by Jeff King
Ebac Northern League Ernest Armstrong Cup 2nd Round - Tues 18th Feb 2025 Yarm & Eaglescliffe 2 v 0 Chester-le-Street United
For the third time in a week and the second time in Ebac Northern League Cup competitions United came up short against higher ranked opposition. This time in the 'Second Division' Cup at the Sovereign Stadium, Billingham on a freezing night.
After twice losing two goal leads and going out of the full League Cup a week ago on penalties against Boro Rangers and then losing 3 - 2 at home in the League against Jarrow, United were looking to bounce back against a tough Yarm side.
The four previous league games between these two sides all finishing 1 - 0 with two wins a-piece indicated a tough battle would ensue. Yarm flying high in second place in the Division and United in 5th made for an interesting encounter.
Team sheets exchanged and the home side sprung a surprise with both 36-goal Tom Atkinson and 21-goal Josh Larkin on the bench. Perhaps concentrating more on the League? Perhaps but their side still looked strong.
United meanwhile gave a full debut to Brad Hughes the Park View Academy student recently signed from Tow Law and brought Dan Robinson back into the starting XI from their loss against Jarrow.
Nathan Conroy and Dylan Robson dropping to the bench as Micky Nelson reshuffled his pack and made some slight tactical changes within his line-up. The game got underway with the pitch very firm and the night air very cold.
Yarm opening the game well and creating early pressure. Joe Hillerby finding Joe Dalton with a neat pass in midfield before Dalton was denied a shooting or crossing chance as Dylan Wilkinson came across well and cleared the danger.
The from a deep free kick delivered by Harry Stewart-Titchener to the far post, Harry Williams narrowly failed to get on the end of the set piece and the ball flew wide of the United goal.
United's response was a long ball from Wilkinson that freed Charlie Loveday on the left who looked as if he was going to creat danger but Hillerby made a great block giving United a corner.
Brad Hughes' first delivery was cleared back to him and he found Loveday with a nice pass. Loveday just inside hitting a good strike that was deflected narrowly wide. Hughes delivered the corner which was headed out for another.
Once again Hughes swung in a dangerous ball inside the six-yard box that Lee Roberts came to claim and was awarded a free kick for his trouble in doing so under pressure.
Yarm were looking dangerous in particular down the right and Hillerby found the overlapping Reece McMann wide who took the ball well in his stride. He fired a low cross into the six-yard box that found Williams.
As the striker turned neatly to get a strike in on goal from close range he was once again met by Wilkinson who made a very effective block although conceding a corner. This actually led to a succession of corners from Yarm.
Dangerous balls in scrambling defence from United and commitment from both sides making for entertaining fayre. The final act of this Yarm pressure seeing Steven Roberts' ball hitting Cam Wild and bouncing just wide.
The Yarm Skipper Wild was in a great position and had he made a better connection may well have given his side the lead but ultimately the deflection off him was more a clearance than an effort at goal.
United then had a couple of chances the first of which coming from great break-out play initiated by Jamie Frizzel with a great ball to Reyhan Grimaud bursting forward and trying to get beyond the Yarm defence.
He was denied by a good interception with the ball coming to Loveday on the left. He spun neatly and delivered a great cross that saw Harley Lawton get a free header from about 8-yards out.
He connected well but it was too straight and Roberts was able to make an instinctive parry and then grab the ball before it fell loose and possibly back to Lawton.
Then from a Yarm free kick deep in their own half and taken by Roberts United launched a counter attack. Roberts' kick reaching James Hughes in the United goal who immediately returned it back down the pitch.
Loveday was denied a run at goa by Dan Jones who got a header in to stop the ball going through for Loveday to run on to. His header though dropping to Lawton who was about 25 yards out and spotted Roberts out of position.
Lawton tried an instinctive well intentioned first time effort but didn't get the purchase on it he would have liked and Roberts was able to scramble across and in the end gather the ball easily.
United had now got to grips with the game and were more than holding their own. Wilkinson's long superb diagonal ball from the back picking out the ever dangerous Loveday on the left.
