Hucknall Sports U13's 2 Carlton Boys 2000 2
Saturday 2nd April 2005
CARLTON MAKE THEIR POINT!
Some tricky conditions meant that whichever team were going to revert to an on the floor style of play, would do well, a hard centre lane and tufty outer flanks coupled with a steady breeze, made the high balls difficult for the forwards to read throughout the game, catching both sides out on many occasions, making an over the top style of play difficult to create goal scoring chances from.
Hucknall made heavy work of the
first half, though enjoying the majority of the possession, were unlucky not to
convert, especially when 2 chances glanced the cross bar on 20 and 30 minutes
from the left feet of Ross Lamb and Jan Westrik respectively, leaving the game
goalless at the break. The game
desperately needed a goal from either team to bring about some passion, and it
was the efforts of Carlton who took the game to the home side after the restart,
that got their reward. Some loose
defending allowed Carlton a clear chance on goal to score in the 50th
minute.
This was the wake-up call
Hucknall needed, and bounced back almost instantly when Shaun Holmes
miraculously got on the end of one of the high through balls, to control and
shoot for his 9th of the season.
On a high, Hucknall surged forward to press the visitors for another
goal, this time a sensational corner kick from Alex Featherstone connected with
flawless precision, the pouncing forehead of Vijay Digpal to catch to Carlton
‘keeper totally by surprise, taking Hucknall Sports into the lead.
With Carlton’s promotional prospect slipping away, they had 15 minutes to respond, and respond they did. Hucknall could not seem to contain the determination of the visitors as they set out to regain their grip on the game, the equaliser came when a well rehearsed corner ball set piece was flicked on to catch the Hucknall ‘keeper unaware with the ball being neatly tucked away inside the far post on 62 minutes. With the home side on a back heal, and the scent of victory in the noses of the travellers, Carlton went for everything, and all credit to the Hucknall defence, they held on bravely to the draw, and their “unbeaten in the league” record for yet another game closer to the end of the season, with just 2 more to go.