Match Reports from 2nd March

2^nd March 2013

The First Round of the League Cup competitions reduced the league programme to just a handful of fixtures.

In the only Premier League fixture Poppleton Utd picked up three useful points from their trip to Easingwold as they won 3-2 despite conceding an early goal to George Kirk.   Nick Moss levelled before the break but the hosts missed a crucial penalty before Jack Doyle gave Pop the lead,  Joe Dale scoring for the fifth game on the bounce,  made it 3-1 before Ben Tilley pulled a late goal back for Easingwold. Poppleton have now won on their last five visits to Easingwold.

In Division One Malton & Norton moved within a point of leaders Aviva after they won 4-3 at fellow promotion hopefuls White Horse. The hosts, defending an unbeaten home run of 15 games,  led at the break through a John Marshall penalty and a Chris Thompson goal and though Marcus Godsell reduced the arrears early into the second period,  a second goal of the game from John Marshall restored the Church Fenton sides two-goal cushion. The Ryedale side facing their first away defeat in 14 matches then mounted a magnificent come-back as Ryan Revis hit a hat-trick inside the final half hour to secure what seemed to be unlikely victory at the break,  for Malton & Norton. Amotherby & Swinton recorded their first away draw in 20 games after they conceded two late goals at Wilberfoss as they drew 2-2 with their hosts, a result which suits neither side as both teams battle to avoid relegation.  George Moore and Andy Phillips struck in the first half for Amotherby with Wilberfoss replying through Jed Vale and an own goal.   

Tadcaster Magnets had little difficulty in extending their unbeaten home run to 22 games in the solitary Division Two fixture as they hammered Thorpe 6-0 with Phil Smith getting half his sides goals. Ben Wilson, Gary Simpson and John Crawley completed the rout for Taddy who defeated Thorpe only last week 5-1 to register their first double of the season.

Division Four had only one fixture but it produced an entertaining game with Selby Town Res snatching victory in the final minute as they beat visitors Wheldrake 4-3. Olly O’Neil’s opening brace for Selby was cancelled out before the break by Ben Webster and Ben Feathers and Martin Fielden then gave Wheldrake the lead for the first time in the match but Callum Roe- Dixon took his tally for the season into double figures with two late goals as Selby ended a four match winless run.

York RI defeated Riccall Utd 2-1 for the second time this season in Reserve A and virtually condemned Riccall to Reserve B football next season. After a goal-less first half RI struck twice through Danny Woods and Collen Cumnings with Brett Collier grabbing a very late consolation goal for Riccall. Dunnington pushed their unbeaten run to 25 games as they won 3-0 at Huntington.

The Reserve B fixture saw Heslington, without a home win this season entertain Tadcaster Magnets who were looking for their first away win of the campaign and the inevitable 2-2 draw proceeded, Rich Carroll and Mark Bilton bagged for Heslington.

Last week Malton & Norton celebrated promotion from Reserve C and this week, following their 3-0 home win over Hemingbrough they celebrated taking the Reserve C Championship, the title was secured with goals from Callum Holmes, Steve Hoggard, and an og. and they still remain unbeaten for the season with just three games to go.

Civil Service registered a notable double for the season as they defeated promotion chasing Crayke for the second time in a week in Reserve D. Luke Biham restored parity  after Gareth Srain gave Civil Service an early advantage but goals from Ross Dixon and Sean Corr eased Civil Service into a two goal lead, a Wayne Linton free kick halved the deficit but Ben Holding wrapped up the scoring as Civil Service won 4-2 to go top the table by five points.

St Clements hit hosts Bishop Wilton with three early goals in five minutes through Josh Johnson (2) and Tom Perkins but could only add a further goal from Adam Harrison as the Saints won 4-0. A Mark Foster equaliser five minutes from time salvaged a point for F1 Racing as they drew 1-1 at Cliffe, earlier Nathan Horner had converted a penalty to put Cliffe in front.

