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October 2011

Hexham 2-2 Red House farm (1 Oct 2011)

League leaders Red House Farm came to Hexham with a ten point lead in the table and an unbeaten record to protect, they the achieved their aim but only just. Missing from their team was ex Darlington professional Mark Sheeran who in his life in the top level achieved thirty one appearances scoring six goals over a three year spell he had at the club. Mark watched from the touchline but his normal partner Rob Nolan did take to the field, Nolan has been in sensational goal scoring form this season netting sixteen times in ten starts incorporating two hat tricks so far. He is presently top of the division goal scoring charts one place above Hexham’s Liam Heenan who unfortunately had to miss the game due to a tight hamstring from last week’s match. The game started at a frantic pace with Hexham showing no respect for their top of the table opponents, Ali Stobbs and Scott Robson lead the home attack with Thomas North playing in just behind the two front men. They found Red House keeper Paul Newton-Eddy in good form dealing with everything that was sent his way. Last season Paul played in the front line but helped out between the sticks earlier this year and did so well he has kept the gloves. First and only major scare for the home sidein the first half was when they lost possession not far from goal and a free kick was awarded but thankfully Robinson dealt with the free kick with ease. On the half hour mark Hexham took a deserved lead after Mark Gibson made a driving run at the defence and after a combination with Scott Robson he shot past the stranded Newton-Eddy. This signalled a dominant spell for the home side with Michael Robson shooting just wide and then his brother Scott heading just past the post from a Thomas North Cross. Just about on the half time whistle Hexham thought they had doubled their advantage when the same combination resulted in Robson firing home only to be thwarted by a linesman’s flag which had a touch of controversy about it as it was very late.

Where Hexham had been the better side in the first half Red House defiantly had the better of the second. Hexham had goal keeper Carl Robinson to thank for some top class saves. First he came out to save at the feet of top scorer Rob Nolan and then reciprocated the feat when Shaun Forster was through on goal and Hexham were on the back foot.. The centre back pairing of Gavin Cox and Paul McLean were immense trying to stem the tide and full backs Brown and Parkinson could not get forward as normal as there was work to be done at the back. In the middle of the park Darren Dobson was doing a sterling job just sitting in front of the back four in a role he is not accustomed to, but any role you ask Darren to take on he does very well. Really it was against the run of play when Hexham got their second and it did have more than a touch of good fortune about it. Ali Stobbs was using his strength and guile to make inroads towards the goal when he got the slightest of touches diverting it past the keeper. There was a doubt if the ball had enough legs to cross the line but full back Steve Thompson in an attempt to clear the ball managed to help it on its way over the line. Thompson might have been the villain then but within minutes after the restart he was the hero this time clearing off the line from a much harder Stobbs effort .Red House were not in a mood to see their unbeaten run come to an end in the early autumn sunshine after Forster had a dipping drive just clear the bar and once again man of the match Carl Robinson saved from Dan Ternant., possibly his best save of the game palming away a vicious drive. The game changed in the final ten minutes when a penalty was awarded when Hexham skipper Gavin Cox was adjudged to have caught the attacker but it looked from a distance that both players had been going from the ball but the striker went to ground. Hexham felt he had made the most of this especially when only moments earlier when a clear case of simulation had been well spotted by match referee Colin Smith. Hexham were bemoaning their misfortune, Red House were delighted but in a third incident they got away with a close call when in discussions after the game a penalty could have been awarded so justice may have been done. Skipper Chris Mann dispatched the penalty to set up a frantic finale. Top marksman Nolan left his scoring boots at home today as he burst into the area and instead of shooting tried to go round Robinson but Carl was not going to let that happen and bravely saved at his feet.. Still time for Stobbs to break away from his marker but tired legs got the better of him and his shot was enough to beat the goal keeper but ran away to safety. There was a large amount of injury time due to several stoppages late on in the game and in the third minute of added time disaster stuck for Hexham. A corner was met with hesitation and in a pin ball effort Dan Ternent stuck his shot into the ground and it looped into the far corner of the goal. It felt as if Hexham had lost the game never mind taken a point off the leaders and made them work to the bitter end to salvage a reward. Even then there was time for a corner for each side before the final whistle was blown and after reflection no one could argue a point a piece was a fair outcome but Hexham had come so close to upsetting the run away leaders

 

Hexham 0-0 Seaton Burn (8th Oct 11)

