Conceding two early goals by Deerness Valley condemned Ferryhill Athletic to defeat at the weekend in what was ultimately a very close-run game in the Clem Smith Bowl 2nd Round, reports Chris Orton.
In very windy conditions and on a sloping pitch the home side took an early lead through Joseph Foster, who swiftly doubled his and the Deerness tally soon after. Ferryhill struggled to get going initially, but battled back well as the half progressed and had some very good spells of play. Against a good footballing side, it took a while before Athletic scored, with Matthew Agar spinning and planting the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
From this point Ferryhill probably had their best period of play for the remainder of the half, never stopping fighting against the opposition or the wind. Alex Quinn was particularly impressive, getting himself all over the pitch with a commanding performance. The home side forced a good save from Ferryhill keeper Luke Jackson, but Athletic also went on the attack with Agar having another shot saved. There was very little between the sides as the first half ended.
The second half continued in much the same vein, with neither side dominating and the wind continuing to play a part. Reece Wilkinson played very well and had a terrific shot saved. As the game went on, Ferryhill kept going and could have had the chance of an equaliser, had they been awarded a penalty that the crowd saw as being just inside the box, but somehow the referee didn’t. Instead, a free-kick on the edge of the box was awarded, but was well defended by the home team. No further goals were forthcoming and the match ended 2-1, but Athletic can feel no shame at their performance.
The game unfortunately marked the end of cup exploits for this season, but the league is still very much to play for with a home game next Saturday against Darlington RA U23 at Dean Bank. Kick-off is 2pm – please try to come along and support the lads as the season nears its end. There’s still a lot to play for and the fans can really play their part.
Chris Orton
Writing regular Ferryhill Athletic match reports.
Ferryhill & Chilton's local community newspaper.
