Fourth Qualifying Round 29 October 2011

DARLINGTON V HINCKLEY UNITED

This tricky draw for Darlington has been made more interesting with the departure of manager Mark Cooper, which necessitates Craig Liddle standing in for the third time in as many years. How will this impact on the players who have been below par all season? How will it affect the crowd – season ticket holders will have to pay for this one so what is their appetite for the FA Cup?

It’s cool but bright in the Arena as the teams warm up. The ground still boasts its 22,500 seats, now looking a bit faded, but by the weather not the fans’ backsides. Still as befits the final qualifying round it’s the biggest ground visited on the cup run yet, and at £10 the most expensive to get in.

Hinckley are attired in motorway maintenance orange, but it is Darlington, in white, who kick off and immediately, nervously, give the ball away. Hinckley accept it gratefully and pass it around calmly. This pattern continues for the early minutes until a long diagonal ball finds Darlo striker Bowman the edge of the box. He cleverly heads the ball over his marker and runs round him to collect and shoot low into the corner of the net. This should settle the nerves and certainly the home crowd sit back and relax. Unfortunately for them their team do the same and just five minutes later the defence are exposed and back off an onrushing Sam Belcher. He accepts the invitation to move forward and shoot by powering the ball past the Darlo keeper to equalise.

One all after ten minutes, so a goal feast could be on the cards. Twice more in the next ten minutes the Darlington midfield find themselves the wrong side of the ball as Hinckley counter attack with pace, but neither occasion leads to more than a corner kick. Gradually Darlo get a grip and become less susceptible to the break, but their attacking threat is limited to a long range Kris Taylor effort that sails over the bar. It is almost half time before Darlo produce a move of quality when Arnison and Chandler combine well down the right and produce an effort on goal that forces some agility and good handling from Haystead in the Hinckley goal. In the remaining minutes of the first half two more half chances come and go. A free kick sees Darlo win two successive headers in the Hinckley box, requiring the keeper to tip over, and then from the corner a skewed shot leads to a scramble before the danger can be cleared.

The half time verdict is that Darlo are ahead on points but they need to move the ball quicker and create real chances rather than just pressure. Can Hinckley keep up the work rate, and continue to close down the man with the ball, for the whole game?

The second half starts a bit like the first with Darlington getting the first attempt on goal when after 5 minutes Campbell & Hatch play a neat one-two that gives the Darlo wingman a shooting opportunity that is saved well by Haystead. Hinckley reply with a break down the right that produces a good cross and a header wide. Again the half settles into a pattern of unthreatening Darlington possession and occasional breaks upfield from Hinckley. The goal feast is no longer on the cards and the next goal should win it.

The afternoon brightness has dimmed with the game and the floodlights are on for the first time this season. Coincidentally the game brightens too as the tie enters the final quarter. A rare Hinckley attack through the middle produces a fine Russel save and from the rebound Darlo break and force another save from Haystead. The game is now loosening up as Hinckley sense they can win it, but this gives room for Chandler in the Darlington midfield to find space and create openings. With 15 minutes left Taylor strides forward out of the Darlo defence and beats a few men before releasing Campbell on the left wing. He drops his left shoulder then skips inside and fires a rising drive narrowly over the bar.

Darlington continue to increase the pressure, and get the ball in the net, only to discover the offside flag had been raised, way back in the build up, unseen by the referee. This is a shame because by now they deserve to be ahead, but there is little time left to make this a reality. Two minutes from time a legitimate chance arises when Arnison floats a diagonal pass over the defence to find Hatch in space. He does not quite control it, but improvises a dipping lob over the advancing keeper agonisingly wide of the far post. Even this is not the last chance. With only one man up front now the Hinckley clearances are coming straight back. Two minutes into added time the Darlo centre half Lee puts a clear header from a corner over the bar and as a last gasp a rasping Darlo shot thuds safely into the midriff of the Hinckley keeper.

It is mission accomplished for Hinckley, and their 83 very vocal supporters. The home crowd, about 600 below normal, are disappointed but probably more with the 1-1 result than the performance. Both teams will go into the first round draw, but only the winners of Tuesday night’s replay will get the chance to play whoever comes out of the hat.