Some goal less draws are often great to watch and very entertaining but unfortunately this was not one of them. Too many Hexham players had off days and they come up a side which was well organised at the back and were in no mood to give up their point they started with easily. Seaton Burn were the better side in the first half as Hexham struggled to find their men and far too many passes went astray. The side was missing Thomas North as he was on Kielder marathon duty the next day and they missed his invention and creativity. When they did manage to get the ball into an area that remotely looked dangerous Stuart Taylor and David Hewitt was on hand to snuff out any danger and visiting goal keeper Stephen Baker had an easy first half. Tom Phillips came off the bench early in the first half and he did make a difference with some direct running at pace at the back line but the best chance of the half fell to Scott Coates. In a rare moment of excitement his drive only just skimmed the crossbar and apart from another half chance that came his way that was all Hexham could muster. Seaton Burn were the better of the two sides in the first half but this was due to the possession they enjoyed not for goal mouth incidents when they did get an opportunity Hexham’s central paring of McLean and Cox were in excellent form.
The half time blast from manager Terry Graham did seem to work and Hexham were better in the second half but it was Seaton Burn who should have taken the lead. Hexham had keeper Mark Stobbart to thank for keeping them in the game when he produced three tremendous saves, coming off his line to bravely save on two occasions and the third was a fantastic diving effort. These moments alone made him well worth the man of the match award for the second time this season. Hexham did have the ball in the net but this was correctly chalked off when Liam Heenen came from an offside position to score when a Tom Phillips effort had beaten the keeper but was running wide. Liam had to be replaced soon after this with a reoccurrence of the hamstring suffered two weeks ago; this was a clear case of trying to come back to soon so this time it will have to be a longer lay off. Full back Stephen Brown was performing well and making some good runs and telling crosses into the box. One of these crosses found Scott Robson who headed the ball back across the face of the goal but Mark Gibson could not keep his volley low enough to trouble the goalkeeper from twelve yards out. In all it was a disappointing result for Hexham with too many moves breaking down and not winning enough of the second ball. But with other results going their way the point gained was enough to lift them into third place in the league but they will hope not to regret these last two home draws when the promotion spots are finalised next May

Hexham 1-4 Cramlington Town (15th Oct 2011)

Hexham pulled out Division One opponents Cramlington Town in the first round of the Bill Gardener Memorial trophy on Saturday and the match was played in midsummer like conditions. But the plans for this tie were turned upside down before a ball was kicked with Skipper Gavin Cox suffering a reoccurrence of a hamstring injury which had been plaguing him all season. His normal partner Paul McLean was unavailable so a brand new pairing was formed and against higher level opponents this was to be a major problem. The new back four need time to settle in but Cramlington were not about to allow that and straight away piled on the pressure. After only six minutes Jurden Regazi capitalised on slight hesitance and then Paul Blakey produced a free kick which any player would have been proud of, so with only ten minutes gone Hexham were up against it.

Returning to the side after his exploits in the Kielder marathon last week Thomas North tried his best to resurrect his team’s fortunes. Thomas produced a great run and shot which for the first time in the game troubled Cramlington keeper Walton. It proved that this side could be got at but in the first half Hexham did not play anything like to their full potential. They could have gone in at the break further behind when Paul Blakey produced a tremendous turn and shot but luckily for Hexham goalkeeper Mark Stobbart had the effort well covered.
The second half was a different story all together with Hexham looking more composed in all departments and far better on the ball. Scott Robson was working hard to make the breakthrough and from his flick to Kurtis Harvey almost produced that vital goal. On fifty seven minutes Hexham got back into the game, a great run from Thomas North and ball out to the right side found Robson in a little bit of space. He managed to get close to the by-line before squaring the ball to Kurtis Harvey who was steaming in and Hexham were back in the tie. For the next fifteen minutes Cramlington were under the cosh with the home side sensing that all was not lost. The game could have changed dramatically had Harvey and North managed to convert two half chances just after the goal but both efforts went just wide when even if just one had found the net Cramlington possibly would have buckled. Man of the match Tom Phillips also broke from defensive duties to produce a great wall pass and shot but he also was frustrated not to find the net. But if you don’t take your chances against any side never mind one from a higher league eventually you will get punished and cruelly Dan Cave broke Hexham hearts when sloppy marking allowed him to finish the tie when he scored from a rare second half corner for Cramlington. To rub Hexham noses in it even more Kevin Ord also compounded the misery scored in the closing ten minutes, Kevin had deserved some reward for a hard working performance.

