Thornaby on Tees 3 - New Marske 3
On a smaller pitch than usual we started the game against Thornaby in a positive way, pushing the opposition back from the start and it got better in the second minute. Thornaby hit a ball forward that was well cleared by Andy to Joe, who broke sway. The keeper came out and looked to have got to the ball when Joe's long leg sneaked in to chip it over his head and into the net. 0-1 to New Marske.
The scoreline very nearly improved a minute later when Jow was taken out in a good position, just outside the box. Johnny took the free kick and looked to be going in until the keeper got to it and pushed it up at the last minute. It was a very bright start to the game for us, as we were boxing Thornaby in, causing them to struggle to get out of their half. Another close attempt by Liam saw us keep the pressure on, before Thornaby managed to break away, that allowed Andy to tidy up nicely.
Totally against the run of play Thornaby got back into the match. Dean's goal kick went to Dougy, who held the ball looking for some support, which allowed a Thornaby player to close him down and win the ball. Andy then fouled the Thornaby player giving Thornaby a free kick. The ball was floated in and somehow it ended up in the back of our net. 1-1.
The early pressure from us was now being matched by Thornaby and the game play had evened itself up as both sides tried to get on top. The small pitch meant that finding space wasn't easy as the came continued to be congested. We found ourselves under some pressure next as Thornaby knocked the ball around our box before a gresat ball put a Thornaby player through into the box. Just as he was about to pull the trigger Jack came in to make a great challenge to deny him.
There was a long delay while a new ball was sorted out after the Thornaby keeper made no mistake with his clearance, with the ball finally coming to rest in Stockton High Street I think. Was play resumed from the throw the ball was hit goalward and caught the keeper undecided as it hit his post before being knocked out for a goal kick. We kept the pressure on when Joe looked like he was through before dropping to the floor under a challlenge that the referee played on, followed by a shot from Danny, that went well wide.
Thornaby nearly got in when a long ball out was covered by Jack who looked like he was going to play the ball back to Dean, however instead he knocked it inside to Andy, the only problem being the Thornaby player racing in to win the ball, good defending by Andy though saw the ball cleared forward, as Joe managed another shot with the ball rolling narrowly wide of the goal. Johnny was next to have a shot but it wasn't going to trouble the keeper.
Thornaby looked to have got clear in the box until Andy won a great challenge, injuring himself in the process. The game was tight, and it wasn't long before we had another break in play as Johnny was sent flying when attempting to make a challenge.Thornaby were penned in once more as we went in search of a second goal, but it ended with another weak effort by Danny. A great clearing head by Jack sent Joe away but his shot ended safely in the keepers hands.
All our pressure came to nothing a minute later when disaster struck. A long ball over the top looked no danger as David looked like he would make a simple clearance, but instead he sliced his clearance back into the danger area. Before Dean could react a Thornaby player came in and put the ball into the net. 2-1 to Thornaby. Just on the stroke of half time a Thornaby goal kick was scuffed straight to Liam, but before he could put it into the net the referee blew his whistle!
Half-time: Thornaby on Tees 2 - New Marske 1
The scoreline at half time was harsh on us after dominating the first half. Thornaby had scored two goals from errors by us, but those aside they hadn't created any other scoring chances. We did make a double change at half time with David and Jack coming of, as Bash and Ben Leaper came on. This meant Jow was withdrawn from upfront back into the defence.
The game restarted with us under quite a bit of pressure as we kept giving free kicks away around our box. We looked very nervous and unsure, unlike the first half. A foul by Andy saw a free kick awarded just outside our box. the resultant shot was tipped over by Dean. The corner came into the box where a Thornaby player totally unchallenged put the ball wide of the goal.
A decent effort by Danny on the left was struck from about 25 yards but it floated over the bar. This was followed up by another shot, this time it was well, well wide of the goal. We were knocking the ball around amongst ourselves, but there didn't appear to be any direction in what we were doing. Eventually Greg tried a shot but it went well wide again.
Thornaby mounted a break down the right and found themselves in acres of space. With no challenge coming in the ball weas hit across the box where it somehow managed to miss the unmarked player in the centre and the unmarked player coming in on the edge of the box. We won a free kick outside the box when Ben got a shove in the back. the free kick was hit in by Danny but nobody looked like they wanted to win it for us. We were starting to look very disorganised as Thornaby were able to get the ball down and put there foot on it whilst having a look around to see what to do with it. All this with no pressure on the ball from us.
Johnny got clattered outside the box, and the free kick was put into the box. The ball found its way back to the keeper without any of our players making an attempt to get anywhere near it. Thornaby were getting more time and space the longer the game went on, and we couldn't seem to get out of first gear. Thornaby were coping very easily at the back now, a complete turn around from the first half, and it wasn't easy to see how we were going to get back into it.
The situation was made a whole lot worse shortly after. The ball was picked up by Thornaby on their left hand side of midfield unchallenged. The ball was floated back into the box where it ran towards the edge of the box on the right. With nobody closing the ball down Dean went out to do it, but it was a simple task for the Thornaby player to play the ball to another unmarked player on the edge of the box who put the ball into the unguarded net. 3-1 to Thornaby. We were all over the place at the back and the way we were playing it looked as if it could get a whole lot worse.
From a corner to us, the ball came to Danny who whipped the ball across and over the bar. A couple of minutes later Ben hit a shot but once again well over the bar. We were nearly caught again when Conor missed his challenge allowing the Thornaby player to break free. Dean came to close him down, only to see the ball chipped over him, and luckily for us wide of the goal. Things weren't improving as Thornaby continued to find time and space and dominate the challenges.
A corner was played short for Thornaby as the receiving player went on a walttz around our players in the box before we managed to eventually put a challenge in and knock it out for another corner. This one ended with a shot over the bar before Joe managed to tackle him. It was very difficult to see how we could get back into the game which seemed to slipping further and further away.
We did mount another break, as Joe who was by now back up front tried an overhead kick, that ended up well over the bar. Thornaby were back on the attack next and crisp passing inside our box once more went unchallenged, as we struggled to raise our game, and even our heads. In all the doom and gloom, somehow we did manage to raise our game with five minutes to go to the final whistle. Joe got away down the left and played the ball into Conor on the 18 yard line. The keeper came out and nearly scythed him down, but the ball fell to Joe who stepped inside and hit his shot goalward. The defender on the line couldn't make contact as the ball hit the net. 3-2 to Thornaby. Could we mount a late challenge?
There was some very tentative defending by us on the edge of the box, but we somehow managed to get the ball clear. After some sort of incident on the touchline the referee ran backwards the full width off the field to Stu/Andy to have a word about something. The end result was Danny being subbed which let Robert come on for the final few minutes. The game looked to be fizzling out when Dean hit a long ball forward, deep into the Thornaby half. Joe and Conor chased it down, with Joe managing to get to it first as he slotted it home for the equaliser with the last kick of the match. 3-3.
Make no mistake, after the second half performance we were incredibly lucky to get something from this game, although we should have made more of the good first half performance.
Final Score: Thornaby on Tees 3 - New Marske 3
MOTM:- : Joe Harvey
Other images from the game...
