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15th August 2007
Northbank Carlisle 0 - 4 Gillford Park
NORTHBANK
Adam Coward
Martyn Cowarrd
Tavis Couling
Stuart Windsor
Dan Barclay
Neil Thornley
Mark Worrall
John Slaven
Steven Bell
Ben Greenslade
Liam Grey
Matthew Fraser
Andy Rogerson
Olly Driver
Matthew Reed
Andrew Donnelly
GILLFORD
Gavin Armstrong
Darren Addison
Stuart Moffat
Craig Thomson
Ally Lang
Tom Brocklebank
Mark Butler
John Lee Allen
Lee Otway
Steven Skinner
Daniel Rayson
Carl Campbell
Jack Twentyman
Andy McClellan
Lee Tedford
Martin Blake
After a lacklustre performance on the opening day of the season Gillford
Park looked to kick-start their Premier campaign away to Carlisle rivals
Northbank. The hosts, famed for their traditional red kit, had faced
Gillford only once before in a Cumberland Cup tie at the Gillford Park
Stadium, and having lost out 4-1 that day, they were out for revenge in
the first derby fixture of the season.
The game was originally scheduled to be played at that venue in the south
of Carlisle, but with the pitch having to recover from it’s use by
Carlisle Centurions, the game was rearranged to The Sheepmount and the
divisional newcomers will now play their first home match a week from now,
also in a derby against Carlisle City.
While the contest between champions Harraby Catholic Club and next
Wednesdays opponents City may have proved a greater draw, there was still
a sizeable crowd in attendance for this eagerly anticipated game, and in
warm conditions it kicked off with a five minute delay.
It was the visitors who started the game, and immediately they were
looking to make an impact on the match, with Skinner playing a long ball
from the kick off that Gillford’s Stuart Moffat, wearing number 3 in his
debut for the club, chased but was unable to keep from rolling out behind
the far goal.
The visitors lined up in the new Green and White striped away strip, a
change from last seasons all yellow kit and a hark back to the previous
incarnation of the GP guise, who also wore the hooped design. A notable
inclusion in the home squad was forward Mark Worral who last season lined
up against the Reds in the County Cup tie, while, although on the books of
Northbank, former Gillford hitman Richie Ellwood was left out of the side.
Northbank bossed the game early on using their physical presence to
control possession in midfield, and early pressure came from Tavis Couling.
His cross found Ben Greenslade jumping with former team-mate Tom
Brocklebank in the visitors box, but neither player could find the
required height and the ball went out for a goal kick.
‘Keeper Gavin Armstrong, playing his first game for Gillford since joining
the club from East of Scotland League champions Annan Athletic, sent the
goal kick out right to John Lee Allen who in turn passes it back to Tom
Brocklebank, and in the ensuing spell of play Darren Addison twice goes
close, though on both occasions Northbank goalie Adam Coward was on hand
to dispel the danger.
No doubt eager to impress, young forward Mark Worrall’s first chance comes
in the fifth minute, after Gillford’s Mark Butler takes possession. The
midfielders pass to Thompson takes an awkward bounce and goes out of play
to the right of Gillford’s area.
Thornleys throw in comes to nothing after Ally Lang clears the danger, but
the following shy was taken to Stuart Windsor who then passes it on to
Worrall on the right edge of the Gillford box, but he was frustrated after
scuffing the shot straight to Armstrong.
In the following minutes both sides look to attack down the left through
Moffat, for Gillford, and Thornley, but after a series of fruitless
counters the players became frustrated and, after an earlier
confrontation, a further foul causes fisticuffs in the centre circle.
Perhaps understand that tensions would inevitably be running high in such
a derby encounter, match referee Andrew Sproat, who also took charge of
the clubs previous meeting, cautions both sides but sensibly stays out of
his card pocket.
Both sides are eager to take an early lead, with more than three points at
stake and in the race for bragging rights determination is cast upon the
faces of both teams. One such example of this comes on twelve minutes
after Ben Greenslades shot is blocked on the edge of the Green and White
penalty area, and as the ball bounces out toward Darren Addison the
midfielder, with Number 2 on his back, bravely heads the ball despite the
flung presence of an opposition boot.
