This was a first visit since July 2018 to Seaton Carew. That was when they played Easington in a friendly, and the ground was as it had been for many years in the Wearside League. Following their promotion to the Northern League, the groun is much improved. There is still work to be done, but they’ve got their lights up, they have a stand behind the goal, changing rooms in the ground and a couple of little spots for hospitality. It also has hard standing all the way round now. Although it used to be basic, there was always going to be plenty of room to develop around it, and they will turn it into a decent Northern League venue in time.
On the field, they’re doing absolutely fine in their first Northern League season. They’re mid-table and comfortable, and this proved to be a very comfortable win against a struggling Prudhoe.
Full-time: Seaton Carew 5-0 Prudhoe YC Seniors
Next up for me is Redcar Town vs Easington Colliery on Tuesday night.
With plans this evening and many who I normally go to Pools with going to this one, it made sense to do this early kick-off at Pools. I would then go to Seaton Carew for a first visit since they were promoted to the Northern League, and a first visit in many years. I think a lot of people (especially those associated with the club) expected Pools to do well this season, but it hasn’t started that way, and there was pressure on manager Lee Clark coming into this one. The Vic never really changes, and this was my first visit of the season.
As for the game, Worthing were clinical which ultimately won them the game, and they were probably marginally the better side.
Full-time: Hartlepool United 1-3 Worthing
Next up for me is Redcar Town vs Easington Colliery on Tuesday night.
Admission: £22 in advance for adult. £24 on the day
Programme: I was going to get one as I haven’t had a Pools programme for a long time, but I couldn’t find anyone selling them. They’re apparently only sold in the club shop.
Colliers continue excellent start to league campaign with Yarm victory
Easington Colliery continued their excellent start to the league campaign with a 1-0 win at home to Yarm & Eaglescliffe on Friday night.
Liam Adamson’s 32nd minute strike proved the difference between the sides on a windy night at the Welfare Park.
It was a very physical battle at the Welfare Park, and there wasn’t a huge amount of clear cut chances.
Upon kick-off at the Welfare Park, the first chance of the game fell the way of Adamson in the fifth minute, but he couldn’t find the target with a shot.
Physicality was the order of the game in the opening quarter of an hour, with the wind also having an impact. If you came to the Welfare Park looking for free flowing passing football, you were to be disappointed from this one.
In the 22nd minute, Adamson and Stanton linked up to find Liam Cooke, and his effort looked dangerous, but it took a deflection and proved easy for the goalkeeper.
Seconds later, at the other end, Yarm created their first chance and James Hopkinson was forced to push a shot behind for a corner.
Ten minutes later, in the 32nd minute, Adamson scored the game’s only goal. Liam picked the ball up on the left and drifted across the penalty area before taking aim. The shot was aimed at the near post, and that’s exactly where it found to put the Green Army ahead.
The Colliers had a shout for a penalty in first half additional time when the ball seemed to strike a Yarm hand in the area, but the appeals were waved away.
Following the break, the Colliers had a couple of good chances to double the lead in the 52nd minute. A header from a corner forced a good save from Lee Roberts, and an effort from the resulting second corner was cleared off the line.
Not a great deal happened in front of goal for the rest of the game, but that wasn’t a bad thing from an Easington perspective.
The Colliers were defending well, and Yarm weren’t really creating anything.
With 10 minutes to play, Adamson looked to be through on goal from Hopkinson’s long goal kick, but the assistant’s flag went up for offside. We all know you can’t be offside from a goal kick, and the assistant apologised, but the referee didn’t overrule it. A shout from the crowd towards the referee ended up with Olly Hotchkiss being booked, and then Marc Hopkinson was booked too. Dane Eltringham was then sin binned after a foul seconds later. Ultimately, all of these cautions boiled down to frustrations from a mistake from the officials around a basic rule, and it meant the Colliers had to play the final 10 minutes with 10 men.
Thankfully, the Colliers continued to manage the game well, and they saw it out to claim another impressive three points.
It wasn’t pretty, but it was another three points to put the Colliers on 28 points from the first 11 games.
