Hebburn upset the odds at the KGV tonight with a 4-2 victory over 6th place Guisborough; in a game that went ahead at the 3rd time of asking.
The two previous times this game was scheduled, the weather got the better of it, and tonight looked like history repeating itself, after severe weather warnings were issued and heavy rain fell during the day.
Several hours sat looking at Ray Simpson's updates on NonLeagueZone started to get me rather nervous, seeing Northallerton, Bedlington and Norton to name a few falling victim to the weather. At 6:15, I presumed it was game on and set off on the road to Guisborough, stopping off at Tesco on the way to get an Easter Egg and to pick up my friend Alex for the nights entertainment.
This was to be my 4th visit to see Guisborough Town play this season, and there is good reason for that. Not only is it my local team, and I see a Guisborough Town fanatic nearly everyday of the week, it is also a lovely place to go and watch football. It is a small, enclosed ground which has the lovely backdrop of the Cleveland Hills. Everyone at the ground makes you feel welcome, from the man on the turnstiles, to the boy selling raffle tickets. The tea ladies and the man in the fluorescent jacket who I spoke to at the end of the game after I had retrieved one of the Match balls. It really is a great place to visit and a fantastic club to have in the local area.
After paying my £4 to get in, and the pound for the programme, I headed over to the Tea Hut, voted best in the league two seasons running, and purchased a cup of tea to see me through until kick off, and then made my way over to the covered standing area to take in the 1st half's action.
At kick off, a quick headcount finished with me having fingers remaining-only 8 people in the ground. After the whistle was blown however, the crowd did increase in size slightly. It did not take long for the scoreboard to get ticking, as just a few minutes in, Hebburn scored on their 1st attack. A long ball from the back saw the Hebburn man clean through, and slotted neatly home. There was a case for offside perhaps, but not one player complained. This was to be Hebburn's best chance for a while, as Guisborough seemed to apply the pressure. They kept driving forwards, though silly mistakes gave possession back to the opposition, but even they could not do much with the ball. The pitch didn't help much, as the bobbling ball deceived some players, though considering the weather that we've had, no one can complain. We got a game of footy in didn't we?
Guisborough continued to press, with Mike Roberts pushing forwards down the right. Hebburn's keeper was called into action several times, and recovered well after one of his poor clearances feel straight to the feet of the Guisborough man, who forced the goalie into a good save.
However, it wasn't long before Guisborough did break through. Some intricate passing play saw a ball knocked across the box from the right. A well placed shot could only be parried by the keeper, and David Onions was on hand to tap in the rebound.
Guisborough continued to push, another header struck the bar off a corner, and the keeper was yet again called in to make a good save. There was a brief handbags at dawn moment, though the referee intervened and gave both players a ticking off. I got the impression that he did not like getting the cards out of his pocket during the game...
As half time approached, the lure of the tea hut had catastrophic consequences. As I was waiting to order my Tea and Chips, David Onions scored to make it 2-1, and then Hebburn came up the other end to make it 2-2 going into the half time break. That, I believe, is one major weakness of the club. The food is that good and is fantastic value-for-money, that it is hard to resist going! Another disappointing thing was the young children that came to sit next to me, all dolled up in their tracksuits and black trainers and socks rolled over their trousers. One lad didn't seem to know there was a game of football going on, and another obviously had excess saliva in his mouth, as he constantly felt the need to spit.
It wasn't long before we moved positions, and also heard our quote of the night. A man known on Non League Forums as Nonleaguenutter, came out with a classic. "A lino who has a sense of humour!" Maybe offensive to some assistant referees out there, but good to see such a friendly atmosphere by all concerned.
Hebburn's 3rd came of a defensive lapse. A weak effort trickled along the six yard line. The two complacent Guisborough defenders sauntered towards the ball, only to see them beaten to it by the Hebburn striker steaming in, and making it 3-2.
Despite this setback, Guisborough continued. A goal was rightly ruled out due to offside. With not long to go however, the nail was hammered into the coffin, as a goalmouth scramble saw Hebburn net their 4th, and take all 3 points back home with them.
A shock result it was, though the game could have gone either way. In context, a draw probably would have been fair, but give Hebburn the credit they deserve, they battled on and took their chances well. Guisborough had two late chances at the end. A turn and shot from 6 yards which should have been finished, if it wasn't for a well positioned keeper, and then a free header which was met too early and went over.
