STAITHES AFC 2-1 THORNABY DUBLINERS: THE MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

When The Dubs Were Pipped By The Hood…

Staithes AFC 2-1 Thornaby Dubliners

This game began briskly with the Dubs looking as progressive as the Coblemen looked hesitant and lacking in confidence. However, the visitors failed to trouble home goalie Tom Beeforth before the break and even when Staithes began to claim footholds in the match, they too were unable to test the opposing goaltender, Patrick Pisani. That opening period though was actually vibrant, tenacious and pacy but subsequently the hosts must have felt that they had deserved a half-time lead. 

SOCIALLY DISTANCED TOSS...

After the interval, Dubs found their offensive feet and suddenly, Beeforth was forced to make a pair of saves from Dubs’ Arran Brookbanks and Charlie Raby, before Luke Duffy began to threaten and indeed, he opened the scoring from full-back Dan Pogue's assist. A few opportunities went begging for the guests but as time wore on, the hosts mounted a desperate finale, egged on by manager Gary Sivills’ influence and two goals flew past Pisani in the final minute or so to claim victory for the Coblemen. A header by robust left-back Ryan Gibson and a poached finish by Connor Hood, following up his own header which had struck the crossbar, did the trick in a dramatic moment or two as time expired…

SOCIALLY DISTANCED KICK-OFF...

Raby was evident for Dubs from the start, shooting too high and looking to spread play with longer passes but it was Brookbanks who went close to scoring with a low shot on the turn which flew wide of the left stick. Left-back Arran Newman, who would be cautioned later for a hauling-back offence following a throw by Pisani which hadn’t been the best, shot a free-kick past a post for Thornaby, whilst industrious midfielder Karl Boult was unable to get much purchase on a header from Raby’s set-piece delivery. A nasty wrist injury to Dubs’ forward Craig Linsel, after he was barged over the touchline into a bunch of spectators, led to the introduction of lively right-sided Dubliner James Tattersfield but the only real worry for Staithes was from a Raby free-kick which bounced back to the midfielder off the hosts’ defensive wall. Raby lashed and sliced his rebound left-booter almost to the left corner flag, but we won’t mention that…

SOCIALLY DISTANCED CAUTION FOR NEWMAN...

SOCIALLY DISTANCED MARKING OF DUFFY BY DOBSON...

The Coblemen did move the ball well during that first period but stumbled when the Dubs’ penalty-box neared, despite some eager running and decent control by central striker Aaron Dale and some strong hold-up play and releases by Ryan Thompson, built more solidly than the shepherd’s hut I was staying in near Ridge Hall up the road. Thompson shot off target twice from distance, tested Pisani with a simple collection and curled a free-kick wide, whilst the busy and tall Scott Matthewman glanced a header wide of the left upright. In truth though, Staithes struggled to pierce the two Thornaby central defenders’ stubborn cover (skipper Russ Spence and sidekick Stuart Dick.) Rushes forward by both full-backs, Luke Walton on the right and Gibson on the left didn’t really produce the danger intended, hence shots being struck from downtown. 

DUBS' MITCHELL FINDS NO SOCIAL DISTANCING AT ALL...

...BUT DOES THIS TIME...

In fact, Staithes’ central defenders Lewis Calvert and skipper Brett Dobson were also performing strongly but despite some tricky footwork by Thornaby’s Duffy, neither he, nor Brookbanks had been afforded the kind of service forwards need. Boult was heavily involved in the trenches and Marcus Laing worked hard in midfield too but after their early flurry, Dubs had conceded dominance to their point-less, bottom of the league table hosts by the time the recess was whistled.   

After the short on-field break for touchline drinks but no pies, where second period tactics were emerging from many mouths, involving many expletives, the players were soon back at it. 

THOMPSON GIVES LAST MOMENT INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS RIGHT SHOE...

Staithes took the initiative and Thompson glanced a long feed on for Dale at inside-left but the striker appeared to lean back as he shot with his left shoe from 15 yards, so that his effort rose disappointingly over the bar and to add insult to injury, the ball bounced several times on the roof of the clubhouse. Oddly, Thornaby responded well from this escape and finally a goalkeeper was forced into tougher action. Beeforth plunged from goal to block from Brookbanks, the rebound flew away for Raby to fire in a good effort from around 19 yards but Beeforth did brilliantly to recover, back-pedal and leap up to his left to turn the shot behind for a right-flank corner. When the flag-kick was delivered, Beeforth was fouled as he attempted to deal with it and the danger was gone.

