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East Riding Senior Cup
Hutton Cranswick 3, Bridlington Town 2
Match Report by Justin Choat
There will be a different name on the trophy this season, as the holders’
hopes of a return trip to the KC Stadium in May were crushed by the Humber
League outfit, who produced a display packed with spirit that made a
nonsense of the 3-division gap between the sides. It will now be a long slog
until the end of the season for Billy Heath’s men, who would now appear
to
have little to play for other than pride.
Town fans had made the most of an away fixture that for once did not involve
a 3-hour coach trip, and arrived in numbers to Rotsea Lane. They watched
the early stages go according to the form book, as Town passed the ball
crisply on a fine pitch. Home ‘keeper Dave Bramley, one of several ex-Town
players in the Cranswick ranks, was brought into action after only 7
minutes, bringing off the first of many fine saves to block a Paul Wilson
20-yarder. The Town winger was unlucky shortly afterwards with another
similar effort that Bramley was able to watch drift wide.
Town took what seemed to be a routine lead in the 21st minute. Midfield
dynamo Steve Underwood released Ben Eastwood with a precision through ball
and the Town striker gave Bramley no chance with a low shot into the far
corner. Cranswick, undeterred, came back at the Unibond League side, and
were unlucky not to level on the half-hour, as Town ‘keeper Nick Baxter
could only half-clear a Chris Dixon free-kick under pressure and Town were
grateful to see the ball eventually hacked away. Eastwood was denied a
clear run on goal at the other end on 37 minutes by the linesman’s flag,
leaving the Town bench in uproar at the decision. The home side continued
to press, with Mark Davies looking lively, and Town skipper Lee Harper had
to be alert to prevent the Cranswick frontman from getting a clear run
through on goal in the closing minutes of the half.
On a bitterly cold day in the Wolds, Town fans were warmed by the sight of
their team taking the field for the second half still in the ascendancy.
The seasiders started brightly, with Bramley again having to pull out all
the stops to deny Town striker Paul Palmer from close range. Then, from
nowhere in the 50th minute, Cranswick stunned the visitors with an
equaliser. Town conceded a free-kick wide on the left just inside their own
half, and Mark Pratley’s delivery was perfect, enabling Mark Frampton
to
ghost in at the far post and guide the ball home.
Suddenly, confidence and belief coursed through the home side, and
incredibly, they could have added a second minutes later. Striker Andy
Stabler arrived in the six-yard box to crash a header against the post with
‘keeper Nick Baxter beaten. The Cranswick centre-back pairing of Andy
Dixon and another former Queensgate man, Chris Reen, now also began to find
their feet against Palmer and Eastwood, and on 65 minutes, Reen became the
hero at the other end. The ball was swung in from the right, and with the
Town defence appealing for offside, the defender lashed the ball home from
close range. The linesman had indeed raised his flag, but was over-ruled by
the referee, and the goal stood.
Town were reeling, but crucially still had time to get something from the
game. Reen and the imposing figure of Dixon were now rocks at the heart of
the home rearguard, and it took a slice of luck for the Unibond League side
to draw level. A Martin Thacker corner on 75 minutes saw the hitherto
infallible Bramley flap the ball straight to Wilson 12 yards out, who
cracked a superb shot straight back past the ‘keeper and 2 defenders
on the
line into the corner for Town’s equaliser. Cranswick supporters held
their
breath in the dying minutes of normal time, as a fine move between Palmer
and Chris Hyam split the defence, only for the Town right-back to shoot into
the side netting.
Town fans, hoping that fitness would tell in the extra half-hour, were
confounded by the response of the home side. Substitute Tom Cooper could
have given Cranswick the lead in the opening minutes as he raced onto a
fine through ball, only for Baxter to foil the speedy frontman with a
brilliant one-on-one block. Bramley then had Town fans cursing with 2 more
superb saves in the first period from Palmer and Underwood. The Cranswick
keeper may not be big in stature, but he was a giant in every other sense
in
this game, and thoroughly deserved to be on the winning side.
With the dreaded penalty shoot-out looming, Cranswick threw men forward in
the closing stages, and got their just reward on 115 minutes. A diagonal
cross into the Town box was left unchallenged , and James Chadburn gleefully
pounced on the ball to lash home from the six-yard line to win the game for
his side. Town boss Billy Heath led his shell-shocked side quietly off at
the end, while the shouts and whooping from the home dressing room told the
story.
Heath must now somehow motivate his charges to maintain their top-six
position in the Unibond League in the next 2 months despite the almost
certain prospect of the team having to relinquish their place in the set-up
at the end of the season. The loyal bunch of Town fans who have seen the
side progress from the second tier of the North-East Counties League to
semi-professional football in the last 5 years will be hoping the big man
can again work his magic to keep the team focused and go out on the highest
note possible. Town return to league action this Saturday when they
entertain Colwyn Bay at Queensgate with a 3pm kick-off.
Teams:-
Hutton Cranswick
Dave Bramley, Dan Mackeyvich, Steve Etherington, Andy Dixon, Chris Reen,
Mark Pratley, Chris Dixon, Mark Davies, Andy Stabler, Dean Taylor, Mark
Frampton.
Subs: Tom Cooper, Dave Bailey, Andy Etherington, James Chadburn, Oliver
Ezard.
Bridlington Town
Nick Baxter, Carl Giblin, Chris Hyam, Shaun Baker, Lee Harper, Steve heath,
Steve Underwood, Martin Thacker, Ben Eastwood, Paul Palmer, Paul Wilson.
Subs. Martin Ramsay, Andy Neill, Wayne Lewis.