SPENNYMOOR
TOWN V BRIDLINGTON TOWN
It’s a grey, still day at the Brewery Field
but cool rather than cold with the pitch looking good for the time of year.
These two met in the Vase last year, at Bridlington, when Spennymoor’s 5-1
victory started off the run to their Wembley win, but the Northern Counties
East League team are in good form and will be no pushover.
Prior to kick off as the teams line up,
Spennymoor in their white shirts with black cross and Bridlington in all red, a
minute’s applause is held in memory of the recently deceased Nelson Mandela. It’s
well delivered, but with a sparse crowd a silence may have been more impressive.
Bridlington kick off, playing uphill, which
means Spennymoor won the toss and decided to go down the slope in the first
half – maybe looking to kill off the game quickly. And centre forward Henderson
signals this intent early with a firm shot from distance into the chest of the
Bridlington keeper.
The momentum is halted just seven minutes in
when a 50-50 challenge leaves Bridlington’s Lee down hurt; his team seem to
have turned up without a physio, but aid comes from the home bench before the
stricken midfielder is stretchered off. Bridlington are also poorly off for
substitutes, with Ramm getting the nod from the three available.
Spennymoor get back on the attack with
wingers Phillips and Walton both able to create space and cross well. A
Phillips cross is headed just wide by Henderson, and when a Walton centre is
headed out it is Phillips who hits a rising drive not far over the angle. It is
20 minutes before Bridlington get a strike on goal, and that sails well over
the bar.
The home team continue to press with a
Walton shot well saved. A good run by the same man takes him past defenders
deep into the penalty area; his final lunge provides a cross shot that his
strike partner Cogden stabs over the line from close range. Spennymoor are
worth more than a one goal lead and Henderson tries to enhance it with first a
header and then a shot, both narrowly wide.
Bridlington get out of their half rarely but,
as the break beckons, get a free kick opportunity just outside the box. The
Spennymoor defensive wall does its job but when a second free kick is awarded
further out, the angled cross produces a Bridlington header, on target but into
keeper Jeffries hands.
The half time 1-0 lead is poor reward for
Spennymoor and although Bridlington have only threatened from set pieces, it
would take only one to work for the game to be back in the balance. The home
team have been good in patches but their usual fluidity is lacking possibly due
to having men playing out of position to cover absent colleagues, in particular
the suspended Graydon.
The second half continues with Spennymoor
pressure and a succession of corners. From one of these, Moore wins a header
and as his deflected effort hovers invitingly a yard from goal Henderson climbs
highest to nod over the line. Two nil with half an hour to go is more
comfortable for the home team and with Bridlington now forced to have a go,
spaces appear behind their back line. Cogden exploits one to race clear but
with just the keeper to beat lifts his shot high over the bar.
Bridlington attack once more, forcing a save
from Jeffries, but again they are stretched at the back as Walton and Henderson
put together a good move down the right that eventually gives a shooting chance
to Phillips, who blazes wide. The pattern repeats with a header from
Bridlington centre back Aziz saved and then quickly distributed by Jeffries to Henderson
and then to Cogden who volleys over. Cogden gets another chance from a corner
but his side-foot, while precise, lacks sufficient power to penetrate the Bridlington
goal line defences.
A rash of late substitutions has little
effect, apart from giving a new lease of life to Bridlington’s Sutton who is
suddenly posing a threat, too late to make a difference. His free kick,
deflected by a teammate, dribbles just wide of the post; he then beats a couple
of defenders and closes in on Jeffries before shooting wide; and finally draws
a couple of free kicks deep in Spennymoor territory that could have spelled
danger but fizzled out.
The game ends 2-0 for Spennymoor, a
satisfactory rather than spectacular result that sees them through to the next
round. Bridlington seemed to come with stretched resources and low expectations,
which were amply fulfilled.
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