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It was derby day on Beech Farm and the game was played in glorious sunshine. We suffered a couple of late dropouts so had to play the full game with a bare 9 players. We started poorly, the pre-match instructions to be stronger in the tackle ignored by the team, as Moorside dominated the early exchanges. We found ourselves two down midway through the half, conceeding 2 soft goals. Both our centre defenders Reuben McCormick and Alex McGrory suffered injuries but played on bravely as we had no subs. Beechy then suddenly decided we did want to play football today and we began to force many corners and create chances, the best of which fell to Grayson Evans who worked the ball well onto his left only to blaze agonisingly wide. The goal we deserved did come however when Mason Stockton showed good determination and bundled home a scrappy effort to reduce the arrears. We were in the ascendancy at this point but there were no more goals as we trailed at HT.
There was little in the game the 2nd half, the slope aiding Moorside who possibly had slightly the better chances. Moorside added a third goal after a mix up at the back following a poor backpass. We made a tactical change at that point and this seemed to work. Beechy never gave up and Alex McGrory who had just been pushed further forward played a precise through ball to Mason on the left who burst through, held off his marker and finished superbly in the top right corner for his 2nd of the game, getting a second goal. At this point Moorside knew they were in a game and despite tempers being heated on the pitch, on the touchline and amongst the spectators the referee was excellent and managed to keep things relatively calm (thanks Dean! 😆) Beechy won a free kick over 20 yards from goal and Ryan Cordingley struck the sweetest strike you'll see right into the top corner to equaliser with 10 minutes left. A definite goal of the season contender. At this point the game was end to end. Moorside found themselves clean through to go ahead again, but Beechy kept going. Mason was again played through and clean through on goal when hauled down on the edge of the box- this would have been a red in professional football! From the resulting free kick came a scramble with Alex and Jayden Lowe unable to capitalise from the pinball in the box. As Beechy pushed for the equaliser we left ourselves open at the back, and Moorside were awarded a penalty with virtually the last kick of the game, which they converted.
An intense derby battle in the end, and despite late defeat I was proud of the players today who never gave up despite a poor first 15 minutes.
Player of the Match was close. Dawood Fakeeh was magnificent in attack and defence, with 2 flying goal saving tackles saving us when Moorside were clean through. But player of the match went to Mason Stockton with his 2 goals, the 2nd of which was sublime, and could have had a hattrick if not hauled down when clean through at the end. Unlucky all, we go again next week. ⚽️