This was certainly a momentous night for Sunderland after everything the club has been through, and the queue for programmes showed just that. People say programmes are a dying trade and I tend to agree, but the queue for the programme seller just over the new Keel Crossing at Sunderland last night was at least 100 people deep an hour before kick-off! The atmosphere was up there with the best I’ve seen, and it was a great night to be associated with Sunderland. Having not been to a Europa League game for years, I’ve now been to two in a month with this and OFI Crete vs CSKA Sofia last month. I do wonder how many others have done both of those games, and there’s surely no one else who was at both of them and Kinsley Boys on Tuesday night!
As for the game, it was a good game between two sides who both wanted to play good football. I was entertained watching’s AZ’s Weslley Patati and Bendegúz Kovács in the warm up. They both, especially the latter, had superb ball control! I thought Sunderland were the better side on the whole and just about deserved the three points, but AZ had some good chances too. You’d imagine both sides will do reasonably well in the Europa League.
Full-time: Sunderland 1-0 AZ Alkmaar
Next up for me is Easington Colliery vs Yarm and Eaglescliffe on Friday night.
Kinsley were one of the sides promoted to the Northern Counties East League for this season, and an early season trip was always going to be the plan. It’s only an hour and a half down to Kingsley making it one of the closer grounds.
This is Kinsley’s first season at step 6, and they have the most important feature to the ground which is lights. Spectators are only allowed on two sides, and those sides are the two which greet you as you enter in the corner. Behind the goal is a clubhouse and toilets, and most spectators stand down the one side of the pitch you’re allowed on. It has one small bit of cover with two steps or terracing and six chairs from the bar at the back!
Other than that, it’s hard standing down that side or behind the goal where you enter. It requires work to meet ground grading, but it’s work that is not too difficult. There is a good big car park just outside the ground. The car park was primarily for the greyhound stadium opposite. All greyhound stadiums seem to be in decline, but Kinsley seems to be in decline even more than any other. It’s a shame there was no racing on as I would have watched a few races before going to the game if possible.
South Leeds are a side I’ve watched a few times over the last few years, and apart from one game, I remember there always being plenty of goals in South Leeds games.
As for the game, Kinsley were the better side, but not by a huge amount. They took a very early lead and then added a second late on.
Full-time: Kinsley Boys 2-0 South Leeds
Next up for me is Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar tonight.
Colliers progress in Durham Challenge Cup with victory at Pools Youth
Easington Colliery booked their spot in the next round of the Durham Challenge Cup with a 4-1 win at Hartlepool Pools Youth Seniors on Wednesday night.
Goals from Liam Adamson, Craig Hennis, Nathan Greenwood and John Anderson helped the Colliers to the victory at High Tunstall School.
Lewis Porritt was on the scoresheet for Pools Youth.
It took a little while for the game’s first chance to be created, but once that arrived, the Colliers created a number of chances. Ryan Lincoln Barrow – who was soon forced off injured – Adamson, Greenwood and Aiden Stanton all had decent chances in the opening 25 minutes.
In the 26th minute, the Colliers took the lead. Adamson picked up possession and set himself on the edge of the penalty area before curling an effort into the bottom corner.
After Liam’s opener, the Colliers continued to create chances. Dom Agnew, Luke Pearn, Denny Tapping, Andrew Nelson and Greenwood all went close, but the lead was only one at the break.
Tapping forced a smart save from the Pools Youth goalkeeper just 15 seconds into the second half, but with their first chance of the second half, Pools Youth equalised. An attack was worked down the left and into Porritt who drilled a low effort at the near post under Keaton Marrs.
It was game on.
However, the Colliers soon regained control, and a few further chances followed before a deep corner found the towering Hennis who guided a 60th minute header into the net to regain the Colliers’ lead.
Just two minutes later, a third arrived. A corner was allowed to drop to Greenwood in the area, and his clever finish doubled the Green Army’s lead.
The Colliers played Pools Youth in the Durham Challenge Cup two years ago at High Tunstall School in a game played in heavy rain and gail force winds. Many of the Easington players and supporters present tonight remember that one. Thankfully, the weather was much better for this one.
Two goals up, the Colliers were comfortable, and a fourth arrived in the 82nd minute when Dan Maw’s cross dropped to Anderson and his shot back across goal gave the ‘keeper no chance.
It was a comfortable win in the end for the Colliers who are quickly back in action in the FA Vase on Friday night.
All the best to Pools Youth for the rest of the season.