A cold night in East Cleveland came to an end, with the away side coming away the happier party, and a dent in Guisborough's promotion hopes. It could be between Stokesley, Marske, RCA and Jarrow now. Only time will tell...
ATG-31/03/10
I apologise for the lack of reports over the winter. Obviously, a lot of games were lost due to the weather, and work commitments got the better of me. I hope to get to 4 games by the end of Easter Monday, so should hope to start getting some more action in to report about.
Showing posts with label Guisborough Town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guisborough Town. Show all posts
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Friday, 20 November 2009
Marske 0v2 Guisborough Town
The second meeting between the 2 sides this season saw a very close encounter at the GER Stadium on Wednesday night, with the away side getting revenge over their local rivals after their opening day defeat.
We received a nice friendly welcome as we entered the ground 10 minutes before kick-off, and after getting a nice cheese burger from the food hut, we ventured round to the opposite side of the ground behind the dugouts.
Despite the volume of games called off on the night, and the fact that this was one of the league's biggest derby games, there was a distinctly low turn out for the game. Many may have been deterred by the weather forecast, but the night was nice, and the pitch was perfect for football.
The opening period of play was frantic, with both teams looking to make an early breakthrough. Marske had the best of the early chances, but they couldn't break the deadlock. Fine saves from both keepers-and the Guisborough Woodwork, kept the score at 0-0. With 30 minutes on the clock, the Guisborough centre forward went down in the penalty area without any contact been made. Despite strong appeals, the referee was having none of it, and waved everyone away. If anything, the Guisborough lad was lucky not to get booked for diving!
The rest of the first half seemed to disappear slowly into nothing, and when the half time whistle came, despite Marske been firmly on top, it looked like a strong possibility we were going to see extra time!
A short walk around the ground at half time to get a cup of tea stretched the legs a bit, though it was more just to pass the time waiting for the teams to come back out.
Whatever the Guisborough manager said to his lads at Half time certainly paid off. Pressure was piled on the Marske defence from the whistle. It wasn't long either before the deadlock was broken, when a Glen Butterworth strike from outside the box found its way in after maybe a very slight deflection. This gave the away side massive impetuous, and it was not long later before it was 2, when another long range strike, this time from Michael James crept just inside the post.
Marske weren't going to let things go though, and another effort hit the woodwork, and before the night was out, they hit the frame of the goal for the fourth time, which summed up there night.
The handbags did come out as expected, although the first incident went unpunished. The second incident inside the Marske box was seen clearly by referee Richard Brine, and Guisborough were awarded a penalty, with the Marske left back escaping with a yellow card, despite appearing to elbow or punch his opponent in the back of the head. However, a magnificent save from the Marske keeper kept them in it.
This proved to be in vain however, as Guisborough held on to go through to the next round of the E.A. Cup.
We received a nice friendly welcome as we entered the ground 10 minutes before kick-off, and after getting a nice cheese burger from the food hut, we ventured round to the opposite side of the ground behind the dugouts.
Despite the volume of games called off on the night, and the fact that this was one of the league's biggest derby games, there was a distinctly low turn out for the game. Many may have been deterred by the weather forecast, but the night was nice, and the pitch was perfect for football.
The opening period of play was frantic, with both teams looking to make an early breakthrough. Marske had the best of the early chances, but they couldn't break the deadlock. Fine saves from both keepers-and the Guisborough Woodwork, kept the score at 0-0. With 30 minutes on the clock, the Guisborough centre forward went down in the penalty area without any contact been made. Despite strong appeals, the referee was having none of it, and waved everyone away. If anything, the Guisborough lad was lucky not to get booked for diving!
The rest of the first half seemed to disappear slowly into nothing, and when the half time whistle came, despite Marske been firmly on top, it looked like a strong possibility we were going to see extra time!
A short walk around the ground at half time to get a cup of tea stretched the legs a bit, though it was more just to pass the time waiting for the teams to come back out.
Whatever the Guisborough manager said to his lads at Half time certainly paid off. Pressure was piled on the Marske defence from the whistle. It wasn't long either before the deadlock was broken, when a Glen Butterworth strike from outside the box found its way in after maybe a very slight deflection. This gave the away side massive impetuous, and it was not long later before it was 2, when another long range strike, this time from Michael James crept just inside the post.
Marske weren't going to let things go though, and another effort hit the woodwork, and before the night was out, they hit the frame of the goal for the fourth time, which summed up there night.
