The Railway

Date:	01 Mar 2008
Competition:	County Senior League Div 2
Home/ Away:	Home
Score:	5-0

Match Report

With leaders Millmoor Juniors losing by the odd goal in seven at Sheffield Bankers, Sheffield FC's Reserve Squad took full advantage with another fine display. It took a little while for the home side to get into top gear but once they got going, their fluid passing game soon found the gaps in the visitors defence. It took several saves from Jamie Jewett in the Blackburn Railway goal to prevent Danny Moore from scoring, and in the 18th minute Mark Oliver received the ball from a corner and his superb strike rebounded off the bar on to the keeper's glove and was somehow hacked away to safety. Richie Moore for the visitors was fairly lively but his opportunities were few and far between. Tom Carney was directing Sheffield's attacking play and after 34 minutes his good pass found Eskante whose shot was parried by Jewett only to be pounced on by Moore on the left of the goal to give Sheffield a deserved lead. Two minutes later the advantage was doubled, Janni Lipka started the move with a good pass to Cronin who put in a super cross which the keeper could only parry for Lipka himself to finish the move he had started by prodding home from close range.

Danny Kavanagh replaced George Barnes at the start of the second half and contributed to the next attack when he passed the ball to Eskante, who found Lipka - his shot was blocked well. Sheffield were stringing some quality moves together in patches but weren't as flowing as in the first half. A good move out from the back involving Andy Taylor, Eskante and Cronin resulted in a corner to Sheffield, and Cronin did well again on the right wth a good cross to Moore whose shot was blocked. Taylor was unlucky not to score when receiving the ball from a corner he turned and clipped the ball goalwards only to be denied by the bar. Just after the hour Sheffield extended their lead when Carney picked out Eskante with another precision pass; Moore got it in the area and scored with a great strike which the keeper could only palm into the net. Moore then gave way to McKenzie and Shane Kent replaced Lipka. Andy Taylor went close again following a corner but got on the scoresheet when following a great move out from the back, McKenzie was brought down just inside the area; Taylor sending the keeper the wrong way from the spot to make it 4 - 0. There was more good play in the dying minutes as the visitors began to tire and Taylor was again denied by the post from yet another corner. In almost the last action McKenzie pinched the ball from a very weary defender and finished the scoring with a great strike across the keeper to make the final score a very comfortable 5 - 0.

The reserves now have 5 games remaining, all at home with three in hand on the leaders Millmoor who are seven points ahead.

Team: Sayles, Taylor, Barnes (Kavanagh), Carnall, Lipka (Kent), Carney, Oliver, Foster, Moore (McKenzie), Eskante, Cronin, Gelsthorpe.