Date: Saturday 9th November 2024, 10:15
MOM: O'Connor
Goals: Anderson, O'Connor
YNE North East Men’s Division 2
Stokesley Men’s 2s returned home after a series of away fixtures, looking to reignite their season with a solid performance against Hild Bede 1s. While the squad had high hopes of capitalising on their home advantage, familiar defensive lapses reappeared, complicating their path in the second half.
The opening stages saw Stokesley take control, with Heayns spearheading the attack and putting Doncaster’s back line under heavy pressure. In an early attempt, Heayns struck a powerful shot towards goal, but the Hild Bede keeper was equal to it, making a comfortable save. A few minutes later, Bell sent a precise ball down the right channel to Heayns, who skilfully drove into the D. Heayns slipped a pass across the circle to Anderson, but a last-minute deflection from a defender prevented Anderson from making contact.
Midfielders O’Connor and Patel controlled the tempo, creating pockets of space and distributing the ball effectively. However, despite dominating possession, Stokesley struggled to convert it into clear-cut chances. Several promising passes intended for the forwards frustratingly missed their mark, often ending up in vacant spaces where no one was waiting to capitalise.
The match took a sudden turn as Hild Bede pounced on a lapse in Stokesley’s defence. In the space of two to three minutes, the visitors exposed weaknesses in the back line. A quick break down Hild Bede's right side left Stokesley's defender out of position, allowing a Hild Bede attacker to slot home from close range. Moments later, a high, deflected ball into the D fell perfectly for another Hild Bede player, who responded with an impressive overhead finish, doubling their lead.
A rousing half-time talk saw Stokesley emerge for the second half with renewed determination. After another ten to fifteen minutes of pressure, Stokesley’s persistence paid off. Armitstead and Heayns combined down the right flank, with Heayns breaking into the D. This time, his pass found Anderson, who made no mistake on the rebound, finishing clinically to put Stokesley back in the game.
Not long after, Stokesley almost found the equaliser. Another well-orchestrated move saw Heayns slip the ball to Anderson in front of goal, but a mishit meant the ball struck Anderson’s foot rather than finding the back of the net. Despite the setback, Stokesley maintained their intensity. With about seven minutes remaining, Prunty’s twisting run into the D created space, allowing him to find O’Connor on the penalty spot. O’Connor showed composure, slotting the ball home to level the score at 2-2.
As the clock wound down, the game seemed destined to end in a well-earned draw. However, in the dying seconds, Hild Bede won a short corner. Their attacker fired a low shot through a narrow gap between goalkeeper Hiberts’ legs, sealing a last-gasp 3-2 victory for the visitors.
It was a bitter pill to swallow for Stokesley, who had fought bravely to come back from two goals down and nearly salvaged a point. Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives for the team to take forward, particularly in their resilience and fighting spirit. Defensively, Iain Adam was a standout performer, with Walker and Coates putting in solid shifts as well.
Stokesley now look ahead to next week’s challenging away match against Newcastle, hopeful that their tenacity and hard work will continue to bring positive results.
Next game: Newcastle M2 - AWAY (Saturday 16th November 2024, 15:00 push back)
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