The handbags did come out as expected, although the first incident went unpunished. The second incident inside the Marske box was seen clearly by referee Richard Brine, and Guisborough were awarded a penalty, with the Marske left back escaping with a yellow card, despite appearing to elbow or punch his opponent in the back of the head. However, a magnificent save from the Marske keeper kept them in it.
This proved to be in vain however, as Guisborough held on to go through to the next round of the E.A. Cup.
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Guisborough Town 1v0 Wakefield FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay 02/09/09
Its all in a name! Well, nearly! Luke Bythway, the near namesake of last season's FA Cup giant killers Blyth, scored after just 15 seconds to send Guisborough Town into the FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round.
The minute I arrived at the ground, I knew it was going to be lucky in a sense. Arriving just after the last programme had been sold, I was kindly given the content by the gate man, just to staple together myself! How kind!!
Despite the poor weather, there was still a good atmosphere inside, and as time grew near to kick off and the crowd swelled, the atmosphere got better and better. The contingent of young Wakefield Supporters congregated beneath the standing area in one corner, and as the players made their way out onto the KGV Pitch, they began chanting and psyching the lads up for the challenge ahead.
Now, normally the toss of the coin never matters in football. It is not like cricket where you win the toss, make 500, bowl the other team out twice and win. No, winning the toss in football loses you kick off and allows you to change ends. So, Guisborough lost the toss, and kicked off into the rain. They attempted a cross field ball to the left winger, though this was headed to "safety". Out of the blue, a 25 yard effort looped over the outstretched hand of the keeper and rattled the underside of the bar. With the keeper looking on desperately, Luke Bythway ran in to head into the empty nets from 8 yards. The Guisborough fans were ecstatic. Then, the best moment of it all. One hardcore Guisborough Fan, who will remain nameless (you know who you are!!), walks in 5 seconds later!! GUTTED!
As the rain began to come down harder, the balance of the game was even, both teams creating half chances, but every time the ball ended safely in the keepers palms. A few heavy tackles went in, and a few fouls conceded, but nothing troubled either team for the rest of the half. An off-the-ball incident was the only talking point of the first half. Elbow, Fist, Forearm? Or even a kick out, I don't know. Regardless of what it was, it went unpunished by the referee.
Half time arrived, and as usual we had got to the tea hut just before half time. It was time to sample the Mince Pie this time, and again was not disappointed, though the pastry was a touch on the dry side. I can't complain however!!
We took up our spots again in the second half opposite the main stand. The rain was now even heavier, virtually horizontal! We had contemplated going to stand behind a goal, but decided against it.
And then ATG realised people read this blog! A very nice chap came over and began talking, and asked about ATG. It is nice to hear that people do read this blog, and enjoy reading it. It gives us a sense of happiness to know that it is appreciated, especially when people come and tell you, face-to-face. Following the brief discussion about the site, we went on to talk about all things Northern League. Some of the things we discussed were very interesting, such as the Durham City situation, various Northern League Grounds and the new teams in the league. I am thoroughly looking forward to my first visit of the season to Stokesley.
The second half provided no real excitement. Wakefield had most of the possession and chance, winning many corners, but could not turn possession into chances. More mistimed lunges went in, with lack of punishment. More off-the-ball shenanigans went on, and as time went on, things looked less likely to happen for Wakefield. Guisborough had a chance late on to secure the match, with a sweetly struck right foot effort destined for the back of the net, only to be denied by a superb save.
With just minutes left, some Wakefield fans began to head for the gate. And to the delight of the Guisborough and general Northern League Following, the referee blew up for full-time.
A joyous crowd stood by the players changing rooms to cheer the Guisborough Lads off. A nice £1,500 prize money for the club, but most importantly an visit to Kendal in the next round.
Congratulations to Guisborough, and Good Luck on the 12th!!
Sadly, no pictures tonight due to lack of camera!!
The minute I arrived at the ground, I knew it was going to be lucky in a sense. Arriving just after the last programme had been sold, I was kindly given the content by the gate man, just to staple together myself! How kind!!
Despite the poor weather, there was still a good atmosphere inside, and as time grew near to kick off and the crowd swelled, the atmosphere got better and better. The contingent of young Wakefield Supporters congregated beneath the standing area in one corner, and as the players made their way out onto the KGV Pitch, they began chanting and psyching the lads up for the challenge ahead.
