OSSETT
TOWN v DARLINGTON 1883
Today’s cup run is an 80 mile trip down to
Ossett, by surprisingly good rail and bus links, to see the Town take on Darlington
1883 at the Ingfield Stadium. With respect to Ossett most of the interest is
with the resurrected Darlington, now in their second season and, having bossed
the Northern League last year, currently top of the NPL Division 1 North.
However this is their first national cup tie since reformation, and it is in
the competition that they won as recently as May 2011.
That interest is reflected by a good turnout
of Darlo fans, who are in a clear majority in the crowd of a few hundred in the
nice tidy ground, so close to the bus station that a wayward shot at one end
may end up on the 127 service to Dewsbury. There is covered seating behind one
goal, a couple of covered standing areas along the touchlines, and a spacious
social area around the clubhouse; towering above are four mobile phone masts
that double as floodlight pylons.
As kick off approaches the sun breaks
through the high clouds and with no wind, a grassy surface and teams of equal
league status it should be a good game. The home team are in all red and the
visitors in familiar black and white.
From the start Darlington look like they
mean business. Last week against Town’s neighbours Ossett Albion they score
twice in the first two minutes on the way to a seven nil win, and after only 5 minutes
today, winger Thompson threatens from the left. He dribbles into the box and
shoots left footed, keeper Taylor saves at the near post but fails to gather
cleanly giving Dowson the chance to retrieve the ball and clip it into the goal
from a narrow angle.
Ossett respond with a good 1-2 in the box
that ends with a close range shot being deflected for a corner. That comes to
nothing but when Darlo get their chance from a corner, left back Galbraith
whips it in to the near post where centre half White glances it decisively into
the net for a 2-0 lead after 14 minutes.
Ossett seem to be targeting Darlington’s
young full back Pilatos, whose standing up well but loses out to a fifty-fifty
challenge from Ossett left winger Moke; his cross cum shot flies past the far
post. In midfield for Darlington, Edwards and particularly Scott are chasing
everything down; Scott battles through three players and a couple of fouls to
set up Thompson for a shot that he scuffs wide. For Ossett, Moke is again
strong in the challenge and sets up teammate Fox in the box (really!) whose
shot is well tipped over by keeper Bell.
It’s fairly even now but Thompson is proving
problematic for Ossett. Dowson finds him in space but his shot from 20 yards
misfires again. Moments later he is back on the ball and as his dribble draws
in defenders he passes to the opposite winger Moore who cuts in from the right
and shoots left footed low into the net for 3-0.
Despite the score it is not all one way.
Ossett work in right back McGrory for a firm, but off target shot; then create
danger in the box that is only averted by an offside whistle. Darlington centre
forward Purewall does beat the offside trap, not for the first time, and races
forward; however he drifts wide and his on-target shot is saved well by Taylor.
As half time approaches Ossett have another
good spell of pressure without threatening to score; but when Darlington break
out Thompson sets Dowson clear down the left and his low cross into the box is
forced in by Purewall under pressure from two defenders. At 4-0 Ossett are a
bit shell shocked and when the ball is next in their penalty area they fail to
deal with it, allowing Moore time and space to hammer a measured 20 yard drive
high into the corner of the net for Darlington’s fifth and best goal of the
half.
It’s game over at half time with Darlo
looking likely to get another seven goal haul. There has not been five goals
between the teams’ general play, however Darlington’s dominance has been
emphasised by their cutting edge finishing.
The second half starts unsurprisingly in
subdued fashion but Ossett are still interested and McGrory has another strong
shot that Bell has to go full stretch to save; and the keeper is called into
action again, snatching a dinked ball in as it bounces invitingly in the box.
Next, left back Jeff finds space on the left and crosses hard and low for Eyles
to side foot into the Darlington net from six yards to bring it back to 1-5.
Both sides make substitutions; Johnson and
Robinson for Darlington bring some renewed intensity while Sibenge’s
introduction for Ossett gives young Pilatos a fresh challenge. Both teams go
through the motions producing shots and crosses that rarely threaten but
maintain interest for the rest of the half. This includes a skied shot into the
bus station from Ossett’s Sharry, who otherwise has caught the eye in an
outnumbered midfield battle with Edwards and Scott.
The other entertaining factor in the half
has been the Ossett Town supporters’ boy band that, irrespective of the score,
has been cheerfully vocal throughout, particularly in their rendition of “one
nil in the second half” (for the tune think of the more familiar “one nil to
the Arsenal”). However in the final minute Moore, who has had a fine game,
crosses from the right and Robinson fires the ball back across the keeper and
into the net to spoil the chant and finish off the match making it a 6-1 win
for Darlington.
So that’s the Trophy over for Ossett Town,
but they are having a good FA Cup run and play in the 3rd qualifying
round at Colwyn Bay next week. For Darlo it is a good return to the competition
but the next round at Buxton is likely to be tougher.
No comments:
Post a Comment