Monday 2nd Noveber 2009. North Midlands Under 19's League Division One.Inkersall Road, Staveley.
Staveley Miners Welfare (4) 6 (Eborall 3, Cutts, Wasden, Cutler)
Hallam (0) 2 (Brown, Hewson)
Admission £2 Programme £1 Attendance 40+ estimated
Hallam made a lively start, buzzing around the edge of the Staveley box, but more in an inquisitive 'having a look around' reconnaissance mission fashion than actually causing the defence any real problems ... probably building up an head of steam to unleash at the optimum moment once they had pinpointed any weaknesses they had spotted ... when all of a sudden:14 minutes, 1-0. Staveley's number 9 Daniel Eborall got on the end of a right wing cross into the box, he miss kicked his first attempt which wrong footed Hallam's keeper James Walsh and gave Eborall time to finish neatly with his second attempt.
16 minutes, 2-0. David Cutts, Staveley's left back set off on a run into the Hallam half, spotted Walsh off his line and belted the ball into the top corner from all of 45 yards out.
17 minutes, 3-0. Eborall (again) headed a cross towards the goal, but didn't get any power on it, which deceived Walsh (again) who could only help fumble the ball across his line by the post.
Maybe Eborall had deliberately tricked Walsh with his cunning twice in the space of three minutes, then again, maybe the keeper was just having one of those nights.
Hallam managed one or two half hearted breaks up field without threatening much,
Morgan Sellers, the visitors centre forward found himself in a one on one with Richard Spink in the Staveley goal, but completely 'fluffed' his shot which then trickled harmlessly to the keeper.
The Hallam manager had two long 'chats' with the referee (or vice versa), he was probably lonely because Hallam had only brought one substitute with them, whatever was said the ref dealt with it and let play carry on.
Staveley finished the half with a flurry and Jordan Wasden got their 4th goal when he headed home a cross on 45 mins.
An half that looked full of promise for Hallam and turn into a one sided rout in Staveley's favour.
As the teams left the pitch the Staveley manager shouted out "Come on lads, don't walk, jog. Let's not be lazy!"
HT 4-0
At half time everybody else went indoors for a hot drink on this chilly night, while the sad anorak bloggist kept practising his night time photography, with little or no success.
The Hallam manager indulged in some 'psychology' of his own and sent his team out five minutes early to stand around in the cold waiting for the Staveley players and match officials to reappear. The visitors lasted all of six minutes into the second half before they conceded another goal. It looked for all the world as if they had conceded a penalty for handball as they cleared a Staveley attack for a corner. But justice was done when Eborall (again) lashed home a loose ball in the area to complete his hat trick and put the home side five in front.
On fifty five minutes Hallam were down to ten men (having already used their only sub) when Morgan Sellers had to leave the pitch on a stretcher. The Paramedic's car was first to the scene and an ambulance arrived at the end of the game to take him to hospital. The initial diagnosis was damage to his cruciate ligament. I hope it isn't as serious as it looked.
Ironically the misfortune seemed to have a galvanising effect on Hallam. First Walsh saved well from Lee Anthony, then the play switched to the far end and George Brown whacked home a peach of a goal for the visitors on the hour mark.
A frantic spell of play in front of the Hallam area saw a Staveley player trying his luck with a powerful shot from the edge of the box, that Marcus Jensen had the misfortune of blocking, with his groin! The thud and groan was sickening and every male in the ground winced as Jensen hit the ground and stayed down. After lengthy treatment (time wise anyway) Jensen staggered about in a bow legged fashion and tried to continue, but after a few minutes he had to go off too, leaving Hallam with just 9 players.
Possibly being so in control of the game made Staveley lose a bit of focus and a lazy back pass to Spink was seized upon by Harry Hewson who netted a second goal for the plucky visitors. Carter Mpwaya showed some good touches and poise for Hallam, but in the main was playing most of the second half up front on his own, which was asking too much of him, but his control and strength were obvious to see. Small, but very strong and not knocked off the ball easily.
With five minutes to go, Staveley hit a long corner from the left, which was put back across into the box for Callum Cutler to head home the last goal of a very lively and incident packed game.
Hallam are having no luck at the moment, the first team at Sandygate are in the middle of a relegation battle and their manager quit after a defeat on Saturday. The Hallam Under 19's are bottom of the North Midlands League on zero points with a goal difference of minus 12. Worksop Town Under 19's also have no points and a goal difference of minus 6. Staveley moved up from 6th place to 4th by virtue of this win tonight.
FT 6-2
Staveley MW issue proper programmes and ticket stubs for Under 19's fixtures