Now, normally the toss of the coin never matters in football. It is not like cricket where you win the toss, make 500, bowl the other team out twice and win. No, winning the toss in football loses you kick off and allows you to change ends. So, Guisborough lost the toss, and kicked off into the rain. They attempted a cross field ball to the left winger, though this was headed to "safety". Out of the blue, a 25 yard effort looped over the outstretched hand of the keeper and rattled the underside of the bar. With the keeper looking on desperately, Luke Bythway ran in to head into the empty nets from 8 yards. The Guisborough fans were ecstatic. Then, the best moment of it all. One hardcore Guisborough Fan, who will remain nameless (you know who you are!!), walks in 5 seconds later!! GUTTED!
As the rain began to come down harder, the balance of the game was even, both teams creating half chances, but every time the ball ended safely in the keepers palms. A few heavy tackles went in, and a few fouls conceded, but nothing troubled either team for the rest of the half. An off-the-ball incident was the only talking point of the first half. Elbow, Fist, Forearm? Or even a kick out, I don't know. Regardless of what it was, it went unpunished by the referee.
Half time arrived, and as usual we had got to the tea hut just before half time. It was time to sample the Mince Pie this time, and again was not disappointed, though the pastry was a touch on the dry side. I can't complain however!!
We took up our spots again in the second half opposite the main stand. The rain was now even heavier, virtually horizontal! We had contemplated going to stand behind a goal, but decided against it.
And then ATG realised people read this blog! A very nice chap came over and began talking, and asked about ATG. It is nice to hear that people do read this blog, and enjoy reading it. It gives us a sense of happiness to know that it is appreciated, especially when people come and tell you, face-to-face. Following the brief discussion about the site, we went on to talk about all things Northern League. Some of the things we discussed were very interesting, such as the Durham City situation, various Northern League Grounds and the new teams in the league. I am thoroughly looking forward to my first visit of the season to Stokesley.
The second half provided no real excitement. Wakefield had most of the possession and chance, winning many corners, but could not turn possession into chances. More mistimed lunges went in, with lack of punishment. More off-the-ball shenanigans went on, and as time went on, things looked less likely to happen for Wakefield. Guisborough had a chance late on to secure the match, with a sweetly struck right foot effort destined for the back of the net, only to be denied by a superb save.
With just minutes left, some Wakefield fans began to head for the gate. And to the delight of the Guisborough and general Northern League Following, the referee blew up for full-time.
A joyous crowd stood by the players changing rooms to cheer the Guisborough Lads off. A nice £1,500 prize money for the club, but most importantly an visit to Kendal in the next round.
Congratulations to Guisborough, and Good Luck on the 12th!!
Sadly, no pictures tonight due to lack of camera!!
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Guisborough Town 3v2 Gilllford Park 12/08/09
The first visit to the KGV Stadium for half of the ATG team saw 5 goals banged in, all coming in the second half.
A warm evening with hazy sunshine peering over the trees that lined the ground welcomed us to the stadium. The pitch was in decent condition, though the grass was on the long side, but still looked good for the football. Both teams were out warming up as we walked in, and the referee's were just making their way in after what must have been an "intense" warm up looking at one of the linesman.
The teams walked out at 7:25 and performed the usual pre-match ritual. The "RESPECT" Campaign handshake. This to me seems a pointless exercise. It is basically the players walking past each other and saying: "Have a good game mate- before I kick your head in!" Anyway, the men at the top say it must be done. And today, I think the conversation between the two sets of players must have been similar to what I have just said, as this was to be a very physical battle.
The first half was probably the dullest half of football I have witnessed. In fact, I have seen better action on a Tidlewinks mat. So, straight to half time.
The refreshments at Guisborough have received "The Northern Co-op Tea Hut" award two consecutive seasons-the only team ever to do so. And to an extent, I see why. Very good value for money. I was overcharged by 25p, but didn't say anything! He was only little-and I didn't want to get into any bother.
Whatever was in the players half-time drinks certainly fired them up. Both teams came out like the proverbially bats out of hell. After just 8 second half minutes, Gillford Park had a reasonable shout for a goal turned down, after the ball bounced down and perhaps crossed the line, although from my angle, it was difficult to tell. This was to prove costly to them, as
5 minutes later, Guisborough took the lead, after a 30 yard screamer bounced off the bar. The Gillford Park lads where caught napping and former Thornaby hit-man Paul Vickers snuck in behind the defence to head the hosts 1 up.
