Thorns just edge brave Belvedere
Jackson Anderson Accountants Spennymoor Sunday League
DIVISION ONE leaders Thorns just scraped through to the semi-finals of the League Cup with a win over Division Two minnows Belvedere.
Championship favourites Thorns raced into a 4-0 half-time lead and appeared to be cruising towards an expected comfortable victory.
Mark Nicholson, Stuart Rand, Nicholson again and Ian Woodhall put them in the driving seat.
But plucky Belvedere hit back after the break and goals by Lee Nixon, John Paul Greaves and Timmy Hutchinson put Thorns under pressure.
Dark horses Belvedere then pressured Thorns as they pressed for an equaliser, but Andrew Richardson popped up to grab a fifth with a minute to go to guarantee their passage to the semi-finals and set up and interesting clash with Division Two league-leaders Croxdale.
Thorns Secretary Steven Richardson said: “We were cruising it in the first half and could have scored a lot more goals, but their goalkeeper has done very well and won the man-of-the-match with a number of saves. We then switched off after half-time and I just think the lads thought it would be a walk. But they have come back and gave us a really hard battle.”
Belvedere boss Karl Wilkinson said: “We didn’t get a look-in during the first half but we found an extra gear from somewhere in the second and you could say we were unlucky. As soon as we got the first two back our tails were up and then we grabbed a third, and really started to put the pressure on. We nearly scored before they went up on the counter and got a fifth, which killed us off. But the lads did well, Thorns are sitting pretty at the top of the first division and we’re struggling to get inside the top four in the second, so we were expecting to be hammered. We’ve by no means disgraced ourselves and, with just the bare eleven, I was proud of the lads that turned up for us.”
The remaining quarter-final ties are: Lakeside v Southerne Club or Masons Arms and Quinns v Binchester Social Club.
Only three other games survived last week’s torrential rain as the league’s fixture programme was dealt yet another hammer blow.
In Division One, Hogans came from four goals down against Bay Horse to complete a commendable fightback and win 6-4.
David Teder and Kyle Allen both struck twice to put Bay Horse in front, but goals by Paul Welsh (3), Simon Marshall, Mark Bell and Scott Wright grabbed the three points for Hogans.
“It was unbelievable from four goals down!” admitted boss Shaun Reynolds. “And it could have been more in the end. It was one of those freak results that happen every now and then!”
Meanwhile, Croxdale massively boosted their goal difference with a staggering win over the North Briton.
The division leaders hammered the Aycliffe Village side 20-1, with goals by Iain Ambrosini (5), Kevin Hepburn (3), Andy Stewart (3), Ben Roffe (3), Brent Mailer (2), Phil Wilkinson (2), Matt Quin and Gavin Bell.
“I’ve got to give the North Brit credit,” said Croxdale manager Craig Fish. “A lot of teams just wouldn’t have bothered and would have forfeited the game with just nine players available, but they turned out and they kept plugging away. Every game is like a cup final for us between now and the end of the season and so the lads are so fired up to win every game, and the Brit have caught us on a good day, but the game was played properly and they played their part.”
Marauding winger-cum-defender Phil Judge netted the Brit’s only goal with a flash of brilliance from the new blue boot.
Elsewhere in Division Two, Green Tree won 4-3 at home to Shildon Athletic with goals by Matthew Carrick (2), Craig Burney and Andrew Walton. Kevin Kavanagh, Richard Thompson and Peter Duce were on target for Shildon Athletic.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday night this week, Hunwick Joiners restored some pride in their league campaign with a midweek win over Old Shildon.
See the latest Game of the Week feature for more details and action pictures.
• The league have now confirmed that the end-of-season presentation night will take place on Friday 9th June at Old Shildon WMC, with entertainment by local band the Zoo, tickets priced £3.
• The next league meeting will take place at Belvedere WMC on Wednesday 12th April from 8pm.
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