Hucknall Town 7-1 Durham City

Saturday 28th November 2009 -- UniBond Premier Division

Turned out to be a stroll in the second half for the Yellows, but the first half was a tense affair with the home team forgetting to play it simple - that's all that was needed to beat their young, inexperienced visitors. Indeed Durham only had 14 players listed on the team sheet - and the three subs were an odd lot - one was slightly(!) overweight, one was about 12 and the other was a keeper! He actually came on late in the game as a makeshift striker.

Although we tend not to travel far to get our fix of football, Watnall Road is just about as "local" as it gets for me and Kev, living as we do about 2 miles from the ground. Our 50th game of the season also saw our highest league match aggregate score, and although a high score was predictable, for the first half hour we were wondering if we were looking at a surprise result - with Durham giving as good as they got for a while.....

Great to see Danny Bryant working again - he was warming up Hucknall's keeper Danny Haystead when we entered the ground. He came over to say hello, and said it was great to be involved at Watnall Road and he is really enjoying working with the players. Manager Bryan Chambers let Danny and coach Pablo Grossett take over on the field matters - deciding to watch the game from behind the perimeter fencing....

We expected Hucknall to score a shedload, and the game was only 2 minutes old when they had their first opportunity, TJ Nightingale heading over a Terry Hawkridge cross. Durham looked a very young side, but when Conor Winters headed over the Hucknall bar 5 minutes later, they at least showed they were there to try and compete as best they can.

Deon Meikle saw his long range effort fly just over in the 10th minute, then had a shot well saved by City keeper Richard Heineger seconds later. Durham cleared from the corner and the ball found Durham skipper Andy Stephenson who let fly from 30 yards, almost catching Haystead out.

In the 26th minute, Hucknall had a good shout for a penalty after Nightingale was tackled just inside the box - the ball looked to be going into the goal, so Referee Mick Bell played on. Unfortunately for Hucknall a defender managed to get back to hack the ball off the line.

Town broke the stubborn City defence on the half-hour. Laurie Wilson at last fired in a decent corner that Rob McCormick headed back across goal where JAY SMEDLEY was on hand to nod home. The home team doubled their lead on 43 when SMEDLEY headed powerfully home from a Wilson free-kick. H-T 2-0

Chambers decided that his front line needed strengthening, and introduced Antwon Bonnick in place of the largely ineffective Lee Whittington. The change had an almost immediate effect when just two minutes from the restart, Bonnick was first to a McCormick headed ball forward. He beat both his marker and the keeper to the ball and when it ran loose to T J NIGHTINGALE, the striker made no mistake from 6 yards out.

It was 4-0 after 50 minutes, Bonnick again the provider, this time crossing from the right and finding TERRY HAWKRIDGE who blasted the ball through keeper Heineger. 5 minutes later the home team added a fifth. Hawkridge was fed by Wilson and crossed to the far post where NIGHTINGALE was waiting to tap home.

The visitors kept playing to the best of their abilities, and scored aguably the goal of the game on 71. CONOR WINTERS latched onto the ball just inside the Hucknall half and ran at goal, and despite close attention from McCormick, the winger wriggled his way into the box before lashing the ball into the roof of the net. Great goal from the young man, but his celebration were short lived as Hucknall bagged their 6th a few minutes later.

ANTWON BONNICK found the ball at his feet on the edge of the City area, and he calmly looked up before rifling a shot past Heineger. Hucknall saved thier best for last - a ball up field from Haystead was cleverly flicked on by Hawkridge to Meikle - his inch perfect cross found the lurking BONNICK six yards from goal, and he wasn't going to miss from there. F-T 7-1

A slow start from Hucknall, but after 30 minutes they took control. The visitors did create a few chances, and what must worry Chambers and Co is that the midfield sometimes forgot their jobs. They have a decent looking back four in Smedley, Shiels, McCormick and Meikle, but they still need help from their midfield, and at times that help was just not forthcoming. The last time we saw the Yellows they were hammered 1-6 by Stoubridge and the backline received no help from midfield then either. Good result, but still lessons to be learned.........

Admission £8.00

Attendance 198

MOM - Deon Meikle

Teams:

Hucknall : Haystead, Smedley, Meikle, Walters, Shiels, McCormick, Wiggins-Thomas, Wilson (C), Nightingale, Whittington, Hawkridge. Subs : Ward, Pembleton, Bonnick, Ibrahim, Hawes

Durham : Heineger, Potts, Hollingsworth, Stephenson (C), Mounter, Ayers, Winter, Graham, Home-Jackson, Ayre, James. Subs : Harboard, Furr, Hamilton (GK)

Kev's taking his good lady to see some singist or other on Tuesday, so I'll be on my own.... supposed to be Eastwood Tn v Gloucester, but I may opt for Carlton Tn v Mickleover.