Colliers pick up three points at Thornaby
Easington Colliery claimed an impressive three points with a 1-0 win away to Thornaby on Wednesday night.
Brad Forster’s 32nd minute header proved the difference between the sides on a night where the Colliers were forced to play the whole of the second half with no recognised goalkeeper on the pitch following an injury to James Hopkinson.
Dane Eltringham – who had earlier provided the assist for the goal – played in goal for the Green Army in the second half.
Club captain Dylan Elliott returned to the side for his first start since his injury to replace Matty Weirs in one change from Monday’s game against Newcastle University.
On a pleasant enough evening at Teesdale Park, it wasn’t a game with a whole load of chances, but the Colliers did what they needed to do and defended their goal outstandingly in the second half to preserve the clean sheet.
Upon kick-off, it was a quiet start. Other than a corner at each end, little happened in the opening 10 minutes.
The game was in its 16th minute by the time of its first chance, but it was a big chance, and it went Thornaby’s way. Dom Joynes’ low cross from the left found a way through to Ryan Wright at the back post, but he blazed over from four yards out.
The Colliers’ first opportunity arrived with 25 minutes played. Seconds after Callum Stanton had fizzed a dangerous ball across the face of goal to no avail, Josh Barnett took aim with a shot from the right corner of the penalty area, but a crucial blocked kept the Colliers at bay.
Thornaby had more of the ball in the first half, and they were seeing spells of possession in the Easington half, but they never looked like troubling Hopkinson.
In the 32nd minute, the Colliers scored the game’s only goal. Eltringham whipped a corner into the penalty area and it was recycled back to him. A lovely deep ball was swung back into the area by Dane, and Forster was there to head home.
With exactly 45 minutes on the clock, Easington goalkeeper Hopinkson went down injured. He battled on to see the first half out, but there was no way he could play the secod half. Eltringham volunteered to go in goal for the second half, and everyone expected a tough 45 minutes.
Jak Ashton came on to replace Hopkinson and take Eltringham’s place at full back.
It was a case of managing the game and limiting Thornaby for much of the second half, and the Colliers did that extremely well.
Despite most of the half being about the defence, there was almost a second for Easington with an hour played. Jamed Fairley lifted a wide free-kick into the penalty area and Weirs’ glancing header looked to have doubled the Green Army’s lead, but it was cleared off the line.
Stanton created an opportunity for himself in the 71st minute after a good turn and shot, but it was saved by Ronan Makepeace.
Eltringham in the Easington goal was only forced into one save in the second half, but he pulled it off well.
It was a battle to the end, and the final whistle was greeted by a sigh of relief from the Colliers.
One more win from the remaining three league games will absolutely guarantee the Colliers a spot in the playoffs.
Full-time: Thornaby 0-1 Easington Colliery
Next up for me is Boldon CA vs Horden CW tomorrow.
Thornaby: Makepeace, Verity, Littlefair (Hindson, 73′), Mitchell (Stapley, 73′), Rowe (Alali, 90+1′), Gant, Richards (Booth, 79′), Milburn, Wright, Nelson, Joynes
Unused sub: Clark
Easington Colliery: Hopkinson (Ashton, 46′), Barnett, Eltringham, Kenney, Forster, Nelson, Pearn (Weirs, 55′), Elliott (c), Fairley, Guy (Ford, 87′), Stanton (Fryatt, 84′)
Unused sub: Hunter
Admission: £6 adults, £4 concessions
Programme: Didn’t get one
Attendance: 98
Referee: Chris Barley
Connor's Football Travels 