I had a tried to Colne in the plan for this Tuesday evening, but there wasn’t a huge amount of choice. When asked if I fancied this one, I decided to do it given there will be plenty of chances to get to Colne. I watched Sunderland host Hull in the Championship a number of years ago now, but it has been a while since I’ve watched Sunderland in the League Cup. I’ll be back at the Stadium of Light for the Europa League game against AZ Alkmaar next Wednesday.
With both teams naming sides with plenty of changes from their most recent league games, it was a competitive game. Sunderland had the better chances and looked the brighter side before eventually scoring the only goal of the game with 20 minutes to play. It came through a lovely chipped finish from Chemsdine Talbi after a quick counter.
Full-time: Sunderland 1-0 Hull City
Next up for me is Hartlepool Pools Youth Seniors vs Easington Colliery tonight.
Liam Adamson continued his run of scoring when netting the only goal of the game as Easington Colliery won 1-0 at Blyth Town on Saturday afternoon.
Adamson struck in the 57th minute to give the Colliers another very impressive three points.
With Dylan Elliott injured, Thomas Bott suspended and Reece Kenney unavailable, Dom Agnew was named as captain, and Craig Hennis return to the starting XI.
The Colliers started well. Liam Cooke had a shot crucially blocked, and then Liam Adamson had one blocked.
Having been second best in the opening 15 minutes, Blyth came back into the game, and their first half chance saw Sean Reid head harmlessly over.
Only two notable chances remained in the first half, and there was one at each end. For Blyth, Adam Johnson fired a free-kick wide, while for the Colliers, Adamson did well to create room for himself but couldn’t find the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.
It was a forgettable first half in truth.
Early in the second half, Blyth had a good chance through Bailey Adamson, but Hopkinson saved well.
The game’s only goal arrived in the 57th minute. Denny Tapping and Aiden Stanton linked up well to work the ball across the Adamson, and he finished well to give the Colliers the lead.
Shortly after the goal, the Colliers had numerous chances to add to the lead. Shortly after the hour mark, Logan Herron released Luke Pearn through, but the goalkeeper saved well to deny Pearny.
Seconds later, good football worked the ball into Adamson but his poked effort darted narrowly wide.
With 20 minutes to play, the Colliers created another chance. Nathan Greenwood crossed to find Luke Pearn and he flicked it onto Adamson. Liam brought it down and took aim. The goalkeeper saved well.
In the final 15 minutes, Blyth put the pressure on a they searched for an equaliser. Joe Gibson went close with two headers from two corners. The first went wide, and the second forced a smart stop from Hopkinson.
Hopkinson was then forced into another good save to deny another corner, and shortly after, at the other end, Cooke fired a shot into the side netting.
Blyth continued to put on pressure, but the very late chances went the Colliers’ way. John Anderson and Nathan Greenwood both had chances without converting, but it wouldn’t matter as the final whistle ensured the Colliers of another three points.
Full-time: Blyth Town 0-1 Easington Colliery
Next up for me is probably Sunderland vs Hull City on Tuesday.
Quorn and Workington’s temporary home were the two I needed to recomplete the Northern Prem Prem division, and I was planning on doing Workington a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t go in the end, but I will get there soon to get it done in the next month or so. A Friday night FA Cup game with nothing else planned was a very good opportunity to get to Quorn. With traffic, it took quite a while to get down but I was early enough to get a spot in the car park. There turned out to be a club record crowd at this game. It was 1,0004 which isn’t the highest record attendance for a step 3 club, but Quorn are one of the smaller clubs at this level. The ground is a tidy fairly modern 3G venue. It has one fairly long seated stand with around five or six rows, and one full length covered terrace behind one goal with a few steps of terracing. The rest of the ground is hard standing with a big building hosting all hospitality, changing rooms and clubhouse etc. A couple of food vendors were at this game and I opted for fish and chips.
As for the game, Quorn led inside a minute, but Shepshed were the better team and deservedly equalised. The opening exchanges of second half were level, but Shepshed soon looked the brighter again. However, late on, Quorn won it through a bizarre own goal. A pass back from Shepshed avoided their goalkeeper and gifted Quorn a winner.
Full-time: Quorn 2-1 Shepshed Dynamo
Next up for me is Blyth Town vs Easington Colliery.
Connor's Football Travels 