result: 2-2

Cliffe Football Club once again were on their travels this time to a windy early evening Eastrington the 06/07 holders of the Division 5 title that Cliffe will be challenging for this forthcoming season.

Cliffe began the match at a fast pace too fast for Eastrington and could of, and maybe should have had a 2 goal lead within the first few minutes. Cliffe would later rue these chances.

Cliffe continued the pressure non the less in the first half with Dave Heron and Marc Holder being a threat down the flanks. Jamie Sedman forced a fine save from the home ‘keeper and Heron rattling the crossbar. Cliffe’s pressure was aided by play by Scott Birch and Lee Faxon with both battling well in the midfield.

This meant that the hosts were restricted to counter attacks, forcing two good saves from Ally Harris. But again Cliffe were punished, much like against Thorpe, for their errors when a throw-in was allowed to bounce between Cliffe’s makeshift centre halves Tom Hogg and Paul Fenton which Eastrington’s centre forward easily volleyed home from 12 yards for the first goal. A second for the home side followed when Cliffe’s ‘keeper seemingly was caught in no-man’s land and beaten by a low shot. Cliffe went in a half-time 2-0 down.

Keith Tiplady mouthed some positive words and made changes, introducing Steve Hullah and Rob Wood. Cliffe began the second half where they left off in the first and dominated, with Eastrington providing minimal threat allowing Cliffe to push forward. Cliffe were rewarded for all the pressure, when a clearance from Hogg confused the home defence and Sedman showed his pace to get clean through and calmly shoot past the ‘keeper for his first Cliffe goal. Cliffe would then equalise within two minutes of their first when Heron produced good work on the right and allowed Scott Birch to fire home from under 10 yards, stealing the shot from substitute Andy Kirkham’s foot.

After this Cliffe maybe should of pushed for a third, as the game settled and very little apart from few substitutions in the settled last 15 minutes.

Many positives can be drawn from the game, one being Cliffe’s squad strength in depth, not forgetting solid individual performances from Matt Birch, who kept Eastrington’s number 7 largely under wraps for the duration, Lee Faxon and Jamie Sedman who all stood out as did, Captain for the match, Tom Hogg and Scott Birch who was the referee’s man of the match.

The game finished all square at 2-2.

Cliffe Team:
A. Harris, N. Summers (Kirkham), P. Fenton, T. Hogg, M. Birch, M. Holder (Wood), L. Faxon (Hullah), S Birch, D. Heron (R. Tiplady), J. Sedman, A. Tiplady(B. Summers)

Cliffe Scorers:
Sedman, S. Birch

filed under: Match Reports by Malcolm Bryce
no comments

result: 1-3 L

Cliffe again were away from home for their second pre-season game against a Thorpe United reserve A side who last season were cup winners, winning the Barkston Ash Cup.

The first half produced few clear chances for either side with Thorpe’s best chances coming from Cliffe centre half Andy Moughan’s back headers. These errors were left unpunished and the game and Thorpe’s first goal came from a counter attack after a Cliffe corner resulting in a tap-in for the home side. Again, Cliffe were punished for a mistake, when a midfield mix-up resulted in a goal at the near post for Thorpe to get a second in the first half. This resulted in Cliffe regrouping and began creating their own chances, with Taylor having a chance to pull one back and Aaron Tiplady with a half-chance. The shot of the game came from S. Birch hitting a speculative 25 yard strike that the host’s goalkeeper had to parry to his left. Cliffe’s Jamie Sedman was a threat to the Thorpe defence and would have had a few clear-cut chances if it was not for the conditions causing unlucky bounces. The teams went in at half time with Thorpe ahead by two goals.

Shortly after the restart Thorpe added a third which Cliffe didn’t let their heads drop and continued to compete. The hosts did have a period of pressure which Cliffe’s, captain for the match and goalkeeper, Ally Harris had to pull off a string of saves which lead to him picking up a hamstring injury. Harris was not the only one to pick up a knock, Dave Heron also suffered with a groin strain and was later replaced by Rob Woods. Cliffe were rewarded for their persistence when, after a heated moment when the host captain appeared to lose his cool after bringing down Aaron Tiplady near right flank, Jamie Sedman produced a ball onto the head of, centre half, David Evans who directed a header into the back of the net for Cliffe’s second goal of pre-season.

Cliffe’s players showed encouraging performances with Stephen Hullah having a solid game, Lee Faxon proving his versatility filling in at left back and Matt Birch giving a mature and measured performance. Andy Kirkham was combative when he replaced Hullah and the aforementioned robust Andy Moughan and scorer David Evans partnership looked solid at the back. All of which must have been encouraging for Manager Keith Tiplady.

The game finished 3-1 to Thorpe.

Cliffe Team:
A. Harris, M. Birch, D. Evans, A. Moughan, L. Faxon (Leach), taylor, S. Hullah (Kirkham), S. Birch, D. Heron (Woods), J. Sedman (R Tiplady), A Tiplady.

Cliffe Scorers:
Evans

filed under: Match Reports by Malcolm Bryce
no comments