Fourth Qualifying Round - 29 October 2011 - Preview

The forty survivors from the third qualifying round are joined by the 24 “big” boys from the Conference Premier to give us 32 cup ties in the fourth and final qualifying round. For us in the North East this means Darlington, Gateshead and York went into the hat for the first time along with the three local survivors. What came out of the hat were two games up here and three further afield.

Gateshead v Hebburn Town

Hebburn continued to defy the odds with their win at Radcliffe and they will be delighted with this short trip along the A184. Having over-achieved already they will have nothing to lose against a side five leagues above them.  Gateshead, despite having gone off their early season boil, should progress; but I have written off Hebburn twice already.

Darlington v Hinckley United

Darlington should be favourites in a home tie against Hinckley from the league below. However they are teetering currently from crisis to false dawn and back to crisis again, so the game could be close. This round last season saw Darlo in a similar position go to Mossley and, in winning 6-2, play themselves into some kind of form.

Droylsden v Blyth Spartans

A trip to the Butchers Arms in the FA Cup is never pleasant, as more than one football league club has found. Maybe it will be less fearsome for Blyth as they visit regularly in the

Blue Square North

.

Grimsby v Ashington

Ashington have beaten two teams from three leagues above them to get this far, and now have to go to one better at Conference Premier Grimsby. Not likely, but neither were the last two wins.

Wrexham v York

An all Conference Premier tie, as top of the table Wrexham take on third placed York. An attractive tie but a 300 mile round trip from here.

Third Qualifying Round 15 October 2011

WHITBY TOWN V BLYTH SPARTANS

Another round, another sunny day in Whitby, but the temperature is about 20 degrees lower, requiring a woolly jumper for the first time this season. Of course the numerous travelling Blyth fans, being Spartan, are unconcerned with the elements and are busy tying their banners to the stop netting behind one goal.

The teams come out and are soon in action, Whitby in the now familiar blue and Blyth in a modern version of their traditional green & white hoops. Two minutes into the game a Blyth shot skims the bar, and then chances are created at each end as a Whitby header is saved and Blyth attack beats the offside trap but ends in a shot blazed over the bar.

Blyth become the more comfortable in possession and after 12 minutes get a free kick in the centre circle. This is angled in dangerously between keeper and the defensive line allowing Michael Tate to run in and glance a header into the corner of the net. With the lead secured Spartans continue to dominate with neat football; Whitby are reduced to playing long balls into the wind which are rarely won by the forwards, who even then find themselves without support.

It is no surprise then when Blyth work the ball down the right, with the best move of the game so far, and cross the ball to Chris Emms all alone on the edge of the box. He has an age to line up the volley but fails to connect cleanly, allowing a goal line clearance, which comes straight back to him; this time there is no mistake and he steers a shot low into the corner for a deserved 2-0 lead.

With five minutes still to go to half time Blyth go for the jugular and Whitby have to defend desperately, throwing their bodies in the way of shots, and somehow manage to get to the break only the two goals adrift. In the second half they will have the wind behind them but will have to use the ball a lot better for it to make any difference.

Early in the second half Whitby are able to get some possession and apply pressure, but lack composure when the half chances crop up. They swap the centre forward as the big man Hassan is getting nowhere, and Faichney comes on to give a different, more mobile option. But as the half wears on the Whitby storm is blowing out without any impact on the Spartan goal, and Blyth appear to regain control, coming close with an angled shot over the bar.

Whitby are now pushing up the centre half Burgess, and with 10 minutes left it is him that heads on a hopeful long ball into the Blyth penalty area, where Faichney toe pokes it past the Blyth keeper for a goal back. Whitby attempt a grandstand finish and at the end of this half it is Blyth that have to defend with desperation. They too hold out to the final whistle and secure the 2-1 win that sees them into Monday’s draw for the final qualifying round.

The cup run will not be back to the Turnbull Ground this season, but it has left a very favourable impression over the last two rounds and hopefully will be revisited next season.

Third Qualifying Round - 15 October 2011 - Preview

The third qualifying round consists of only 40 cup ties; of the 646 (or so) clubs that have entered the fray so far there are 80 survivors. This may not sound like many left but there are still 116 teams to come in at later stages

The North East contingent (including Whitby) fared well in the last round with only Bedlington Terriers going out; and that at near neighbours Blyth Spartans. The intrepid four feature in the following matches:

Whitby Town v Blyth Spartans

A quick return trip to the Turnbull ground looks favourite to see what should be a good match up. Will the blues make home advantage count against the Conference North side?

