Reyhan Grimaud v Sunderland West End Earlier This Season
by Jeff King
Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Saturday 17th August 2024
F.C. Hartlepool 1 v 0 Chester-le-Street United
United went down to their first away defeat of the season in yet another game where their efforts, commitment and performance deserved more. It was a game that looked to be heading for stalemate until a fortunate winner late on for the hosts.
If United had taken their chances they would surely have gotten at least a point against a FC Hartlepool side that made it five wins in a row to remain in third place in the table.
For Chester it was a third successive defeat but one they did not deserve to accrue after a display that saw some great football and quality on show from a side who look far better than their current sixteenth position in the table.
Team news saw Harley Lawton return from suspension and unavailability to take his place in the starting XI with Kymani Severin stepping down to the bench. It was the only change from Tuesday's home defeat against Esh Winning.
United started the brighter and had the first effort on goal. Michael Mallaburn's long diagonal from the rigeht saw Charlie Loveday take a superb first touch on the left and then drift inside towards the Hartlepool goal.
He decided to try his luck from 20-yards out but his effort flew well wide of the target. A defence clearing header from Ollie Barnett helped set up the next away opportunity. The ball being picked up by Stephen Siyanbola.
The big striker burst forward driving at the defence before releasing Addis Dore in space on the right. The forward delightfully rounding Olly Burrows before cutting into the box and fizzing an angled 16-yarder just wide of the far post.
The home side's first skirmish saw Aidan Chainey play a ball down the right to ex-Chester loanee Finn O'Gorman who out muscled Jamie Frizzel to set up a shooting chance from the edge of the box.
His low drive was on target but James Hughes in the United goal dived low to his right to gather in the effort in neat style. United though were setting the pace in the early goings under the promptings of Lawton.
He pinched a ball in midfield that had gone loose some 40 yards out before advancing to the edge of the FC box and hitting a crisp 20-yarder that saw George Briggs dive low to his left to turn around the post.
The corner came to nothing but it signalled a spell of possession from Chester. Lawton again involved. This time making a good challenge in midfield to win the ball before finding Mallaburn.
His neat precise pass in turn setting the supporting Dan Robinson away on the right and he saw his attempted cross towards his forward ricocheted off Chainey. Lawton delivered and Dylan Wilkinson's header towards goal was cleared for another corner.
Once again it was Lawton sending the ball into the box. This time a low one which saw Reyhan Grimaud meet on the half-volley from 8-yards out but his effort was just wide of the mark.
Despite this pressure it was FC who almost took the lead on 23 minutes. Connor Gales' deep cross to the back post evaded everyone but Fin Smith who's first-time effort from inside the six-yard box was brilliantly stopped by Hughes' superb reaction stop with his feet.
The influential Lawton then curled a lovely inviting cross into the home box from the inside left channel. The ball was between Briggs and Siyanbola with the Home keeper coming the hardest and seemingly bringing down the United striker in mid-air.
However the Assistant's flag went up for offside against Siyanbola negating any possible penalty shouts from the away side. Siyanbola though continued to be a handful for Hartlepool.
His next opportunity came with a lovely turn on the halfway that saw him speeding towards the FC box. Siyanbola's run though was tracked all the way bu Chainey who made a superb clearing tackle as Siyanbola shaped to shoot.
Two minutes before the break United's Loveday squandered the best chance of a fast paced entertaining half. Robinson winning the initial challenge and finding Grimaud in the centre circle.
The Reunion Islander's first touch was excellent and his second even better as he played a defence-splitting through ball that sent Loveday streaking away from the Hartlepool defence and clear through on goal.
As Loveday advanced inside the box he saw Briggs come off his line to cut the angle down. Loveday though hit his left-foot across and past Briggs only for the ball to go inches wide of the far post.
There was time for one further United chance before the referee called a halt to the first 45 minutes. Mallaburn did well to battle and get his pass away to Siyanbola inside the home box.
Somehow Siyanbola wriggled free of two defenders to create a shooting chance. But his control was not great and he scooped the ball past Briggs but over the bar from about 8-yards out. It was the last action of a half that United shaded.
The second 45 minutes initially began with United on top. They were playing some neat and tidy football and Grimaud was the driving force behind the better way. On such run saw him almost put the alert unmarked Dore in on goal but he was stopped by the equally alert Burrows.
Grimaud then fed Mallaburn on the right who crossed dangerously only for no-one to claim. The ball foraging for the right was picked up by Frizzel who retrieved and send a cross that Briggs diving forward claimed really well.
Loveday then put Dore in the clear with a great through ball that sent him clear but Josh Daley got across to make a brilliant block just as Dore was about to pull the trigger.
The ball was recycled by Dore who took a touch and then hit a fierce angled drive from 14-yards just over the bar with Briggs beaten. After United's positive start Hartlepool did respond and pushed forward particularly on their left.
