by Jeff King (With A Nod To Colin Wotherspoon)
Wearside League First Division - Wednesday 5th February 2025
Chester-le-Street United Reserves 3 v 0 Ferryhill Athletic
Another great night's work from United's reserves saw them defeat a tough top four Ferryhill outfit whom they'd lost to in Ferryhill 4 - 3 earlier in the season. This made it three unbeaten in 2025 so far for the Reserves who are 8th in the league.
This 3rd game since the turn of the year against a side in the top 4 of the Division was played under the lights at The Riverside,
Once again United started the game on the front foot taking the game to the visitors who were taken back by the energy pace and ability of these young United reserve lads.
United looked the more likely to open the scoring and should of on 20 minutes. Harvey Lawrence picked up the ball on the left hand side cut in field and delivered a cross field inch perfect pass to Kymani Severin.
He faced up to the full back on a one v one situation and Chester had 3 or 4 lads bursting to get in the box as Severin beat the full back and delivered a superb cross in the zone between keeper and the recovering defenders.
But Jude Anderson who stretched fully and was inches away from getting on the end of the cross and the danger was gone.
However United did take the lead soon after when a long clearance from goal keeper James Hughes was flicked on by Lawrence to Anderson who tussled with both centre halves and the ball fell to the on running Olly Dixon.
He burst forward into the box getting his body across the recovering defenders as he made his way towards goal the Ferryhill keeper had to then commit himself by rushing out to dive at the feet of Dixon.
Dixon showing great composure to dink the ball over the keeper’s body and the ball nestled into the bottom left hand corner to give the young reserve lads the advantage their play fully deserved.
Ferryhill looked to get back in the game and some decent opportunity’s to get level before the break but nobody could argue United deserved their 1 - 0 half-time advantage.
At the break the Coaching staff reminded their players that if they started the second half like they had the first then they could get the all important second goal and they delivered exactly that.
Good work from Finn Cook at left back found Anderson down the left channel, Anderson attracted both centre half’s towards him while Severin made a lung busting 50 yard run through the middle.
Anderson did superbly to get past both defenders and then found the composure to square the ball to the on rushing Severin who calmly slotted the ball away with his left foot to give United a 2 goal advantage.
This gave Chester even more energy to kick on again and they had other opportunities before the impressive Dixon picked the ball up in midfield and played a clever ball in behind.
It picked out the intelligent run from substitute Evan Cubby who got to the byline picked his head up and picked out Anderson on the penalty spot who took one touch to control and then smashed it home to put United 3 - 0 ahead.
With only 5 minutes remaining there was no way back for Ferryhill and United secured another massive 3 points as they continue to threaten the top sides in the Division.
Substitutes Leo Fasuan, Cubby and Joe Walls all played their part in the second half giving United the added energy they needed later in the game.
It was a game where there were a few candidates for MOTM. James Hughes was a big presence for in goal. Both centre backs Riley Everett and Dan Walton looked solid and comfortable on the ball.
Joe Sykes and Cook defended well as full backs and gave us reliability on the ball going forward. The 3 central midfield players Matty Henderson, Keane Mitchell and Dixon covered every blade of grass and showed bravery on the ball.
Both wide players Lawrence and Severin stretched the Ferryhill defence making the pitch and base for United's attacks wide and showed their ability to be a real threat in possession.
Anderson giving his best performance of the season as our number 9. A constant menace for the Ferryhill defence as he was involved in all 3 of Ch goals.
Head Coach Colin Wotherspoon gave a shout out to Ferryhill who he felt played their part in a very good game of football.
TEAM : 1. James Hughes 2. Joe Sykes 3. Finn Cook 4. Matty Henderson 5. Dan Walton 6. Riley Everett 7. Kymani Severin 8. Keane Mitchell 9. Jude Anderson 10. Olly Dixon (c) 11. Harvey Lawrence
SUBS : 12. Evan Cubby 14. Leo Fasuan 15. Joe Walls
SCORERS : Dixon, Severin, Anderson MEN of the MATCH : Olly Dixon & Jude Anderson - Couldn't be split.
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