Hild Bede E's 4 - 6 Hild Bede D's

A 4th team ravage by injuries, hangovers and absenteess clung on for a vital victory in a thrilling derby match against Hild Bede E's. The game ended 6-4, despite the D's being 6-1 up and seemingly cruising to double figures.

James Vincent -on loan from the thirds - struck the opening goal with a fine half-volley from just inside the box to settle HB D's nerves after a shaky start. However, the 5ths almost mustered an immediate reply, when a shot rebounded off the crossbar - only for Cochrane to desperately scramble the follow up shot wide of the post.
With the D's settling into their game and playing some neat passing football - despite playing on the infamous "postage stamp", it wasn't long before the second goal came. A piece of trickery around thirty yards from goal was too much for the HB E's defender, who conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position. Enigma instructed Paddy to take it, and this decision paid dividends when he stepped up to hit a scorcher past helpless stand-in 'keeper Kirk Southern.
With the 4's seemingly hitting the cruise control button, the 5ths constant battling paid off as a mix up at the back allowed the E's to scramble the ball home and get right back in the match.
This only seemed to act as a wake up call to the 4ths who got back on their game and notched up a third when a superb ball into the box was horrificly sliced by the 5ths defender, resulting in what can only be described as a spectacular own goal.
D's dominance continued with Paddy and Steve marshalling the midfied superbly and Liam Hylands playing a blinder on the right wing. It was Liam who provided the 4th with another superb cross into the box, converted by Paddy who ghosted in behind the E's defender for his second of the game.
With 5 minutes to go, Liam turned from provider to scorer, as he arrived unmarked to head in a deserved goal - his first in HB colours- from Steves excellent centre.
Davina rung the changes at half time, but for the first 15 minutes, it was still the D's who had the majority of the game. It took around 5 minutes for Enigma to add to the tally, when another superb ball in from Liam presented Enigma with his first goal of the season, from little more than a yard out - and that was despite flashbacks to a certain incident in the first year...
HB D's continued to push for more goals, and indeed, Enigma could have got his second only moments later, had Baldrick not been unfortunate enough to get in the way of a "perfectly struck" volley, which may well have been heading into the top corner. However, it was all about to go a bit Pete Tong. With 'keeper Pete going off injured, after bravely scrambling the ball away from 3 E team strikers, Steve complaining of a recurrence of an injury sustained in Rixys after a 4th team social, and Paddy suffering from a tight thigh, Enigma was forced into 3 substitutions in 5 minutes. This clearly upset the balance of the team and the E's took full advantage when Baldrick raced through to reduce the arrears.
With first team captain, Kirk Southern, now playing at left back , and with around 6 players playing up front, the pressure was relentless, and in a fifteen minute period, the E's were clearly the better side, as the D's sat deeper and deeper in defence.
When the E's won a free kick from around 35yards, there was seemingly no danger - unless of course you hapen to have the first team captain on your side. Up stepped Kirk and duly thumoed a 35 yarder past stand-in 'keeper Cochrane, who had absolutely no chance. 6-3.
E's pressure continued, and they scored again when some poor marking at the back allowed the E's striker to nod in a great cross from less than a yard out. 6-4. Those who thought the drama was over were very much mistaken. Another long range free-kick was fired in by Toplas, to the delight of the onlooking 5th's crowd. However, to their dismay, the referee had blown for offside, and the goal did not count..
The last ten minutes were fairly even, with Cochrane making a couple of decent save for the E's, and Enigma, and Macca having chances for the E's, oh, and not forgetting Dougals grass-cutting trickler from 40 yards. In the end, Enigma will be happy to have gained the wind, with a reduced squad, but question marks surround the defence after their worrying second half display. Davina can be proud of his teams battling never-say-die performance, and what was in the end a fairly respectable result.
Quote of the match:
Dougal "Molenaar" Jackson : "Tom - I have two to mark here..."
Tom Seymour "Butts" Taylor : "Well...good luck mate!"

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