A heavily depleted Ferryhill squad crashed out of the Minor Cup following a disappointing 4-1 defeat on penalties at Darlington RA Juniors on Saturday, reports Chris Orton. Prior to kick-off, both teams observed an impeccable minute’s silence for Remembrance Day.
Things were quite evenly matched in the first half, with neither side taking control of the game and play switching from end to end. Athletic’s North Riding League opponents made the away side work hard but overall the half was a very disappointing affair with Ferryhill giving a laboured and uninspiring performance.
Things went from bad to worse when, with their one effort of the half, Darlington took the lead after half an hour, somehow managing to get the ball past the impressive Jacob Crowle, who was making his debut in the Ferryhill goal. Athletic looked very flat throughout, with Kieron Richardson having one of the few chances when he hit the crossbar just before the break.
The second half provided a much better display from Ferryhill, who seemed much more assured in the early stages. Adam Morland had a shot saved by the keeper’s leg, then Will Houlahan fired over the bar, but a breakthrough didn’t come until near the end when Matthew Agar scored by firing into the bottom far corner of Darlington net.
The game finished 1-1, sending the tie to penalties, which resulted in a thoroughly disappointing conclusion to a match that must count amongst the poorest of the season. The home side went through to the next round, triumphing 4-1 after the shoot-out. Reece Wilkinson gained the Man of the Match award.
Next up, Ferryhill look to get back to winning ways with a home league tie against Wynyard Village at Dean Bank on Saturday 16th. Kick off time is 2pm.
Ferryhill & Chilton's local community newspaper.
