Thorncliffe

Date:	05 Jan 2008
Competition:	County Senior League Div 2
Home/ Away:	Home
Score:	7-0

Match Report

In their most comprehensive victory of the season so far Sheffield FC Reserves scored seven goals without reply at the Bright Finance Stadium against a physically strong Thorncliffe side who at the end were run ragged.

It was Thorncliffe who created the first chance but Sheffield soon found their stride and chances started to come the way of the home side. Moore was clipped just outside the D and from the free kick Eskante received the ball and it fell to McKenzie who saw a good shot drift just wide of the left upright. Moore then opened the scoring after 11 minutes when Portaluri set him up with a good ball on the right of the box and he scored with a nice strike across the keeper.

Eskante then got good possession on the edge of the area but he took one touch too many; in the next action he won a free kick rather fortuitously which McKenzie lofted over the goal. At the other end Sayles had to be at his best to claim a well taken corner kick under pressure. Linnell raced away and put a good strike just wide. Then Barnes found Portaluri on the right with a great diagonal ball but the resulting shot was too tame. Lipka put McKenzie through with a good pass the young winger kept his feet after a clumsy tackle got his shot away which Roebuck in the Thorncliffe goal apeared to palm away but a goal kick was awarded. Sheffield were threatening with each attack and it was Lipka who next got into the action. He found some space on the edge of the area and fired in a good strike which went close. Moore then received the ball but passed to Eskante when offside and Lipka in a better position. Thorncliffe had a spell of pressure and Danny Pegg saw a goalbound strike tipped wide by Sayles as Sheffeld were not making their pressure count. McKenzie was then horribly fouled by a central defender in a dangerous position but Carney's free kick was taken comfortably by the keeper.

Sheffield got the second goal they deserved when McKenzie found Eskante who shook off the attentions of Ady Roebuck and finished with a good strike to send the home side 2 - 0 up at half time.

Despite Pegg getting another half chance in the first minute of the second period only 47 minutes were on the clock when Moore scored his second goal. A clever one - two with Janni Likpa gave McKenzie the opportunity to shoot, his effort was blocked and Moore followed up with a gret strike. This spurred Thorncliffe into some creative activity and Darryl Salmons had a shot go wide and Spencer put a good ball through to Pegg who saw his first time effort go just wide.

In a bizarre sequence of events Lipka got the ball with all the defenders hands raised and was put off by a shout from one of his own team-mates just as he had rounded the keeper with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately seconds later he regained the ball and scored a good goal to give Sheffield a 4 - 0 lead after 60 minutes. Eamonn Chapman replaced McKenzie on 60 minutes. Sayles was called into action just after this and made a superb save with his legs from Chis Ashberry who had been put through by Salmons. The ball was moved swiftly to the other end of the ground in a flowing move and Moore scored with a lovely strike to secure his hat trick and Sheffield 's fifth. Foster and Kent replaced Barnes and Linnell on 66 minutes. The pace of Sheffield's play was now taking its toll on the visitors and following another good passage of play Oliver had a shot deflected to Portaluri who got the ball into the goal ut was ruled offside.

Following an unscheduled break when the floodlights failed Eskante surged forward and was too strong for the defenders and put Moore through to score his fourth goal of the afternoon. Lipka then scored his second to put Sheffield 7 - 0 up having received a good pass from Oliver. Shane Kent fired in a good shot which just cleared the crossbar and in the final minutes Eskante had two chances which went close. Although Danny Moore grabs the headlines with his 4 goals one of the days best performances was from Tom Carney who dominated proceedings in midfield.

Team: Sayles, Linnell, Gelsthorpe, Barnes, Oliver, Lipka, McKenzie, Portaluri, Carney, Moore, Eskante, Chapman, Foster, Kent