For the third league game in a row Sacriston threw away a lead and therefore another 2 points having dominated this match from start to finish and a draw is hard to take given on the balance of play. However we only had ourselves to blame because we missed several glorious opportunities to make the game safe and then lost a goal to a set piece with 5 minutes to go.
Sacriston went into the game with the same starting XI from the week before and this is the first time we have been able to do that this season. The game had a very cagey start with both teams happy to keep safe possession and it was Potts in the Sacriston goal on 8 minutes who was forced into his only save of the game as it turned out when the JFC number 10 did well in getting his shot away from outside the box and Potts tipped his shot over the bar.
Sacriston took the lead on 18 minutes when Sean Gregory followed in a free kick by Graeme Embleton which struck the wall and rebounded to Gregory who also fired in a shot which hit a JFC defender and found its way to the oncoming Embleton who drove a fierce shot from just inside the box into the bottom left hand corner.
Sacriston dominated the play for the rest of the first half and had plenty of possession and at times played some lovely passing football but lacked that killer edge in the final third. Sean Gregory who was dominating the midfield area came really close on 41 minutes when his rasping shot from the edge of the 18 yard box cannoned of the right hand post.
The 2nd half showed the same pattern and only occasionally did JFC get close to our box and didn’t really threaten the Sacriston goal but we allowed them to stay in the game through our wasteful finishing.
Anthony Ward was put clean through on goal after a clever flick by Ryan Grayson but Ward hesitated and eventually after having all the time in the world to decide how to finish the chance put his shot wide.
Bladen, Solan & Rob Draper making his first appearance of the season all came on in the 2nd half in an attempt to makes sure we still had fresh legs for the final part of the game.
Sean Gregory then had a great chance to score on 75 minutes when a cross to the back post found him all alone 8 yards from goal but he steered his first time volley over the bar. The JFC goalkeeper made some good saves during the game which at times were due to his excellent positioning and was excellent in commanding his area and he relieved pressure from his defenders by collecting crosses.
Then on 85 minutes Washington got away down the left hand side and Marc Bladen committed a foul on the player level with the 18 yard line near the left hand touchline. The resulting free kick came into the box which was flicked on and then headed into the net from 10 yards out to make it 1-1.
Sacriston had a good opportunity on 87 minutes to re take the lead when Rob Draper played the ball over to the back post where Gary Draper was waiting but he volleyed his shot from 12 yards straight at the JFC keeper. Then in the last minute we got a free kick which was put expertly into the box by Embleton and his cross found the diving head of Gregory who diverted the ball towards the bottom right hand corner but the JFC keeper pulled off another good save and the referee had blown for offside in any case and shortly after the final whistle was blown.
Our defence were brilliant throughout with Frazer & Collinson particularly impressing and these two often started off our attacks with clever passing from the back. Gregory and Embleton never stopped trying to make things happen in midfield with or without the ball and were at the hub of everything positive we were trying to do.
Overall another good team performance all that was lacking was the killer 2nd goal and the longer the game went on without that goal the more likely it was that JFC might create one decent chance in the 90 minutes to nick a point which to their credit they duly did.