Gillford went close a number of times in the ensuing spell of play, with
Steve Skinner seeing a speculative effort fly over Adam Cowards goal while
a few moments later the ‘keeper was called upon to steal possession from
the feet of Daniel Rayson. At the other end Gillford are handed a left off
after Craig Thompson, in an unusual role in the centre of defence, gets a
poor connection and the ball rolls into the path of a Northbank striker -
but the alert Gavin Armstrong gets out quickly to claim possession, on the
seventeenth minute.
Three minutes later and debutant Dan Rayson is handed his first proper
chance after Lee Otway’s originally blocked shot squirms it’s way to the
Number 11, but his effort, from the edge of the Northbank area, glides
just a few inches the wrong side of the crossbar.
The visitors are undeterred, however, and continue to pinpoint the forward
duo of Rayson and Otway, with a clever through ball to the latter
intercepted on the edge of the box, while in the twenty-third minute
another chance goes begging after a Northbank attack is well intercepted
by Brocklebank. His pass is played into midfield and clever work between
Skinner and Addison releases the dangerous Stuart Moffat on the left, but
the cross from the ex-Harraby Catholic winger can find no-one and is
played out for a Gillford throw, with which Lee Otway is unable to connect
at the far, left hand, post.
The following period of play was perhaps Northbank’s most positive in a
game which they never really got hold of, and in which Gillford’s grasp
was never really relented.
Ally Lang, with the red shirt of Steven Bell bearing down on him, returns
the ball to the safe-boots of Armstrong but despite numerous attempts to
move forward the visitors are unable to progress into the hosts half of
the field - retaining possession nevertheless.
As the half-hour mark approaches Otway and Rayson again combine to set up
a chance for the latter, while a series of free-kicks culminate on the
left hand edge of the Gillford box. The over fussy referee appeases the
home dugouts cries that the players are too close, by counting out the ten
yards and moving the Gillford wall back all of 3 inches, but despite the
assumed advantage Liam Greys set piece sails over the visitors goal and
through the trees at that near end.
In a stark change from Saturdays defeat to Gateshead Leam Lane, Gillfords
side are not afraid to play good, intricate football and there are further
chances for both Butler and Otway, before the latter is awarded the games
first yellow for dissent.
Surprisingly, it takes until the thirty-second minute for Gavin Armstrong
to be called into his first save, and the ex-Annan goalie copes easily
with a free kick that falls just to his left. and once the ball is
released up field, o damage, ball slightly to the left of Armstrong who
deals easily and plays it up field. Immediately Addison is on the edge of
their box but ball is hoofed out for Gillford throw.
Nothing comes of this, ball booted back towards our goal and it continues
in this trend of end-to-end hoofs. Eventually Northbank concede foul close
to Gillfords goal for a push and Armstrong hits it up field.
Ball finds two players who battle before it releases to Northbanks John
Slaven, clever through ball and it is knocked out for a corner by a
sliding Skinner. Addison heads it out, they shoot in but it rebounds out
to Otway who receives praise for a clever ball to Stuart Moffat that
ultimately clears the danger.
Both sides had threatened further, with Northbanks John Slaven causing
trouble and earning his side a free-kick while Lee Otway was flagged
offside after being pinpointed by keeper Armstrong when, on forty-minutes,
the away side took the lead.
Clever work within the Gillford midfield produced an excellent ball
through to Addison who, with the goal in his sights, kept composure to
delicately curl the ball high and to the keepers left, nestling perfectly
in the ‘postage stamp’ corner.
Goalless the previous weekend and eager to open his account having been
last seasons top scorer, Lee Otway set out on another of his trademark
runs two minutes after the restart, and was only halted after three
Northbank players converged upon him near goalkeeper Cowards area.
Although an injury was sustained in the process there is no foul awarded
and, determined, Otway continues to chase the ball despite a very
noticeable limp. His determination, while also commendable, reaps rewards
as he steals possession but yet again the danger is neutralised with a
foul and Skinners free-kick doesn’t get past the first man
As time ekes away there are three further set-pieces awarded to Northbank
with Thomson and Skinner the offending players, but the men in red pose
little danger and the whistle is blown for half-time.
