The weather gods had seen fit to shine on the Riverside as we made the short trip to play Waldridge Park in the League Cup quarter final, it was nice to see our players arrive as frsh as the cut pitch at the Riverside.
In a bold change to the line up our skipper Liam Summers moved to left back with Michael Finch dropping to Centre back, Liam Burn partnered Luke Wilson up top with Asquith deputising for the injured Adam Davies.
Sacriston started very brightly both with crisp play in possession of the ball and working in packs to win the ball back quickly and starve Waldridge of time on the ball. After a half chance for each side Sacriston took the lead with a very well worked goal. Michael Finch took a clever free kick from half way to find Burn’s feet with Liam holding off the man mountain of a centre half he played a ball inside the left full back which David Winter read to perfection and pulled the ball back for Wilson to fire home. A mixture of relief and belief came along with the goal and Sacriston well and truly had their tails up.
Better followed when a sharp passing move involving Burn, Sanderson and finally Richardson resulted in a ball in the inside left channel from Gav and Luke doubled his tally and confidence for the rest of the game.
Inexplicably we then conceded a very soft goal when straight from the kick off Mcgee was released in behind Tom Winter and he rolled it past Asquith to half our lead. This felt like Deja-Vu as we seem to concede as soon as we go two-nil up in every game.
It wasn’t long before the lead was restored when Summers found Burn’s feet and went searching for the return pass, Burn released this into the left channel however Wilson had made a quick movement and slightly outpaced (Luke says totally burned everyone off) the skipper before rounding the keeper for a hat trick.
Sacriston were controlling the game and causing problems every time we went forward although Rooney was threading some intelligent balls for the home side which their failed to convert.
Sacriston then won a penalty when the impressive David Winter slipped inside the full back and was tripped. After a long break whilst home scorer Mcgee was treated for a leg injury, Wilson stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way to take his and Sacriston’s tally to four before half time. Again we got sloppy and the home side worked the ball down their right and a back post cross was converted by Chris Days.
At half time the confidence was Sacriston’s and the focus was on keeping the workrate high and making use of the ball in wide areas with Winter enjoying his best game of the season.
It was from a back post Winter cross that Sacriston extended the lead. Winter cutting inside and crossing left footed with Richardson leaping like a salmon to head home.
Waldridge scored again through their man of the match Joe Hughesfiring home at the near post. Sacriston hit back almost immediately when Andy White’s deep cross from the left saw Richardson again head home at the back post.
Sacriston made use of the available substitutes and it was nice to see Wardle return after a good 5-6 weeks out with a groin injury, I’m sure he’ll continue to lift us and the sharpness will return.
Another substitute Shaun Forster capped off the game when he spotted the keeper off his line and with a first class lob found the vacant net behind the home keeper, the ball through from Finch was lifted past the centre back before Forster's exquist lob. The celebration needs some work but the finishing was there.
We wish Waldridge all the best for the season a good bunch of lads and I’m sure they’ll have some success.
Special mentions to Chester-Le-Street Cricket club for the post match food and hospitality and to Colin Piggott who was outstanding in the middle yesterday at the tender age of seventy two he is still as mobile as some officials half his age and got just about every decision correct.
