The Hallmark League Premier Division 2018-19
Saturday 9th February 2019
SQUIRES GATE FC 3 v 4 SILSDEN AFC
Boyd 3, Seear 37, Egidi 45 Barnes 9, Sultan 29, Wademan 41, Kirby 70.
Att. 86
COBBYDALERS VICTORS IN A SEVEN GOAL THRILLER
The Cobbydalers had to make a second visit to Squires Gate on Saturday, as the earlier fixture was abandoned at the break because of a floodlight failure. The overnight storms had abated although there was a strong crosswind and the pitch was greasy, a factor involved in several defensive errors.
The game was very entertaining with first one side taking the initiative and then the other. The opener came as early as the third minute. Right back Daniel Gray managed to get a cross in from the right. Matty Moses and Ric Seear jumped to head the ball at the far post. Sear got the touch and James BOYD blasted in the opener.
Silsden’s response was swift. Niall Sultan swung in a corner at the other end. Luke Rhodes headed goalwards and keeper Ben Fletcher blocked the effort with his feet. Aidan Kirby was on it in a flash but Gray managed to clear his shot off the goal-line. Mitchell sent Kirby free again but the shot was blocked.
The equaliser wasn’t long in coming and what a screamer it was! It came from a throw-in on the right. Kirby managed to get in a cross. The ball was headed out to Mitchell. The midfielder slid it to Arley BARNES who left the keeper no chance as his twenty-yard effort was right in the top corner.
Gate responded immediately with Boyd cutting in from the right. His shot went inches wide of the far post. In Gate’s next attack Josh Kaine slipped in his own penalty area as he attempted to clear the ball. Ric Egidi was quickly on it but Kaine recovered to deny the striker putting the home side back in front.
Moses saw his cross cleared at one end before Boyd shot well wide, after a corner had been driven to the edge of the box. Illingworth then headed Dan Gray’s cross clear and Ben Riader halted Kirby’s run at the other end. Gate nearly regained the lead midway through the half but Moses headed off the line and Illingworth cleared up.
The Cobbydalers then took the lead. Interplay between Joe Mitchell and Kirby led to a cross by the former. SULTAN had merely to tap the ball home. Gate responded with Ryan Charnley cutting across the box but the combined efforts of Kaine and Mark Everingham denied him. However the equaliser seemed inevitable. A swift counter-attack down the left found the Reds wanting. Egidi burst down the wing and crossed into the box. SEEAR made it 2-2!
Jakovlevs then denied Seear before Kaine cleared Ings’ header. If Gate’s counter-attack had been swift, Silsden’s was even swifter. Kirby broke down the right, crossed, and there was WADEMAN to make it 3-2. Could the Cobbydalers keep their lead until the break? (They had four minutes.) Unfortunately not! When Sultan crossed in towards the far post, Kirby had the opportunity to make it 4-2. He missed the chance and an error from Kaine allowed in Sear, who slid the ball in to EGIDI to level the scores at the interval.
Silsden’s last game had been the two-one win at City of Liverpool. It had been a game where the Cobbydaler’s defending had been magnificent. This was a totally different game with the possibility of more goals in the second half.
There were chances at both ends early on after the break. Sultan had a shot blocked at one end, Boyd headed over at the other. Wademan was a touch wide after Sultan had slid the ball across to him before Boyd saw his next effort cleared.
The game changed in a flash. On sixty-seven minutes Gate were awarded a corner. It was swung over to the far post where Seear thought he had put his team back in the lead. There was some confusion before Sears was deemed to have used a hand! The free-kick was hit down the right. Kirby hit a fantastic cross. Mitchell hit it perfectly but the ball rebounded off the post. Two minutes later, after another break away, KIRBY got his just reward for all his hard work and put the Cobbydalers in front with twenty minutes to go!
The drama was not over. Silsden missed chances to settle the issue. Mitchell and Kirby both shot over. Forrest brought on Laurence Sorhaindo and Josh McKeirnon. Both players played up-front where their tight ball control took the pressure off the Reds’ defence. Nevertheless Gate had one more chance. A corner was sung in three minutes from time. Seear met it cleanly but the ball hit the post! Sorhaindo broke away but was denied by a fine save from Fletcher. The Cobbydalers were relieved when the final whistle went.
Silsden now have a run of five consecutive home games although Danny Forrest is only concerned with the next game against Litherland REMYCA next Saturday. Kick-off is at 2pm. in order for the club to prepare for the Sportsmans’ dinner. (There are just a few tickets left for this event)
SQUIRES GATE FC. Fletcher, Gray, Bamba, Ing (Burgess 88), Rossall, Raider, Charnley (Booth 84), Staunton-Turner (Ryley 71), Sear, Egidi, Boyd. Subs not used Booth, Boyd.
SILSDEN AFC. Jakovlevs, Moses, Everingham, Kaine, Illingworth, Rhodes (Sorhaindo 74), Barnes, Mitchell, Wademan, Kirby, Sultan (McKiernon 76). Subs not used. Forrest, Hill.
Referee. Mr. Topp. Assistants. Mr. Young and Mr. Williams.
