The Y&E left it very very late to to take the three points, as two stoppage time goals sealed a home Victory over Park View AFC
It was almost Hollywood stuff for Club Captain Cam Wild as he put in a man of the match performance and scored our first goal, all of this on his 30th Birthday. Sam Conway was on hand in the 96th minute to score the second, with the win moving the Y&E in to the top five for the first time this season.
After three impressive away wins, it was back to Bedford Terrace and what promised to be a tough game against a youthful Park View side. Both games last season had finished 1-0 to the away side, with a stoppage time winner for Park View (Chester le Street United as was) sealed the three points in the corresponding fixture last season. With the games coming thick and fast, there was a few more changes in the starting XI. Dan Jones was back on the bench, with Leo lining up in central defence alongside Cam and Ross Harrison. Callum in goal and the Dalton brothers at wing back. In central midfield, HST and Scaiffe with Marshy and Harry Williams playing in behind Ste Roberts. On the bench Alex Dougall, Dan Jones, Adam Groom, Joe Hillerby and Sam Conway.
Regular readers will know that normally I go into some level of detail about what happened in the game. I’m going to change that for the first half. Neither team played well, we struggled to string many passes together, there was a lot of cleaning and shouting for fouls, Park View players seemed to fall over easily, some decisions were questionable. Park View were the better team, and we struggled to get going. Moments of note, Ste got booked, Harry W got booked. Harry W went off with an injury replaced by Dan Jones, Marshy had shot wide, Dan Jones had a header just wide. The highlight of the half was my decision to go for an early pie n chips midway through the first half. Superb as ever.
Second half and I was hoping for a better performance. Thankfully it was. We had some possession and we looked better in attack, Dan Jones playing up front as a striker, cheating the ball down and Ste volleyed over from distance. The Daltons linked up well, Jack whipping a cross in to Joe but his header was over the bar. Captain Cam nearly got on the scoresheet, with a flicked back header at the near post, that somehow trickled across the goal mouth and wide of the far post. On 60 minutes Sam Conway came on for Ste Roberts. Anyone who had Marshy, Sam Conway and Dan Jones on their front three for the Y&E bingo card at the start of the season had a winner! The aforementioned Jonesy looked to have given us the lead on 62 minutes, a free kick in to the box, a save from the keeper an goalmouth scramble before Jonesy put the ball in the net, lying on the floor but he had used his hand and it was rightly ruled out. We had a glorious chance a few minutes later, Jonesy again, but this time he was the provider, with a Messi sequence run with the ball, taking on about 4 park view players, (had to be seen to be believed) before he poked the ball through to HST, but he managed to put it wide, the net rippled and fooled a few of us who cheered, but it was side netting only. So close!
We had a few other chances, and largely kept Park View under control up front, their impressive forward Charlie Loveday having a couple of efforts, neither troubling Callum. There was a few subs, with Dougs, Hillers and Groomy all coming on for Dalts, Scaiffe and Leo. In to the last few minutes, and it looked to be heading for a draw. 91st minute, an injury to a Park View player on the edge of their box, he’s down and holds his head, Ref stops play, just on our right hand side. He has treatment and the ref decides to give us the ball with an uncontested drop ball. If you could choose one player to be at that drop ball, it was HST. He whipped a beautiful cross over and who was there to nod it home? Cam Wild of course! GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL! 1-0 in the 93rd minute. Cue a lot of celebration. Nothing better than a late later winner like that, it’s why you go to watch football for moments like that. Grabbing three points instead of one! Huge goal. We looked to see the game out and a long ball was chased by Marshy, who tackled a Park View defender in their box, who was looking to see the ball out, Marshy pulls it back and Sam Conway is on hand to slot it away and seal the points. 2-0, which is how it finished. A big win for us.
Park View were the better side 1st half, they had a few nice moments, but lacked the cutting edge up front and rarely troubled Callum in goal. They always try to play football and they looked relatively solid for 93 minutes or so. Good luck to them for the rest of the season and I am sure they will continue to be up there or thereabouts come the end of the season.
As for the Y&E, yet again managing to get some second half goals to take the points. We’ve always loved a later winner. Fair play to the lads, they kept plugging away and scored when it mattered. All this with 60 goals worth of forwards from last season not playing. We’ve got goals from across the pitch recently and this bodes well. It was fairytale stuff for Cam, a man of the match display and a goal for the birthday boy. Credit go Sam Conway and Marshy for the second, effort and fitness there to chase that one down and be on hand to put it away.
Next up another home game as Sunderland West End are the visitors on Tuesday night under the lights. Another tough game.
Howay the mighty Y&E