FOOTBALL TONIGHT

[STAGMAN]

The youth team game is on tonight on pitch 2 with i believe a 7pm ko, against Hereford in the Midland Youth cup

[davealbon]

The youth team recorded a 2-0 victory over Hereford tonight to move into the semi-finals of the Midland Youth Cup. We probably shaded the opening stages but struggled to create any clear cut chances. Hereford looked dangerous on the break though, but most of their early opportunities were wasted when they were caught offside. As the half went on, both sides began to create chances. Dominic Brennan's pace was causing the Hereford defence plenty of problems, and from one of his runs from the left wing he set up Jake Woolley for a close range effort that the 'keeper saved with his legs. Woolley then missed another good chance when he shot over the bar following a low cross from the right, although the ball hit a big bobble just before he shot which made the chance more difficult than it first appeared. Hereford had a few chances of their own, forcing James Broadbent into a good reaction save, before another effort was hacked clear off the line, and a third was fired narrowly wide from a tight angle. The final 15 minutes of the half were scrappy, although Callum Earls had a great opportunity to open the scoring but he scuffed his volley well wide.

Hereford improved considerably in the second half and used the ball better than us, but struggled to create any more clear cut chances. We were resorting to counter attacks but like Hereford in the first half, were thwarted by the the assistant referee's flag on several occasions. Eventually the opening goal came, and once again it was centre back Jake Gillingwater who got it. Brennan's excellent crossfield ball found Earls in space on the right hand side of the box, and his vicious cross-shot was missed by the goalkeeper, rebounded off a defender and fell to Gillingwater virtually on the line to tap the ball home. The goal opened the game up as Hereford pressed for the equaliser. Broadbent made another good diving save, before several chances were flashed across the face of the box without troubling the Rushden 'keeper. Another effort was headed off the line as the Bulls got closer and closer to the goal they probably deserved. At the other end, we did create a few half chances ourselves, Woolley heading straight at the 'keeper from 15 yards following Jordan Pendered's cross, and Earls firing narrowly high and wide from at least 30 yards. Charlie Desmond then stung the 'keeper's hands with a powerful 20 yard strike. The second goal came courtesy of another goalkeeping error. An awful backpass put him under pressure and he completely scuffed his clearance across the face of goal, allowing Woolley to nip in ahead of a defender and place a well controlled shot into the bottom corner of the unguarded net from 20 yards out. This goal seemed to boost our confidence and knock Hereford's, and Woolley soon had a great chance to make it 3-0 but shot narrowly wide. Brennan was denied by an excellent tackle from the 'keeper when he burst through on goal, before Zak Reynolds chipped just over the bar from another one-on-one. Hereford finished the stronger side though, missing a couple of great opportunities, firstly lobbing over the bar after a mistake from Gillingwater, and then firing in a shot from a tight angle that clipped the top of the post on its way over. A couple of goalmouth scrambles also saw them go close, but some excellent blocking helped preserve the clean sheet.

We will now face Walsall at home in the semi-final, as we aim to reach the final for the second time in three seasons.

Starting lineup:
1. James Broadbent (c)
2. Zak Reynolds
3. Joe Hopewell
4. Charlie Desmond (Jerry Nash)
5. Jake Gillingwater
6. Ben Ekins
7. Jordan Pendered
8. Elliot Dent
9. Jake Woolley (Connor Montone - I think!)
10. Dominic Brennan
11. Callum Earls