There were no major shocks in the First Round of the Senior League Cup though last seasons beaten finalists and York Minster Engineering Premier League leaders Dunnington,  needed a goal two minutes from time to account for Division One side Hemingbrough. Dunnington, who were meeting Hemingbrough for the third season running in this competition,  fell behind to a Darryl Tate goal but Scott Sullivan levelled before the break. A Tom Mathews penalty put the Premier League side in front and though Jon Wileman levelled, Dunnington booked their place in the next round with a very late winner from Tom Richards. Premier League strugglers Hamilton Panthers were able to forget their relegation problems for a week as they entertained Division One side Haxby and they raced into a three goal lead courtesy of goals from Josh Leeming, Mark Willoughby and new signing Darren Branden, the visitors rallied however with Mathew Wash scoring either side of the interval but Panthers held on to win 3-2.  York St Johns were another Premier League tested by a Division One side, with the students eventually beating Total Sports on a penalty shoot-out after the game finished 1-1, a late equaliser from Tom Robinson cancelled out Liam Wadsworth’s opener for the students. Alex Yates scored twice for Terrington Glory at Aviva as the Glory boys won 3-0, Jordan Grose completed the Terrington goals and Rowntrees hit three goals in the final three minutes at Pocklington as the Premier League side won 6-1. Dan Marshall (2) Andy Barrass, Paul Scaife, Kev Butler and Andy Barrett shared the Rowntrees tally with Dave O’Connor hitting Pocklington’s solitary reply.  Copmanthorpe keeper Ben Sheehan converted a second half penalty as Cop defeated Huntington 1-0, and Craig McShane struck a goal in each half for Dringhouses as they progressed into the next round with a 2-0 win at Selby RSSC. Riccall Utd came from 3-0 down  at home to York RI to eventually win 8-4, Tom Littlewood and Gary Collier both hit a treble for Riccall to add to goals from Wayne Brook and Dave Heron with Lee Powell and Mark Woodward sharing the RI total. The all-Division One tie between St Clements and Tockwith was settled with a penalty five minutes from time as Will Richmond successfully converted the spot kick to send Tockwith into the next Round. Earlier Graham Hutchinson had put Tockwith in front with Mike Heels equalising for the Saints.

The Junior Cup produced a couple surprises as the top two sides in Division Two were both beaten by clubs struggling in Division Three.  Division Two League leaders Osbaldwick travelled to Selby Olympia and conceded an equaliser two minutes from time to Connor Brewins and the Selby side triumphed in the penalty shoot-out. Rawcliffe,  currently unbeaten in 10 Division Two fixtures and sitting second in the Division Two table lost 3-1 at Division Three strugglers Crayke who only recorded their first win in 23 games last week. Jack Cartwright and Ian Dawson bagged for Crayke to add to an og. Division Four League Leaders York Acorn entertained Division Three side Sporting Knavesmire and led 2-1 courtesy of a an own goal and a  Connor Larner effort but the visitors snatched a late equaliser to send the game into penalties but Acorns prevailed and won the shoot-out 4-2. Danny Mason gave the 2011 winners Strensall the perfect start netting after just 30 seconds in their home tie with Heslington but the visitors levelled through John Pipe and won the tie with a late Lee Topping penalty. Alex Knockles scored the only goal of the game as Rufforth won 1-0 at Ouseburn and Michael Quinn hit a first half hat-trick for Civil Service in their 4-0 success at Moor Lane, James Windle added their fourth. Bishop Wilton hit nine unanswered goals past Huby for the second time this season, Tom Knowles (3) Charlie Bond (2),  Andrew Heath, Chris Beilby, Ted Donkin, and Rob Eels all featured in the rout. Division Four side LNER Builders put up a spirited performance before going down 3-2 at Division Two side Bishopthorpe, Tim Pattern, Joe Gardham and Ben Jones shared the Bish goals.

Reserve Cup Holders Wigginton Grasshoppers fell at the first fence in defence of their trophy as they lost 1-0 at Old Malton. The Ryedale side who were beaten by Wigginton in last seasons competition and who have failed to beat Grasshoppers in the league twice this campaign gained some revenge as Adam Newell hit the only goal of the game. Last seasons beaten finalists Reserve C side Strensall  are on the march again and they picked up another Reserve A side scalp as they beat Haxby 3-2 with two goals in the final five minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory. Strensall led with a Danny Morrison free kick but Haxby responded with goals from Paul Holmes and Steve Martin before Strensall’s late late show started by Tom Wood and finished by John Cooper. Josh Molesworth snatched a late equaliser for Reserve C side Poppleton to send their tie with Pocklington from Reserve B into penalties and their veteran keeper Jim Byword proved to be the hero as Pocklington failed to convert any of the spot kicks as Poppleton advanced into the next round. Copmanthorpe were pushed all the way by Reserve C side Wilberfoss before edging into the next round with a 2-1 win, Jack Hugill and Mike Revey netted for Cop with Elliott Wrightson replying for Wilberfoss. A left-footed screamer from Neil Ducey was the highlight of Dringhouses 3-0 win at Aviva, Mark Bellah and Jamie Barkway contributed the other Dringhouses goals. Stamford Bridge hit seven first half goals on route to a comfortable 8-0 win over Huby, sharing the Stamford tally was Matt Free (3), Ben Malthouse, Bobby Templeton, Shaun Skippen, Gareth Owen and Tony Downing. Wheldrake will fly the flag for Reserve D in the next round after they defeated Tadcaster Town 3-2, twice James Smith had given Wheldrake the lead but Tadcaster produced an equaliser for both but they had no answer to James Walton ‘s 88^th minute header.

The York Minster Engineering League will have vacancies next season for both First Teams and Reserve Teams, for further information contact the League Secretary Mr Peter Gibson on York (01904) 796765