WEST
AUCKLAND V HARROGATE TOWN
Once again the sun is shining on the cup run
(remember these days when January & February comes around) but as we are at
West Auckland the temperature is warm rather than hot. The elevated Darlington
Road ground is covered on one side only but provides welcome padding on the
seats in the stand.
West, in amber and black, are at home to
Harrogate Town, whose Blue Square shoulder patches on their blue kit marks them
out as from the higher league. Northern League West Auckland will need to
produce their early season form that saw them win 5 of the first 6 games if
they are to progress.
The home team, presumably having lost the
toss, kick off down the distinct slope and immediately fashion danger. Star
centre forward and captain Mattie Moffat beats his marker on the left a couple
of times but his cross is cleared. Five minutes later he repeats the trick and
this time he finds fellow striker Gardner who shoots over.
It is a very crisp competitive start.
Neither team can get control of midfield. Harrogate bypass it with a long
goalkeeper clearance that the West defence unwisely allow to bounce beyond
them. Harrogate centre forward Chib Chilaka shows his pace in getting to the
ball first, but pokes it wide of the both the keeper and the goal.
West persevere with their passing game and
get some joy carving out a shooting opportunity for Banks. Harrogate look most
dangerous when they play the ball behind the West back four for the quick
Chilaka and Osborne to chase down.
Midway through the half the three league gap
is not evident but then a poor back pass leaves West’s keeper Bell at the mercy
of Chilaka. Drawn out of position he does well to stand up and buy time while
his defenders race to cover the goal line. Just when it looks like they may
have snuffed the danger, Chilaka coolly lifts a shot through the crowded area
into the net for the lead.
The goal settles Harrogate and unsettles
West in equal measure and the balance of the game tilts to the away team for
about ten minutes. West regroup though and Gardner manages a short range stab
at goal that is saved by MacGillivray. The keeper then does even better, diving
to his right to tip a well-placed shot from Banks round the post.
There is still time before the interval for
Harrogate’s Luke Dean to threaten to increase the lead. First from inside the
box he crashes a shot off the bar and then works a position for a left foot
shot that brings a good diving save from Bell.
The half time verdict is a good game between
two well matched sides. West Auckland have played the more creative football,
carving out 2 or 3 good openings and only denied a goal by some very good
goalkeeping. They have also made mistakes in dangerous areas, presenting
chances, one of which led to the goal. But in the second half West will face an
uphill task both metaphorically and geographically.
Into the second half Chilaka continues to
find space and hangs up a cross on the far post where the header is well blocked
by a combination of defender and keeper. West also threaten and MacGillivray
makes a series of saves that gets grudging appreciation from the home fans. In
between, Osborne shoots over for Harrogate. The frantic action must herald a
goal soon, but at which end?
With 15 minutes to go Chilaka overhits a
pass to the right wing but instead of going dead the ball hits the corner flag.
Osborne, more alert to the situation than the defence, collects and returns it
to Chilaka in the box. He makes himself a bit of space and shoots clinically
into the far corner of the goal to double the lead.
West are down but not despondent and
continue to press for a goal of their own. John Campbell plays a 1-2 in the
Harrogate box and when his cross cum shot strikes a Harrogate arm the cries of
handball are rewarded with the award of a penalty kick. Campbell takes it and
scores to bring it back to 1-2 with 10 minutes left.
Harrogate think they still have done enough.
West’s crosses and corners are over hit, their shots from distance are wayward,
blocked or well saved by the keeper who has had great game.
Three added minutes are to be played and
Harrogate have the ball down near the corner flag. The coach’s cries of “hold
it” thankfully fall on deaf ears and an aimless cross is fielded by the keeper
and shipped upfield. Moffat gains control on the right wing and when his
chipped centre comes back to him he rifles in a shot for the latest of
equalisers.
On the final whistle the West Auckland
players sink to the floor, their efforts in the final quarter were heroic and a
replay is fair reward. The Harrogate players look plain puzzled at how they let
this one slip; but they got ahead only by punishing errors with good finishing,
and stayed there as long as they did only due to some fine goalkeeping.
The replay on Tuesday will decide whose cup
run will make it into October.
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