Following two consecutive weeks where matches were postponed due to the weather, football finally got underway for Ferryhill Athletic in 2026 with the short journey over to Coxhoe Athletic where Ferryhill met their local rivals for the third time this season, seeking to make inroads into reducing the fixture backlog, reports Chris Orton.
Overnight rain had resulted in a heavy pitch, but both teams coped with it well and were pleased to get the game on with Ferryhill not having played for five weeks.
The visitors took the initiative immediately with Jay Roddam’s early shot going just wide of the upright.
The opening goal wasn’t long in coming with Kieron Richardson adding to his impressive tally for the season with an easy finish after just three minutes.
Matthew Agar nearly had the ball over the line after seven minutes, with Alex Quinn also going close.
Next up it was the turn of Deacon Simpson whose attempted lob of the keeper just fell short of the net.
The second goal came when Michael Hogg coolly slotted the ball home, which was soon followed by Richardson’s second – a clinical shot that Coxhoe were unable to defend.
Ferryhill were utterly dominant for most of the half, although the home side did have a bit more of the play as the game headed to the interval.
Hogg again went close for Ferryhill just before the whistle.
The second half continued in much the same vein with Richardson and Kieran Gillham both having decent attempts at goal and Agar coming close when he headed wide of the post.
New signing, Jack Wilson, was introduced from the bench and looked to have a good touch. His opening shot would have reached back of the net had it not been deflected then saved by Daniel Hebden in the Coxhoe goal.
Ferryhill had all of the possession again with Simpson scoring a simple tap-in that came from a neatly-placed corner.
The home team suffered a further blow when Hebden had to go off injured, but no keeper could have saved Ellis Hare’s netbuster of a shot from outside the penalty area which gave Ferryhill their fifth.
The match saw a solid defensive display from the Ferryhill backline and hard working play from the rest of the team elsewhere on the pitch; no player having a bad game.
Coxhoe offered little and looked a rather weaker team than the one faced earlier in the season.
They did get a consolation goal right at the end of the game, but it was far too little too late to change the outcome.
Reece Wilkinson was awarded the Man of the Match.
The result keeps Athletic in second spot in the table, but well in the title hunt, albeit they are seven points behind leaders Belmont, but with three games in hand and an identical goal difference
Next Saturday sees Athletic host Wynyard Village in a league game, currently scheduled for 2pm at Dean Bank Park, weather permitting.
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