Despite playing good football again for large periods of this match and creating a host of chances we came away from this game with nothing. This was through a combination of shocking individual defensive errors and wasteful finishing in front of goal. This is after all where all games of football are decided and until we start getting things right in both boxes we will continue to be beaten.
Sacriston were truly awful in the first 20 minutes and although we were kicking directly against a strong wind that was no excuse for the sloppy way we started the match. Washington went 1-0 up after 3 minutes when a cross was allowed to come over far too easily from the left hand side and the number 11 from Washington Sheriff got in at the near post and finished well.
Jacob Horner then pulled his groin and this meant an early re-shuffle in defensive which didn’t help our cause with Andrew Collinson coming on. Washington went 2-0 up on 11 minutes when Jones found himself on the ball deep in defensive and he decided to try and keep the ball rather than launch it up field but unfortunately for him he got caught in possession and the Washington forward gobbled up the chance to take the ball into the box and fire in a clinical finish to make it 2-0. Jones did recover from this to go on and have a decent game against the Washington number 11 Sheriff who on the day was the best player, however this was the wrong time and place to try and play your way out of trouble.
Sacriston got back into the game on 21 minutes when Gary Draper broke away down the right hand side and he delayed his pass to allow Grant Boyd the chance to join the attack and Boyd belted his shot into the top right hand corner of the net giving the Washington keeper no chance.
The rest of the first half was quite even with Sacriston finally getting a foothold in the game. Washington nearly went 3-1 up on the stroke of half time when a shot looked destined for the top corner from 18 yards but Potts did well to get across and turn the shot around the post.
Sacriston shot themselves in the foot again a minute into the 2nd half when a cross from the left was allowed to come into the box to easily again and Potts diverted the cross awkwardly away from goal which rebounded to a waiting Washington forward who responded to the loose ball well before all the Sacriston defenders and he buried his finish into the net at the near post.
On 52 minutes Sacriston made a double change in an effort to get more forward players involved in the game. James Thornton & Greg Coates came on for Michael Quinn and Chris Wood.
Sacriston for the next 25 minutes absolutely battered the Washington goal and created enough chances to win 5 matches. Washington seemed to retreat and looked to defend their 2 goal lead but Sacriston came hard. Greg Coates not long after coming on received the ball in space and with a better first touch would have found him through on goal one on one with the keeper but his touch let him down and the ball got away from him and the chance had gone.
There was a 3 minute period between 68-71 minutes when we created 3 chances to score.
The first from a Graeme Embleton corner which found Michael Frazer at the far post who powered his header towards the far corner where Ward was an inch away from sliding in to score. Then Graeme Embleton delivered a great free kick from the right hand side where Gary Draper did well to divert his header towards the far corner which just went wide again & then we had a shot which went just wide from 12 yards out.
Then we thought we had scored when Graeme Embleton cleverly disguised his reverse pass to Gary Draper who found himself in the clear and he finished well chipping the goalkeeper but the referee ruled it out for offside. This was a big decision and to be honest I thought he got it wrong but I have to say apart from this decision this was the best referee we have had all season and where possible he allowed the game to flow and was very consistent in his decision making which made for a refreshing change.
Then on 77 minutes with Washington’s first venture into our half for 25 minutes the killer blow arrived. There seemed no danger when the Washington player had the ball way out on the right hand touchline as he hit a hopeful cross into the box which somehow found its way over Potts’s head in the Sacriston goal and into the far corner of the net. This was another catastrophic error which all but killed the game after we had played so well for the previous 25 minutes.
Sacriston did respond straight away and scored to make it 4-2 when Collinson’s diagonal ball found the head off Gregory at the back post and he headed the ball on to the back of the Washington defender’s head and the ball found its way into the net.
Sacriston broke away again and Sean Gregory played in James Thornton who found himself on an angle but one on one with the keeper who closed him down quickly and saved his shot. If this had gone in I think we could have got a draw.
Although by now we were throwing caution to the wind which was allowing Washington the odd chance on the counter attack we still had plenty of efforts on the Washington goal. Greg Coates did well twice in creating space for himself on the edge of the box and he fired a couple of shots of at goal but the keeper was well positioned both times to make the saves. We also had a procession of corners from both sides which were well fired in by Embleton & Thornton but the Washington keeper did well in diverting the danger.
We continued to press hard and 3 minutes from time we had a great chance when we had a couple of shots blocked and saved by the goalkeeper all in the same passage of play and Collinson found himself with time to shoot at the far post from 8 yards out but the keeper got down to make another great save.
The final whistle was eventually blown and the game finished 4-2.
