Northallerton Town 1 - New Marske Juniors 2
With the welcome return of Danny and Conor to the team we travelled to Northallerton, a fixture in which we normally do well. The weather was once again unusually bright and sunny and the pitch had been cut, athough it was hardly a short back and sides as the long tramlines near where we congregated showed.
We started the game brightly enough and an early shot flew across the Northallerton box, although not close enough to the opposition goal to cause any problem. The first real opportunity came as we were awarded a free kick about 25 yards out. Looking to be well within his range, Jack lined the free kick up, and with the management instructing him to look wide to David who was free on the left touchline, he instead played the ball to Andy in the box. Andy couldn't get on the end of it as the defender shrugged him off the ball.
On 8 minutes a long ball saw Frank break free from the defence, only for the ball to run to the keeper before he could claim it. Most of the chances were falling our way, and Ryan was the next to have a crack, when he picked the ball up centrally and ran at the Northallerton defence, only to see his resultant shot end up well wide of the goal.
The Northallerton player tries to shield the ball, but it's cleared by New Marske
The pressure eventually told after 11 minutes, when from a free kick on the left, Jack floated a lovely ball into the box. Frank found himself in space and coolly nodded the ball past the stranded keeper. 0-1 to New Marske.
Northallerton came straight back at us from the kick off with an attack down the left, ending with a shot across the goal and out for a goal kick. Two minutes later Frank claimed his second goal when he broke clear of the defence following a long kick by Dean. He kept his composure and slotted the ball home to make the score 0-2.
Northallerton came back once again and a blocked shot be David was eventually tidied up by Dean at the second attempt. There were a large number of foul throws being awarded by the referee, surprisingly since he had spoken to the lads before the kick off, so they should have been aware this was likely to happen.
Although we were two goals up Northallerton were pushing forward, and tackles were needed by Greg and Jack to keep the opposition at bay. On 20 minutes we very nearly put the game to bed, when a nice ball forward by David found Frank. With a bit of space, he beat his defender and crashed his shot onto the bar. Andy got on the end of the ball as it came down, but could only put the ball wide of the post.
A tussle for the ball
Northallerton came back with a couple of successive corners, the first being cleared by Jack, and the second eventually being scrambled away. We followed this up with a nice patient move down the right, as we knocked the ball around looking for an opening. Bash eventually floated the ball forward, only for the whistle to go for offside. Another cross from the right saw Andy flying in to try and make the header, but the referee's whistle once again sounded for offside.
On the first half performance we were generally looking controlled and on top of the match, and nearly got the elusive third goal when the ball came to Andy, who swivelled and shot narrowly wide of the goal again.
Northallerton towards the end of the half came more into the game and Dean was nearly caught out by a cross/shot from the right, which he did well to knock away at the last minute. A crunching challenge by Jack broke up another attack as Northallerton pushed onwards. They did manage to get a goal back on 31 minutes, when the ball bounced around a bit without being cleared and finally went out to the left just outside the box, when a Northallerton player hit a screamer of a shot into the far corner of the net. 1-2 to New Marske.
New Marske go into a 0-2 lead after 13 minutes
Right on the stroke of half time Ryan went on a lovely run into the Northallerton penalty area where he was brought down for an obvious penalty, however the referee had decided to blow his whistle for half time, just before Ryan entered the box.
Half-time: 1-2
So, for the fourth game in a row we were ahead at the break. Hopefully this time we could turn the tide and go on to win the game.
Straight from the kick off we did our usual trick of losing the ball to the opposition. As they drove forward I wondered if we were going to concede another early goal. As it happened, we didn't as Jack came across to make a timely challenge and get the ball clear. We shifted the ball quickly from defence, pressed on, and ended up with a corner. The corner didn't come to anything as it sailed past everybodys heads.
The Northallerton goalscorer found himself in an identical position to the one he scored from, only this time his shot went wide of the far post. We looked to have a very promising break next as Frank, Ryan and Andy bombed forwards, only for the move to fizzle out as they seemed to be caught in two minds on what to do.
Running with the ball (coached by Toulouse Lautrec)
We looked in trouble when the ball was pumped forward and a Northallerton attacker found himself free. That was until Dougy came in with a great challenge just as he was about to strike his shot. The game was held up for a minute when Danny got treatment for a blow to his head. Frank went close on the next attack, which gained us a corner. Northallerton won the ball and tried to break away, but a couple of tackles by Dougy won the ball back, ending with a shot by Ryan going wide of the post.
We mounted more pressure when Danny had a couple of shots at goal, only for the ball to go out for another corner. From the corner we knocked the ball around well but couldn't create an opening. Although it was Conor's first game of the season, he was full of running and on a number of occassions drove the ball deep down the right hand side.
Danny found himself in the referees book, when he deliberately handled the ball as it sailed over his head from a throw-in. Dougy needed some treatment when he got injured defending a corner, which held play up for a couple of minutes. From the restart we got the ball back, which led to a great chance by Andy, when a Northallerton player could only help the ball forwards into his path. He hit a firm shot but the ball was eventually scrambled clear.
After 55 minutes, Conors first game back was brought to a close when he was substituted, as Johnny came on to replace him. Another corner to us was hit in low, Jack adjusting his body to get to the ball couldn't direct it on target as the ball went out for a goal kick. There was a lot of bemusement and bewilderment in the crowd when the referee awarded a free kick to Northallerton just outside our penalty area. Nobody seemed to know what it was awarded for. The free kick was taken, forcing Dean to make a save. He wasn't able to hold the ball as it fell to a Northallerton player, but luckily for us he chipped it over the bar.
Another New Marske clearance
Ryan broke away following a great clearing header from Jack, and it looked like we might get the chance of the third goal. However, as is our way, we overplayed it by wanting to run with the ball rather than pass it and the chance was once again lost. The missed chances nearly proved costly when Northallerton broke away and the attacker looked to have got around Dean, but somehow he managed to get a hold of the ball and hang on to it.
Northallerton were pushing us back as they tried to get an equaliser, although we should have had them well beaten by this point. We were finding it tough to get any possession of the ball, as we continued to give it away cheaply. Bash got himself into trouble by trying a turn in our box instead of putting his foot through it,. but Jack was quickly across to snuff out the danger with a strong challenge.
On 65 minutes David came off to be replaced by Liam, and shortly after we were awarded another free kick, which saw Ryan come off to be replaced by Ben. Jacks free kick was once again floated in, just like the earlier one, but this time nobody took a chance to follow it in. For some reason this seems the normal situation. Take a chance lads and follow it in, you might just end up with a simple tap in!
timing is everything, as the Northallerton player jumps too early
We were looking very tired as we continued to give the ball away cheaply. Northallerton had another chance as the Northallerton player knocked the ball past Bash, but hit his shot wide of the goal. That was the final action of the game as we earned our first win of the season. Although fully deserved, we did make hard work of it at times.
Final Score: Northallerton Town 1 - New Marske 2MOTM:- : Robert Douglas