Wkye Rangers Firsts 1-3 Northern FC
A 3 game losing streak, and missing your two top goalscorers isn’t the greatest preparation for any game, never mind a Senior Cup quarter final tie against opponents from the division above, but Northern FC ran out comfortable 3-1 winners at Horsfall playing fields this Remembrance Sunday.
‘Put in a performance today and the shirt is yours for next week’ was the message from Barry Ryan before the game, and each man took this on from the off. Starting with the 4-5-1 formation that won them the Division 2 title last year, Connor Scott took the number 9 role with Matty Hall, Andy Tasker, Gareth Stoyles, Michael Avery and Ryan Hall making up the midfield 5. The back 4 was Carl Frith, Callum Armitage, Dave Denton and Steven Ryan, with skipper Gareth Wright between the sticks.
The central midfield 3 of Tasker, Stoyles and Avery quickly stamped their authority on the game, dominating the centre of the park, and 2 of these combined for Northern’s first goal on 26 minutes. Tasker came out on top in a 60-40 challenge (the 60 to the Wyke player), and after some neat build-up play, Tasker’s pinpoint cross found Michael Avery unmarked in the box to place a header into the bottom corner, with the keeper rooted to the spot.
Northern doubled their lead a few minutes before the break, again Tasker the provider, his corner finding Steven Ryan with a bullet header past the keeper to make it 2-0 with 42 minutes on the clock. Wyke would go close to pulling a goal back soon after, but Gaz Wright expertly tipped a free kick, heading for the top corner, over the bar to maintain the first half clean sheet.
2-0 at half time would make Barry Ryan’s half-time team talk an easier one, but Northern weren’t finished yet. On the stroke of half time, Michael Avery was brought down some 25 yards out, and Gaz Stoyles hit one that the Wyke keeper could only parry back into the danger zone, where Carl Frith finished with aplomb for his first goal since he had hair.
The expected onslaught from the home side came in the second half, but Northern stood firm, with some great blocks being thrown in by the blue and blacks. It took until 80 minutes before Wyke found a way past Wright, but this was only a consolation as Northern booked their place in the semi-finals, with more Premier Division opponents up next (TBC)
Back to league action next week with a visit to Carrbottom Rec to face Rattlers FC.
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Northern – Wright, Frith, S Ryan, Denton, Armitage, Matty Hall, Tasker, Stoyles, Avery (Rutter 89), Ryan Hall (Mark Hall 85), Scott
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MOM Callum Armitage