Ball and Burrows from the back in particular trying to push their team on but United's defence was holding superbly with all four really looking on their game and Grimaud strong in front of them.
A defensive clearance by Barnett looked as if it was going to fall to Burrows but Loveday nipped in and sped away towards the Hartlepool goal. Once again though there was a covering home player, this time, Chainey, to deny the United forward a clear run on goal.
A United counter attack from a home attack perhaps should have brought more when Frizzel burst into the box on the left. He chose to cross instead of shooting and the ball went too long.
Mallaburn though retrieved it and crossed towards the waiting Dore but once again it was a Hartlepool head that got their just in front with Daley clearing the danger again.
Chester were really taking the game to the home side. Lawton finding Mallaburn with a clever ball over the top. Mallaburn did well to create space and almost found the charging Siyanbola with his pullback.
Once again United and this time Loveday were first to the loose ball and he jinked into the box and smashed a great angled effort from 16-yards that Briggs did well to turn for a corner.
Mallaburn delivered and it was headed clear. Dore volleyed it back from the edge of the box and saw his blocked shot rebound to Grimaud who hit the second volley just wide of the far post.
The game was a really entertaining affair with both sides testing each other and both defences playing well as the midfields and attacks probed for openings.
Lawton then played a great ball from the inside left position to Dore inside the box. He went almost to the by-line before pulling it back dangerous trying to find an unmarked Loveday in a great position but Chainey was their for the hosts to slide the ball clear.
The homes side had been under pressure and their management made a triple substitution to freshen things up and it seemed to lift the other players on the pitch as they rallied well.
Around the 70 minute mark they perhaps should have taken the lead. Gales' cross looked too deep but Chainey covering great ground got to the ball and squared it to Aaron Jackson who superbly placed 10-yards out could only fire over the top.
Lewis Green then produced a burst on the right after being found by substitute Mikey McGee. He looked as if he'd got round Robinson but the full back did well to recover and block the cross for a corner.
Green delivered into the box and Mallaburn showed United's defensive resolve with a brave diving header to clear a possible dangerous situation. United had also made a couple of substitutions with Kymani Severin coming on for Dore and Ben Gallagher on for Lawton.
It was the former sub that was involved in the next Chester chance. Once again the impressive Grimaud won a ball in the midfield and found Severin on the edge of the box. He showed great control to find Loveday wide on the right hand side.
Loveday rolling the ball back across the box to Severin who hit it first time but Daley did well to get across and deflect the effort just over the bar. Wth seven minutes to go it was FC that finally broke the deadlock.
A free kick was awarded to them 30 yards from goal. Ball took it and floated a ball into the Chester area where Burrows got to it first and headed goal wards. The ball unfortunately for United bounced off Barnett and looped over the stranded Hughes into the empty net.
A very fortuitous moment for Hartlepool giving them a lead they barely deserved but were certainly glad to be given that little bit of luck that is so often crucial and would in this case prove to be so.
United looked shattered but recovered to test the hosts again. Frizzel's good left wing cross finding Siyanbola in the middle but the striker's header from the middle of the box failed to test Briggs as it went well over.
Hartlepool almost doubled their lead very late on when a long throw from the right for the first time wasn't dealt with by the United defence.
The ball falling to Green who hit a first time half-volley from 10-yards that Hughes did brilliantly to spread himself well and block the goal bound effort.
The last attack of the game came from United with Severin playing a great ball to the left to find the overlapping Frizzel who put in a dangerous cross that Siyanbola just failed to reach with the goal at his mercy.
In some respects it summed United's day up. Some great possession and pressing creating good opportunities but in the main they failed to work the Hartlepool keeper Briggs sufficiently.
A performance as good as this against one of the top sides in the division was heartening and the effort, application, ability and commitment could not be faulted.
What they need to do now is to turn that play into a better cutting edge at the top end of the field and surely they'll start to get the results and points their performances deserve. Certainly they were worth at least a point in this game if not more.
This coming Wednesday United will travel to Horden CW for yet another tough encounter with a side that currently sit in fourth place in the table just behind FC Hartlepool.
They should travel with confidence that they are showing they are a match for most teams in the division but just need that bit more luck and efficiency in front of goal to turn that ability into points.
TEAM : 1. James Hughes 2. Dan Robinson 3. Jamie Frizzel 4. Reyhan Grimaud 5. Dylan Wilkinson (c) 6. Ollie Barnett 7. Charlie Loveday 8. Michael Mallaburn 9. Stephen Siyanbola 10. Addis Dore 11. Harley Lawton
SUBS : 12. Dylan Robson - DNP 14. Harry Marr - DNP 15. Dan Walton - DNP 16. Kymani Severin (for Dore 75 minutes) 17. Ben Gallagher (for Lawton 78 minutes)
Management Man of the Match - Reyhan Grimaud
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