written by Malcolm Bryce

This Saturday both Cliffe teams were scheduled to play, with the first team facing Riccall and the seconds travelling to Market Weighton but circumstances became that both games were cancelled.

So due to being let down by two clubs Cliffe decided to have an exhibition match with the first team facing the second team. Whilst been designed as a exhibition obviously many of the second team would be out to impress and prove that they deserve to be in the first team. One of these players was Andy Kirkham who emphatically proved himself scoring a “perfect hat-trick” scoring a right-footed goal, a headed goal and a left-footed 30 yard lob to complete the hat-trick, all this in the first half. Kirkham was not the only player to grab a hat-trick as both Adam McMahon and Luke Crowther also grabbed hat-tricks.

The ultimate head-ache for the Cliffe management would have been the second team winning but the first team prevailed with their superior fitness shining through rewarding them the win.
The game enabled Cliffe though, to continue, to be the free scoring club in this exhibition with three players grabbing hat-trick amongst other scorers like Andy Moughan, scoring his second goal in pre-season.

photo slide-show

filed under: Match Reports, Second Team by Malcolm Bryce
no comments

HT: 0-0
FT: 0-1 L

Cliffe FC’s second string suffered their first defeat at the hands of Thorpe’s Veterans by one-goal-to-nil on Thursday evening at Cliffe Park.
Malcolm Bryce writes…

The result may have been that it seemed instead of possibly out-pacing and tiring the Veterans, Cliffe tried to match them by playing football which suited the away team perfectly and left them looking comfortable at the back at times.

The only goal of the game came from a goalkeeping error from Gary Wilson and Cliffe’s clear chances were from Nathan Horner hitting the bar in the first half, Andy Addison coming close with a outside of the right boot effort and Darren Batey late on in the second. Any stand-out performances could only impress first-team manager, Keith Tiplady, who strangely enough was playing for the Thorpe Veterans; Tiplady’s on-pitch performance did not trouble Cliffe right-back Steve Hullah.

This was the first time Cliffe have failed to score in a match since 25th August 2007 – more than a year ago.

Cliffe Team:
(Starting XI)
Wilson, Hullah, Wood, Evans, M. Birch (C), Kirkham, Lonsdale, Ellwood, Hallam, Horner, B. Summers
(Subs)
Addison, Batey, Stoner, Lees, Healey

photo slide-show

filed under: Match Reports, Second Team by Malcolm Bryce
no comments