As pleasing as the half-time lead was, Gillford’s Jimmy McMurdo clearly
takes the half-time talk as an opportunity to encourage his team on to a
greater performance in the second forty-five, and his side come flying out
the box with the ever-dangerous Lee Otway sniffing around up front and his
attacking apprentice Rayson equally eager to add his name to the score
sheet.
Whilst criticism of match officials is often excessive and somewhat
hypocritical, there were a number of dodgy decisions by the linesman in
these opening stages of the second half, with two notable decisions coming
when the offending players were in positions behind the ball, and thus not
in an offside position.
In the forty-ninth minute John Lee Allen becomes the first player to be
removed, with Andy McClelland replacing him in defence. As play re-starts
the ball is played forward towards Dan Rayson but after he is fouled
Skinner’s cross can find no-one in the Northbank area.
Six minutes later and the visiotrs advantage is doubled when an,
admittedly soft, penalty is awarded after Tom Brocklebank tumbles in front
of goal as he attempts to connect with Rayson’s throw. The spot kick is
hit by Gillford’s set piece expert Skinner, who decisively plays it to the
keepers left.
As Northbank slug back to the centre-spot they can’t complain with the
score, if perhaps feeling a little hard done by the method with which it
was established, but with their heads down Rayson cheekily steals the ball
from kick off, moves forward fifteen yards and shoots narrowly over the
unprepared keepers goal.
Although I have it marked down as being only three minutes between the
second and third marks, it seemed longer as Gillford pressed forward and
on the 58th minute Lee Otway finally grabbed his first of the season with
a thunderbolt from the edge of the box, deviating only slightly on it’s
path to the net.
With play stopped the fiery Steven Bell is subbed and the physio’s
equipment thus assumes the role previously occupied by both his opposition
and team-mates, before objects in the dugout are visible taking flight
from the other side of the field.
His anger is mildly replicated by his counterparts on the field, evidently
frustrated at the scoreline, and rash dives and flying arms become the
order of the day for certain home players. Commendably, the visiting squad
maintain their composure and instead do the talking with their feet,
matching and beating their opponents in all quarters.
As we reach the halfway point of the second half the hosts enjoyed good
possession and carved out a number of chances, but still were unable to
find a way to the back of the ex-Annan keepers net, nevertheless regaining
composure and finding a way back into a competitive, if ultimately
fruitless, game.
Gillford’s second substitution of the night comes on sixty-nine minutes
with Lee Tedford taking the field - though as the sun was in my eyes I
apologise, I didn’t see who he replaced - while a minute later Mark
Butler, impressive in this game against his past club, see’s his curling
shot just wide of the left hand post.
Having dealt easily with a headed attempt from Lee Otway, home keeper Adam
Coward falls to the floor with the ball in his arms, looking to have
pulled a muscle. He manages to roll the ball out of play and in the
stoppage the home trainer assesses him. With a positive verdict, Adam
manages to limp on, though further goal kicks are taken by a defender.
Gillford soon begin to push forward again, with one notable attempt coming
after Skinner was fouled on the edge of the Northbank area. His free-kick
is well controlled by the chest of Lee Otway, but the striker can’t turn
on the penalty mark and shoots wide to the left.
The game then begins to slow down, the little more action. Although a few
niggly fouls keep the touchline amused, neither side can get the
breakthrough that, even with such a decisive scoreline, they both crave.
Determined Northbank continue to strive forward but very little goes for
them, with the best chance falling to Liam Grey at the back post, but he
is unable to connect with the cross.
In the final stages Dan Rayson is again denied while Gavin Armstrong takes
time to bait the forwards and perform some keep ups in celebration of the
clean sheet, while Martin Blake is given a run out from the bench.
Suddenly, and shockingly, the supporters are distracted from their hunt
for the car keys as Skinner scores out of the blue, lobbing the helpless
keeper from the edge of the centre circle, and in the words of one
supporter, “he was just taking the p*ss with that one”. Now on the wrong
end of a 4-0 scoreline and having produced few positives, Northbank race
up the field from kick off - but the difference between the sides is
summed up as they shoot well over and into the trees.
With time all but expired Rayson has yet another shot which flies past the
keepers right hand post, while the last action of the game is a Northbank
corner that was, disappointingly for Johnny Stevenson and his side, easily
dealt with. |