Northern League Div 1
Dunston UTS 3
Marske Utd 0
Att 159
Match Report by Billy Montague.
Dunston welcomed Marske United to the UTS Stadium for this Ebac Northern League game which saw Manager Billy Irwin again without the services of the injured Dale Burrell, Dan Smith and Flu-hit Michael Pearson but Gary Shaw was able to return to the starting line-up. Though still carrying various injuries, Luke Gilhespy, Steven Richardson, Michael Liddle, Dan Halliday and Steven Bowey took their places on the bench while Andy Clark and Stephen Harrison were still unavailable. Marske United named a very strong team despite missing top-scorer Jamie Owens and included ex-Dunston player Liam O’Sullivan.
.
Both teams opened strongly in a fast end-to-end start to the game and when Marske won a left-wing corner in the 4th minute, Reece Kelly sent in a vicious flag-kick that Liam Connell punched confidently away with the ball going well away from danger. Two minutes later, Scott Martindale won a good tackle and sent a great ball up the right flank to Alex Francis who squared to Liam Thear 30-yards from goal. Thear wasted no time in beating two challenges before lofting a superb pass through to Malky Morien who drew keeper Robert Dean before chipping a marvelous finish from just outside the box to open the scoring. 1 – 0 to Dunston.
Marske attempted to get back into the game but found the Dunston defence in determined mood and though they built some decent approach play, they were unable to test Connell. The home side went closest to scoring when Morien just failed to get on the end of a James Luccock low cross in the 15th minute. On 20 minutes, Aris Guerin turned past Adam Wheatley and as the Dunston striker sped towards goal, the Marske captain hacked him down to earn a caution. Morien sent the resulant 30-yard free-kick narrowly over Dean’s crossbar. On 24 minutes, Marske were awarded a free-kick out on their left-wing but when Nathan Mulligan sent in a dangerous ball, Martindale was on hand to make a good clearance. Two minutes later the tricky Reece Kelly made a good run on the right but some great defending by Adam Wilkinson saw the winger run out of space and play the ball out for a goal-kick.
On 29 minutes James Luccock made a determined run on the Dunston right and after beating a couple of defenders he squared across the box where Morien just failed to connect in front of goal. In the 33rd minute Luke Bythway looked to have broken through the Dunston back-line but was flagged for off-side as he was about to shoot. Two minutes later, the hard-working Aris Guerin made another good turn to cause havoc outside the visitors’ box and drew a bad foul from centre-half Ryan Grier who was also cautioned. Scott Martindale took the free-kick but his pile-driver struck the defensive wall and was scrambled clear.
Half-time Score: Dunston UTS 1 Marske United 0
Dunston were forced to make a substitution at half-time with Steve Richardson replacing Matty Fisher who had been injured by a heavy tackle at the end of the first period. They came out in the second-half in a confident and determined mood but the visitors were making every effort to get an equaliser. On 53 minutes the strong running Luke Bythway managed to get past Gary Shaw on Dunston’s left but his cross-shot went past the near-post without testing Liam Connell.
Dunston grabbed the decisive second goal on 55 minutes when Liam Thear made a brilliant run to the left bye-line and cut in towards Dean’s goal. His pull-back was deflected across the six-yard box to Alex Francis whose low centre was cleared only as far as James Luccock on the edge of the box. The recent signing from North Shields wasted no time in coming onto the ball and smashed it into the top corner of the net giving keeper Dean no chance. 2 – 0 to Dunston.
Marske were not throwing in the towel and went very close to getting a goal back on 63 minutes when Bythway lofted a good effort narrowly past the angle. The Marske defence was being tested with some excellent runs by Richardson who was working hard to keep them occupied. On 70 minutes he gained possession on half-way and went past his marker with ease before sending Morien through on goal but Dean left his area to avert the danger. Three minutes later Richardson repeated the feat when he took on the Marske defence and almost set up Luccock but again the keeper intervened.
As Dunston kept up the pressure Grier almost put the ball into his own net from a wicked Morien cross but luckily for him the ball flew just outside of the post on 80 minutes. From the resulting Alex Francis corner a Dan Capewell effort was blocked on the goal-line and in the ensuing scramble, the big Dunston central defender just failed to force home. After a Morien shot scraped past the post on 87 minutes, Dunston grabbed a deserved third goal a minute later when Steven Richardson ran onto a Francis through ball only to be blocked by Dean but the ball squirted kindly into the path of Malky Morien who gleefully rammed home. 3 – 0 to Dunston.
As the game petered out Marske almost scored a consolation goal when Danny Brunskill met a Mulligan right-wing corner at the far post but his powerful header just cleared the angle.
Full-time Score: Dunston UTS 3 Marske United 0
Referee, Lindsey Robsinson, Assistants, Ashley Royston, Gavin Scott.
Dunston Man of the Match: The Whole Team – In another excellent all-round team performance, it would be difficult to single out any one individual.
Dunston UTS: Connell, Martindale, Shaw, Fisher (Richardson), Wilkinson, Capewell, Luccock, Francis, Guerin, Morien, Thear. Subs not used: Gilhespy, Liddle, Halliday, Bowey.
Marske United: Dean, Brockbank, O’Sullivan, Seaton, Grier, Wheatley, Hood (Nicholson), Mulligan, Preston, Bythway (Brunskill), Kelly. Subs not used: Briggs, Dixon, Plews.
.
14 Pictures Below...
Next home game, 12th April versus West Auckland, Northern League Fixture. 7:30pm.
No comments:
Post a Comment