Date: Saturday 16th November 2024, 13:00
MOM: Welsh
Goals: Welsh, Derry, Heayns, Armitstead, Hawkins
YNE North East Men's Division 2
Stokesley Men’s 2s finally snapped their five-game losing streak in spectacular fashion with a resounding away victory over a strong Newcastle 2s side. The team showed their resilience and quality, producing a dominant performance that saw them come away with a well-deserved win.
Stokesley began the game with intensity, immediately putting Newcastle on the back foot. Although Newcastle’s keeper was quick off the mark to deny Stokesley’s initial chances, it felt inevitable that the breakthrough would come. And so it did, after a penalty corner was injected by Armitstead—slightly wide of target but controlled by Heayns—allowing Phil Welsh to power the ball into the bottom corner and open the scoring.
With the early lead, Stokesley continued to press, controlling the midfield through Welsh and Patel, who orchestrated play with confidence. Bell and Derry stretched Newcastle’s defence with their pace on the wings, causing endless problems for the home side. Stokesley’s decisive movement in and around the D paid off again with a skilfully constructed move through the midfield. The ball found its way to Heayns, whose initial deflected shot was saved, only for Derry to pounce on the rebound and make it 2-0.
While it looked like smooth sailing for Stokesley, Newcastle showed they wouldn’t go down without a fight. Their first penalty corner of the match was a well-executed set piece, and though keeper Morgan saved the initial shot, Newcastle slotted the follow-up effort into the corner to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Unfazed, Stokesley responded with a third goal courtesy of their captain, who calmly dribbled around the Newcastle keeper and finished confidently on his reverse. Just before half-time, Stokesley rounded off a dominant first half with another penalty corner. The flicked effort was heading for the top right corner when it was illegally stopped on the line by a Newcastle defender. Heayns retrieved the ball for the ensuing penalty stroke but generously handed the responsibility to Armitstead, who coolly converted, maintaining his perfect record of four from four on penalty strokes this season. Stokesley entered the break with a comfortable 4-1 lead.
During the half-time team talk, the focus was on maintaining their intensity and not allowing Newcastle any opportunity to claw their way back. As expected, Newcastle came out hard in the second half, pressing higher up the pitch, but Stokesley’s defence held firm. Gavin Coates, Iain Adam, Mark Armitstead, and Dan Walker were resolute, allowing Newcastle no clear route to goal and clearing every potential threat with calm authority.
Stokesley were close to adding a fifth when Hawkins unleashed a powerful reverse-stick shot that just missed its mark. Heayns nearly redirected it goalwards but couldn’t quite make contact. Despite Newcastle’s pressure, Stokesley continued to create chances on the break. Bell drove inside, sending a well-weighted pass into Heayns, whose deflected attempt was saved, but Hawkins was on hand to slot in the rebound, bringing the score to 5-1. It was just reward for Hawkins, who worked tirelessly all game.
In the final moments, Stokesley nearly added a sixth after an inch-perfect pass found Pennington in front of goal. Though it wasn’t to be this time, Pennington’s effort capped off an emphatic display by the team, who kept their energy and determination high until the final whistle.
Special mention goes to Luke Middlemiss and Craig Baptist, who both put in tremendous performances despite Middlemiss coming off a night shift and Baptist recovering from illness. Their contributions epitomised the team’s spirit and commitment on the day.
This victory was not only a confidence booster but a reminder of Stokesley’s potential as they look to build on this performance in their upcoming fixture against high-flying Stockton. So many positives to take forward, with the team hitting form at just the right time.
Next game: Stockton M2 - Home (Saturday 23rd November 2024, 10:15 push back)
תגובות