A disappointing display in the first half but Hexham were much better in the second and after the match Cramlington manager admitted his side had quite a battle in the second half and the match was not as easy as the score suggested. Neil Tiffin had a solid game in the middle of the park winning the ball and feeding his colleagues around him to make the runs. One moment in the game which probably go un noticed was in the last two minutes, a fantastic powerful low shot from Mark Gibson was heading for the bottom right hand corner when Town stopper Jamie Walton got a strong hand to it to palm the ball around the post. This brought applause from everyone watching as it was a top quality shot and even better stop. A break next Saturday for Hexham before travelling to another Cramlington side (United) in two weeks when league points are the prise on offer

Cramlington United 3-3 Hexham (29-Oct-11)

Hexham have never performed well at the Northburn Community Sports Complex over the past three seasons and with hosts Cramlington United having a slow start to the season, this was the time change that. For eighty percent of this Northern Alliance Division two encounter Hexham dominated the proceedings and only mistakes of their own making caused them any concerns. They absolutely peppered the Cramlington goal for most of the afternoon but in that goal Chris Frazer was in stunning form. Frazer produced save after save with a little good fortune on the way with the crossbar and both posts also thwarting Hexham. He produced two saves within minutes of each other from Ali Stobbs efforts before a pinpoint cross from Scott Coates was met by Liam Heenan who got in-between Frazer and the last defender to put the visitors in front after sixteen minutes. Mark Stobbart in goal for Hexham only had one shot to save before a bad ball out of defence was picked up by Dean Blackburn and he rifled the ball past Stobbart only five minutes after Hexham had taken the lead. This goal was very much against the run of play and Hexham were now starting to regret not making more of their early dominance. The home side had a physical approach to their tackling and Hexham winger Thomas North suffered more than most but his hurt was compounded even more after forty one minutes. Thomas played a neat one two with Ali Stobbs before running past two defenders to lob the ball over Frazer and into the goal but was denied by a linesman’s flag for offside despite furious protests by the Hexham team and bench. At the break it was all square and Cramlington came out the better side in the first fifteen minutes of the second half, in this time they took advantage of some slack marking at a corner to take the lead.

This gave Hexham the shock they needed and came back at their hosts with vengeance, Paul McLean had a powerful drive palmed over the crossbar by Frazer and Neil Tiffin had a shot blocked by the keeper’s legs. Frazer was at his best again as Hexham failed to convert a penalty, this time Scott Coates was disappointed to see his spot kick saved after Liam Heenan was felled in the box after turning his marker But the pressure paid off when Ali Stobbs twisted and turned his way into the box under the pressure of several defenders before blasting the ball into the roof of the net. Hexham were now back on level terms and now going for maximum points. Second half substitute Scott Robson had an immediate effect, the ball was played in behind the defence and he was onto it bearing down on the goal when he was brought down by Ian Gorgan with a last ditch tackle, Jake Larmouth was also running alongside so the ref decided that it was a yellow card for the tackle and not the red which everyone expected. The home side tried to delay the kick being taken while erecting the wall when a piece of kick thinking by Paul McLean resulted him in just lofting the ball over the wall and into the goal. This caused uproar with the home side but as Paul had asked the ref’s permission to take the kick the goal stood. As you would expect the tackles were flying in as tempers were frayed but Hexham were weathering the storm with apparent ease even though this was not the best performance of the season. Still going forward with only five minutes left on the clock Hexham received a sucker punch. With the ball in the opposing half Hexham were in no danger, but after the ball was lost it was dispatched up the field to a Cramlington wide man. With Hexham racing back to defend the ball was crossed to the opposite wing, this is when Tom Phillips made an enormous effort to cut out the cross. From over twenty five yards out, possibly further he just got his head to the ball and it flew into the top left hand corner of the Hexham goal. Nothing at all Stobbart could do about this effort and for the rest of his playing days Tom will never score a goal like that again at either end. At the end of the game Tom suffered some good natured banter but the entire squad realised what freak goal it was. So it was a disappointing draw at the end of the game and the bad run of results goes on at the Northburn Community Sports fields. NFA Minor Cup duty next week when the side travel to North Northumberland side Stobswood United for a bonfire day sparkler.