Crook Town AFC vs Esh Winning

Recap

De Ja Vu

Crook exited the Durham Challenge Cup after a series of missed chances allowed Esh Winning to perform their second smash and grab within 5 days.

Manager Colin Myers gave debuts to new signings Damon Reekes and Kieran Maughan. Crook started brightly and created a number of chances. First chance fell to Connor Hughes who’s back post header lacked any sort of power giving the keeper an easy catch. Hughes then found himself one on one with the keeper after a through ball by Whitfield but missed the target with his shot. Jimmy Warnett then blazed a shot high and wide from the end of the penalty area and after another goal mouth scramble the ball fell to Wayne Whitfield who again missed the target with his shot.

Esh Winning the had what was probably their only chance of the half when, off an Esh corner, the ball fell to an unmarked Kieran day who bundled the ball in to the back of the net.

The second half started much in the same vein as the first with Crook on the front foot and creating chances. A number of quality crosses were delivered in to the Esh box by both Joe Spooner on the left and Callum Smith on the right but a lack of commitment by the Crook forwards who continually failed to attack the ball saw the chances go begging. Then came the chance of the game for Crook when a cross came in from Smith on the right and with the goalkeeper in no mans land, Joe Spooner had a free header with the goal at his mercy but inexplicably directed his header on to the post. Worse was to follow as the rebound fell to Debutant Damon Reekes but he put the ball over the bar from 5 yards out with an empty goal at his mercy. The introduction of Steve Malloy for the last 20 minutes sparked Crook to life once again. However he spurned two good chances one a header when unmarked in the box and another when he was put through one on one with the keeper but again missed the target. To cap off a toothless performance in front of goal, with the last kick of the game, Whitfield struck a shot which again hit the post and rebounded to safety before the referee blew his final whistle.

After the game, Crook Town manager Colin Myers commented “We were poor in front of goal again tonight which was a carbon copy of Saturdays game. We have no luck at all at the minute and created enough chances over the last two games to have won both comfortably. We need to get better in front of goal!”

Team: Harrison, Megran, Moss, Maughan, Cummings, Whitfield, Warnett, Smith, Spooner, Hughes, Reekes (Malloy)

Subs (Not used): Iley, Riatt, Scotter

Man of the match: Wayne Whitfield