This was a bad day for the Cricket Club side as we lost 3-0 to our closest rivals Sacriston WMC. The day started bad for us and just got worse as it went on. Quinn & McCormack on the morning of the game were unavailable and Marc Bladen got injured early on in the game and couldn’t continue which left us having to re-organise the team.
However one thing must be said on behalf of everyone involved at Sacriston Colliery Cricket Club FC. The result of the game is important to all concerned but pails into insignificance compared to somebody’s well being and the injury to Andrew White during the match was awful. I have now been told that he has suffered a broken leg and I would like to take this opportunity to wish him all the best in his recovery. Sean Gregory was the man who put in the tackle that resulted in the injury and was duly sent off. The point I am making here though is that Sean was devastated by the incident and having known him for many years now it was the first time I had ever seen him cry and there is now way he intentionally went out to injury him. We will help in any way we can as a club to assist in any fundraising events he might have in the future. There were a lot of hard tackles that went in during the game from both sides and it was very unfortunate that Andrew White ended up getting hurt like he did.
Before I carry on with my version of the match report I would say that the referee had an unfortunate influence with some of his decisions on the day in the final outcome and in a game as big as this you really need a strong official. I know he wasn’t officially down to referee the game being a replacement at short notice but he simply wasn’t up to the job and made so many errors that it became a lottery at times as to what his decision was going to be next.
Sacriston WMC started the game better and created some early chances with some quick incisive play which forced Potts in the Cricket Club goal to make some excellent early saves. Sean Gregory did manage to break up this period of play early on 7 minutes when he burst through the WMC back line but he lost control of the ball at the vital moment and the big chance had gone.
Then on 9 minutes the WMC took the lead when the Cricket Club made a hash of clearing a near post corner from Dean Smith which was bundled over the line under pressure from several players from both teams in the crowded 6 yard area through our goalkeeper Potts.
To be honest it was no more than the WMC deserved. David Winter got injured for the WMC after 10 minutes or so after a very bright start to the game playing on the right hand side and he left the game to be replaced by Andrew White who then of course got injured himself.
On 15 minutes Anthony Ward had a great chance to get the Cricket Club level when he was put through by Gary Draper but Ward took his shot early instead of carrying the ball further into the penalty box and his shot was easily saved.
James Thornton who came on to replace Marc Bladen then got injured after 2 minutes and had to be replaced which meant Rob Draper having to come back and play in defence to mark Sam Renwick for which in the most part he did very well. Then the incident on 18 minutes occurred when Andrew White got injured and play was held up for close to an hour while the ambulance came and took Andy away.
I wasn’t happy though with the way that players, officials and spectators alike from the WMC harassed the referee into ensuring Sean Gregory got sent off and this tone continued throughout the match with lots of loud squealing and shouting in unison at the referee with any incident on the pitch.
Gregory was sent off which forced the Cricket Club into another re-shuffle and then on 20 minutes the WMC got a killer 2nd goal. I was particularly furious at this goal because the award of the free kick was very soft in the first place and then after Dean Smith had put the ball into the box the final position from where Gavin Richardson scored from he was clearly in an offside position but the goal was allowed to stand and within the context of the game this was a crucial decision and to play the remaining 70 minutes of the game from 2-0 down was always going to be a huge mountain to climb.
The game settled down a little bit after that and on 34 minutes the Cricket Club made a change by bringing on Greg Coates for Jacob Horner to try and give us more of a threat up front.
The Cricket Club created a great chance just before half time when Graeme Embleton’s free kick was met by the glancing head of O’Brien at the back post which looked to be going into the corner of the net but Davies did well in the WMC goal to get down well and make the save.
The Cricket Club started to play a little better in the 2nd half and started to have lots more possession and chipped away where possible and created a couple of chances. Firstly when Gary Draper did well to beat a couple of players and crossed to the back post where Ward headed over. Then a little later a great run by Gary Draper straight through the middle of the WMC defence was cut short cynically by Michael Finch who brought him down 25 yards from goal. From that free kick Graeme Embleton struck a sweet shot but Davies did well again in the WMC goal getting across to his left to tip the ball round the post.
Ryan Grayson replaced Andrew Collinson on 64 minutes and he stretched the WMC back line at times with his running power. He had the best chance of the lot though on 75 minutes when the ball came to him on his left foot from a right wing cross but he failed to make a connection and his next effort was blocked and eventually cleared to safety.
The Cricket Club had one other chance during the 2nd half when a corner found Danny O’Brien and Rob Draper both going for the same ball with a free header from 6 yards out and if either of these players had called for the header a simple goal was there for the taking.
The WMC did have chances of their own during this period one big one on 72 minutes when Sam Renwick wrestled free from a couple of challenges but Potts stuck out a right leg to deny his goal bound shot.
The first 30 minutes of play during the 2nd half was the only time during the game where the Cricket Club established some foothold and creativity in the game but the goal didn’t come. Then the WMC on 78 minutes made the game safe when a cross was hung up to the back post where Ward had done well in clearing for the cricket club but was blatantly pushed in the back by Gavin Richardson but play was allowed to continue and a moment later David Wardle’s shot then deflected of Ward and past Potts into the net to make it 3-0. This goal should never have been allowed to stand and the 3rd was harsh on the Cricket Club on reflection of play during the 2nd half who had battled hard with only 10 men for so long.
This killed the game as a contest and the remaining 10 minutes or so thankfully passed without any more incidents.
The WMC deserved there win and undoubtedly wanted it more which is very difficult for me to take. There players in the main were younger fitter & sharper from the first minute to the last. Sam Renwick & Ben Sanderson were very impressive on the day but to be honest all the WMC players played well and we just could not match their intensity.
This result I hope might prove to be a good thing in the long term because it should shock our players into action because as well as the WMC were we were awful for most of this game. The way the WMC team played reminded me of the teams we had in the early years and played with no fear and with freedom and with lots of energy. If we are to improve our own performances we must get back to this style ourselves.
I would like to think that the Cricket Club side for the most part over the last 9 years have set some pretty high standards but this is the lowest point for me since we started. To be outplayed is one thing but for the other side to want it more is quite another. I do appreciate that things went against us on the day with 2 of the 3 goals that the WMC scored should never have been allowed to stand but in all honesty I think we would have lost anyway.
The Cricket Club are now left in 2 cups and with 15 league games left so we have a hell of a lot still to play and fight for starting in the league next week away at Sedgefield St.Edmunds.