This lead lasted just 5 minutes, when Gillford Park's Bannon slotted him from a corner. Tempers began to boil over after this, and after some scrappy play in the midfield, Guisborough broke free and David Onions placed the ball passed the oncoming keeper to make the score 2-1. There was uproar from all involved with Gillford Park, after an apparent foul in the build up. I have a feeling that Carlisle's Specsaver's Branch could do a roaring trade, as the foul seemed to be made on a player in white. Now, unless I got it mixed up, I thought Guisborough were in white and Gillford Park in "Celtic" colours.
This setback however seemed to strengthen the Cumbrians, who not long after equalised thanks to a back post tap in from Bannon. There were calls for offside, but the linesman was having none of it. The poor chap had been berated from the first whistle to the last by everyone in the ground, yet barely put a foot wrong. All that because he wore black...
Gilllford Park could, and perhaps should have had a lead, but the Guisborough keeper was in fine form, and made a string of fine saves to keep them at bay.
The deadlock remained unbroken, until with around 5 minutes to go, a back post cross from the right flank found its way onto the head of Guisborough's Court, who diverted the ball into the net to snatch a late goal.
In the 3 minutes of added time, Gillford Park piled on the pressure, but all was in vain, as Guisborough took the 3 points in this game of what just seemed to be one half!
The ATG team will be attending an FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round game this coming Saturday.
A warm evening with hazy sunshine peering over the trees that lined the ground welcomed us to the stadium. The pitch was in decent condition, though the grass was on the long side, but still looked good for the football. Both teams were out warming up as we walked in, and the referee's were just making their way in after what must have been an "intense" warm up looking at one of the linesman.
The teams walked out at 7:25 and performed the usual pre-match ritual. The "RESPECT" Campaign handshake. This to me seems a pointless exercise. It is basically the players walking past each other and saying: "Have a good game mate- before I kick your head in!" Anyway, the men at the top say it must be done. And today, I think the conversation between the two sets of players must have been similar to what I have just said, as this was to be a very physical battle.
The first half was probably the dullest half of football I have witnessed. In fact, I have seen better action on a Tidlewinks mat. So, straight to half time.
The refreshments at Guisborough have received "The Northern Co-op Tea Hut" award two consecutive seasons-the only team ever to do so. And to an extent, I see why. Very good value for money. I was overcharged by 25p, but didn't say anything! He was only little-and I didn't want to get into any bother.
Whatever was in the players half-time drinks certainly fired them up. Both teams came out like the proverbially bats out of hell. After just 8 second half minutes, Gillford Park had a reasonable shout for a goal turned down, after the ball bounced down and perhaps crossed the line, although from my angle, it was difficult to tell. This was to prove costly to them, as
5 minutes later, Guisborough took the lead, after a 30 yard screamer bounced off the bar. The Gillford Park lads where caught napping and former Thornaby hit-man Paul Vickers snuck in behind the defence to head the hosts 1 up.This lead lasted just 5 minutes, when Gillford Park's Bannon slotted him from a corner. Tempers began to boil over after this, and after some scrappy play in the midfield, Guisborough broke free and David Onions placed the ball passed the oncoming keeper to make the score 2-1. There was uproar from all involved with Gillford Park, after an apparent foul in the build up. I have a feeling that Carlisle's Specsaver's Branch could do a roaring trade, as the foul seemed to be made on a player in white. Now, unless I got it mixed up, I thought Guisborough were in white and Gillford Park in "Celtic" colours.
This setback however seemed to strengthen the Cumbrians, who not long after equalised thanks to a back post tap in from Bannon. There were calls for offside, but the linesman was having none of it. The poor chap had been berated from the first whistle to the last by everyone in the ground, yet barely put a foot wrong. All that because he wore black...
Gilllford Park could, and perhaps should have had a lead, but the Guisborough keeper was in fine form, and made a string of fine saves to keep them at bay.
The deadlock remained unbroken, until with around 5 minutes to go, a back post cross from the right flank found its way onto the head of Guisborough's Court, who diverted the ball into the net to snatch a late goal.
In the 3 minutes of added time, Gillford Park piled on the pressure, but all was in vain, as Guisborough took the 3 points in this game of what just seemed to be one half!
The ATG team will be attending an FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round game this coming Saturday.
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