Billingham Synthonia vs Crook Town AFC

Recap

Synners Edge it

If Saturdays game was a smash and grab, tonights game was daylight robbery! Crook spurned a number of great chances and should have won the game but a moment of individual brilliance by former Spennymoor player Anthony Peacock was enough to give Billingham the win.

Colin Myers made a number of changes to the starting eleven both in personnel and positions. Lewis Brown moved to sweeper in place of Adam Morley, Chris Renshaw and Jimmy Warnett moved in to the centre of midfield and Steve Malloy made his debut wide left with Ryan Cummings dropping to the bench.

Crook started the game well and were more of a match for their opponents and the longer the game went on they grew in confidence. The first clear cut chance was when Jimmy Warnett released Lewis Martin in on goal only for the striker to hit it straight at the keeper allowing him to make an easy save when really he should have scored. Chris Renshaw saw a header flash narrowly wide from a Crook corner and Joe grant saw a 25 yard shot drift narrowly wide. Billingham created a couple of chances for themselves. Nathan Steel had a shot just off target and a header which was comfortably dealt with by Crook keeper Niall Harrison.

The sides went in at half time 0-0 although Crook think themselves unlucky not be two goals up.

The second half again started well with Crook on the front foot. Both Malloy and Johnston were finding space on either wing and were attacking the Billingham full backs with a renewed vigour. Crook were by now dominating the midfield and restricting Billingham to play a counter attacking game but they continued to look dangerous. Lewis Martin then saw his well taken free kick strike the Billingham cross bar with the goal keeper scrambling across his line. Billingham also struck the Crook cross bar with a free kick drilled in from the right hand side but with the game balanced on a knife edge what was to be the defining moment occurred. Crook had their best chance of the game when some intricate passing on the edge of the box saw the ball played through to Lewis Martin 8 yards out with only the keeper to beat but he inexplicably missed the target. From the resulting goal kick Billingham found Anthony peacock 30 yards out from goal and with a couple of adjustments the former Spennymoor striker planted the ball in to the far corner of the net to put Billingham 1-0 up. Crook came back strongly and in the final minutes, again Lewis Martin found himself through on goal but his shot was well saved by the Billingham keeper.

This was an excellent performance by Crook town against title favourites Billingham Synthonia and if the team keep improving like this they will soon be a force to be reckoned with.

Man of the match Jimmy Warnett