West Hallam 3 Hucknall Sports U14's Sunday 4

Sunday 1st February 2004

Derby City League   Challenge Cup 3rd round

After a two week lay off due to bad weather, Sports were thrown into a cup quarter final tie match rusty.  They eventually came up trumps in a battle of two halves with the slope and a strong wind proving the decisive factor.

West Hallam started the game stronger, pushing the Sports midfield back into defensive mode, but it wasn't long before they took control, laying siege to the home teams goal.  Ross King's rebound from a corner landed at the feet of Luke Thomas who fired home from the edge of the area.  With Dom
Masotano and Matt Peberday running  the midfield it was only a matter of time for the second goal and this came when Scott Rogers tapped in from short range after a superb move after a lovely cross from Matt.  Dom then let rip with a screamer from outside the box, leaving the goalkeeper looking at fresh air and Gaz Hayes completed the first half scoring with a sweet left footer.  Four to the good at half time, Sports looked home and dry.

If the first half was about attacking football, the second the defence were at the fore.  It was all hands on deck as the home team used the slope  and wind to their advantage.  In particular Joe Hunt, Jack Allen and Paul Burgess were brilliant thwarting attack after attack.  Tackles were hard and bruising with no quarter asked or given.  Midway through the half Hallam pulled one back after Gaz Hayes headed the ball into his own net.  Sports kept trying to attack despite the slope with Kevin Farrel and Ross King
proving troublesome. Within the dying minutes West Hallam pulled two more goals back from set pieces.  In the end Sports desperately hung on for a well deserved win and a place in the semi final of the cup.