yards offside but was allowed to stand and this killed the game off early as a contest. The referee did later say the speed of the move caught him out and with no linesman it is difficult but this was so far offside it was ridiculous.
Hetton Lyons still had the majority of possession but Sacriston looked dangerous going forward and were causing problems but we just couldn’t get that goal we needed when we had the chance. John Harrison went close again on 41 minutes when his header looked destined for the top corner but the Hetton keeper did brilliantly again to get across to his right and tip the ball round the post.
Half time came and went and obviously at times we were chasing the ball a lot and the lads justifiably tired but never gave up. John Harrison had a particularly good game winning nearly every header and he put in a real shift for the team and posed a significant threat but didn’t get enough service. His hold up play was excellent and he did manage to give the Segga defence a little breather by retaining the ball well.
Hetton scored a 4th goal on 64 minutes when O’Brien made a great tackle on the edge of the box for Sacriston but nobody came to his aid to clear the ball and Gavin Barton collected the ball and curled a sumptuous shot into the net via the far post leaving Potts in the Segga goal motionless. This was the goal of the night.
Sacriston dug in though and managed not to concede again to keep it at 4-0. We even had a penalty given on 78 minutes when Harrison was put in the clear by Sean Gregory’s pass and was brought down in the box by a back pedalling Hetton defender. The referee pointed to the spot but after some conjecture then changed his mind and gave a corner apparently after over hearing Harrison say what a good tackle it was. This was tough to take and the Hetton defenders who surrounded the referee after the incident I feel influenced the decision which ultimately was correct but try telling that to our defenders for the 3rd goal which Hetton scored which was 3 yards offside.
None of this would have affected the result however and Hetton were by far the superior team and at times played wonderful football and on this evidence it is easy to see why they have gone through the league season unbeaten so far.
I would like to say a big thank you to my team for not throwing in the towel when everything went against them in this match and we showed good spirit. Our last league game is at Newton Aycliffe WMC on Sunday where we need a point to guarantee a 7th placed finish above Sherburn.