Ashington v Guiseley

Ashington overcame a three league differential to beat Vauxhall Motors (via a replay) and now will have to do it again against another Conference North team.

Witton Albion v Spennymoor Town

Spennymoor also need to repeat the heroics of the last round. Having convincingly beat Northern Premier League Ashton United away; they face another trip to the North West. However their opponents this time are only one league, rather than two, above them.

Radcliffe Borough v Hebburn Town

Hebburn did well to get past Runcorn Linnets, and the third qualifying round represents record progress in the competition. An away tie against NPL North opposition is scant reward and may bring their good cup run to an end.

Second Qualifying Round 1 October 2011

WHITBY TOWN V NORTH FERRIBY UNITED

On a warm Indian summer day Whitby is the obvious choice for the second qualifying game (made by a wife and son who thereby get a lift to a favourite location for a day out). Arriving early doors there is time enough to enjoy a bag of chips on the cliff top before strolling to the Turnbull Ground.

It is £8 to get in and £2 for a programme that is thicker than a Whitby chip butty. Northern Premier League prices, but a smart NPL ground with a steeply raked, blue-seated main stand which offers welcome shade and, from the top row, glimpses of both the sea and the moors. With plenty of time to kick off the programme is read cover to cover and reveals, amongst other things, that the teams met famously in the 1997 FA Vase final, with Whitby victorious.

The teams eventually emerge sporting distinctive strips; Whitby in blue with a smart white, red & black trim; Ferriby in yellow with a thin green line around chest & shoulders. It is the “blues” of Whitby that have the best of the early action; Ferriby giving up possession too easily and their keeper has to make several interventions. The best of these is in response to a dipping volley from wide on the right which he tips over via the crossbar. This is followed up by a punched clearance from a goal mouth scramble and a safely handled 25 yard pile driver of a shot.

With half time approaching the action switches to the other end and from nowhere a well struck Ferriby shot canons of the left hand post and out to the right wing. Ferriby have sufficient forward to gather the rebound first, cross it, get a shot in, and when that is well save by the keeper, have Gary Bradshaw on hand to slot in that rebound. One nil to Ferriby and (according to the well thumbed programme) Bradshaw’s 201^st goal for the club.

Whitby try to respond in the 7 minutes left in the half, but too often now the Ferriby keeper is fielding rather than saving the ball, so it remains 1-0 to the away team when the whistle goes. The goal, though against the run of play, should be good for the game. Whitby have looked the better side and seemed comfortable coasting along at 0-0, but now they will need to step up the pace and intensity in the second half.

And they do. Six minutes in, the big centre forward Callum Hassan (programme note: on loan from Hartlepool) finally uses his considerable bulk to bully Ferriby off the ball and pass it out to the right winger who hangs up an inviting cross literally at the back post. Five players converge, including the back pedalling goalkeeper, but it is the man who started the move who uses his momentum and height to get his head to the ball and send it, and anyone in the way, into the net. One all and game on!

The home crowd sense things are now back in control as they continue to dominate territory and possession, but then an innocuous Ferriby run inside the 18 yard line is interrupted by a needless trip and the award of a penalty. Wayne Brooksby hits it high and straight and the keeper, who started to go to his right, sticks out a firm left hand to parry and keep the scores level.

As the half wears on the tension rises and although Whitby continue to press, Ferriby look potentially dangerous as they try to exploit the gaps left behind the attacking Whitby midfielders. However the two Whitby centre halves are effective in snuffing out any threats and getting the ball forward again. At the other end Ferriby’s defending is becoming increasingly desperate and three bookings are issued in ten minutes.

With just three minutes of the ninety left a bout of header tennis is ended by some composure from Whitby’s Lewis Hawkins, who takes control and gets off a firm shot. The keeper saves well but Jake Faichney, newly on as substitute, sweeps in the loose ball for what looks like a late winner. Cue celebrations and a chorus of “I feel blue” from the home PA.

Ferriby now push men up front but to no avail as the Whitby centre halves continue to show great energy and anticipation in dealing with this late surge. After a nervy added 3 minutes the game ends in a 2-1 home win; Whitby’s cup run will go on but North Ferriby United must return to the north bank of the Humber and await next year.