REF: "I'M JUST WARNING YOU, YOUNG CHAP, THAT I'M NOT KEEN ON YOUR HAIR..."

SPENCE & DALE: A GOOD TUSSLE...

Soon, Tattersfield’s right-side centre was sliced to Duffy by Calvert but the defender recovered superbly to block Duffy’s strike, before two headers by Laing caused no problems for the home defence. Finally though, Dubs’ offense created the chance Duffy wanted and he made no mistake. Right-back Pogue’s determined run to the right byeline resulted in a low centre which was missed at the near post by the tussling Calvert and Brookbanks, wrong-footing Beeforth and Walton and there was Duffy to score easily from several yards out.

SOCIALLY DISTANCED GOAL CELEBRATION FOR DUFFY...

Duffy clipped a shot wide, replacement Jack Robinson had a shot bravely deflected by Calvert into Beeforth’s gloves and the fortunate Walton actually did really well to slice a low cross from Tattersfield over his own goal-frame, with lurking Dubs behind him. 

FEARNLEY HAS BEEN BOOKED BUT SEEMS TO QUITE LIKE BEING SOCIALLY DISTANCED FROM HIS PREY...

SOMEONE HASN'T QUITE GRASPED THE FACT THAT AN ALIEN INVASION IS HAPPENING...

Staithes’ substitute Matt Fearnley, wearing 10 like Thompson and actually resembling him slightly in stature, except for the height (thanks for that, you secretive Coblemen…) was cautioned for a blunt charge on an opponent and thus joined colleague Chris Payne in the referee’s notebook. He would assist in the scoring of the winning goal, however…

REF: "SORRY CHRIS, BUT NO AMOUNT OF BOWING AND SCRAPING WILL LET YOU OFF A YELLOW CARD..."

Thompson then produced some brilliance with a stunning shot from 28 yards, 4 feet and 9 inches (approximately) which swerved, swung and swooped onto the Dubs’ crossbar, but with Sivills now bossing the team from defence (he likes bossing…) the Coblemen launched (a coble is type of local boat, hence ‘launched’) a final pair of lethal attacks.

A long throw from the left was unsurprisingly won in the air by the large frame of the feisty Gibson and his near post header entered the net via the thrusting right glove of Pisani. A point apiece then… Er, no, not quite…

LAING & THE SCUFFLING COBLEMEN, RIGHT AFTER THE WINNING GOAL...

Amazingly, Staithes scored again immediately, following some excellent graft, forceful running and a strong 50/50 challenge by the marauding Dale from deep. Thompson and Fearnley combined on the right to keep the move going and the substitute crossed the ball towards the unmarked Hood near the left side of the goal-frame. Hood’s header (hood and head, get it?) looped onto the face of the crossbar but the fleet-footed Hood reacted first to the rebound, spun quickly and fired the ball, left-booted into the far right corner of the net to spark real excitement… Even the folks working at yonder Boulby Mine could be heard yelling their polyhalite heads off… 

THE REF SOCIALLY DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM THE PLAYGROUND SCRAP...

Hood had been a useful asset to his team throughout, as had the hardworking Liam Fox, no doubt taking time off from his political duties to turn out for the Coblemen… Walton and Gibson were progressive in their support for the attack, in which Dale and Thompson were integral. For the guests, certainly the defence was dour enough, Raby often passed smartly, Boult was keen and Duffy clever but really, Robinson and Tattersfield added the real liveliness as replacements…

GAME OVER, AS IS SOCIAL DISTANCING FOR THE DAY...

A dramatic conclusion to a worthy North Riding League match which proved entertaining for the few folks who had braved the Covid rules to stand and watch…  

TEAMS:

STAITHES AFC:

TOM BEEFORTH, LUKE WALTON, RYAN GIBSON, BRETT DOBSON (CAPT), LEWIS CALVERT, CHRIS PAYNE, CONNOR HOOD, SCOTT MATTHEWMAN, AARON DALE, RYAN THOMPSON, LIAM FOX.

SUBS:

MARK GRAHAM, LIAM BALL, GARY SIVILLS, ELAN MURRAY, MATT FEARNLEY.    

THORNABY DUBLINERS:

PATRICK PISANI, DAN POGUE, ARRAN NEWMAN, STUART DICK, MARCUS LAING, RUSS SPENCE (CAPT), CHARLIE RABY, KARL BOULT, ARRAN BROOKBANKS, CRAIG LINSIL, LUKE DUFFY.

SUBS:

JAMES TATTERSFIELD, JACK ROBINSON, SAM CONNOLLY, GARRY MITCHELL, DAN FLYNN.