He cut in and drilled a low shot towards the near post that may or may not have caused Roberts problems in the Yarm goal but Wild decided not to let that be a factor as he cleared from in front of his keeper and goal line.
Wilkinson was certainly playing a real Captain's part for his team showing good defensive awareness and an eye for the counter attack. Picking up a ball in his own half he went off on a superb run across and down the left hand side.
He made ground all the way to the byline before crossing towards his waiting forwards inside the box only to see Roberts come off his line to make a good claim.
Then it was Loveday again on the left running hard and then holding the ball up well before giving it to Ben Gallagher who released Frizzel joining the attack well. His left cross fizzed across the box and was just out of the reach of Stephen Siyanbola.
Gallagher then did well to win a challenge in midfield before finding Lawton just inside the box on the right hand side. The defence opening up a little Lawton went for the clever curler to the far post but his effort went wide of the target.
The final action of the half was a half chance for Yarm that United dealt with. Dalton played another ball wide right to the supporting McMann whose cross was headed clear by Wilkinson.
The ball fell to Stewart-Titchener who did well to get it out of his feet and lay it into the path of Hillerby who crashed in a 22-yard effort that Alex Clark put his body on the line to block in fine style leaving the game goalless at the half-time whistle.
It was perhaps not surprising that the sides went in level with little between them given previous encounters between them but what was also surprising was the manner in which the second half opened.
It would be fair to say chances had been at a premium in the first 45 minutes but Yarm created a great one barely two minutes in to the second half that gave them a lead on the night. Unsurprisingly it came from an attack down the right.
United not heeding the warning of the danger of McMann who was supporting his attack at every opportunity. Dalton once again finding McMann in space who made a direct run past Frizzel crossing low on the run into the six-yard box.
Williams timed his run perfectly getting away from United's centre backs to instinctively flick the ball superbly as it came across him and send it flying into the net under Hughes who had no real time to react.
One of those goals from an attacking point of view that was perfectly executed but from a defensive point of view United could and probably should have dealt with better.
United took a while to respond and in truth Yarm looked comfortable and always seemed to win the important headers and be first to the second balls as they stayed strong.
Robinson attempted to break the stranglehold with a determined run from right back that took him well into Yarm territory before he found Gallagher who won a corner off Wild.
Brad Hughes took it and found Wilkinson inside the box who did well to control and open up a shooting chance that he put just over the bar from about 8-yards out. It was a good chance only narrowly missed.
Hillerby then produced a real moment of danger for United as he brilliantly burst forward and past four United challenges to leave him 1-on-1 with Hughes as he charged into the box.
United's keeper though up to the task spreading himself really well to block and keep out Hillerby's well-struck angled drive and ensure United didn't fall further behind.
It was though only a temporary retrieve as on 64 minutes Yarm did net a second of the game to give them the cushion they needed on the night. Pressure was being applied on the United defence with balls into the box that were causing problems.
Chester unable to get a firm clearance to relieve the pressure. Eventually one such half clearance landed at the feet of Hillerby and from 16-yards out he struck a great right foot shot that flew past the dive of Hughes as it smacked into the net.
United responded by making three changes almost immediately to try and change things around but in truth Yarm now looked comfortable and well in control of the contest.
It seemed as if United's best route to goal was going to be through their willing skipper if they were to get back into the game. Substitute Conroy doing well in midfield to flick a ball through the Yarm defence and there was Wilkinson.
Unfortunately although United's marauding leader struck his shot well the angle was against him and Roberts stood tall to make the necessary block to keep the ball out.
As time ticked down United were pushing and again it was Wilkinson that went close. A Frizzel throw-in making it's way to him just outside the box. His goal bound effort taking a deflection that slowed the shot down.
It gave Roberts enough time to get down well to the shot and push it round the post for a corner. Hughes delivered and Grimaud was up highest but couldn't get the header in from a good position.
The ball flicking off the top of Grimaud's header was almost bundled home at the back post by Siyanbola who hadn't anticipated the path of the ball and it went harmlessly wide.
United's final effort of the game came very late on when Clark came forward well from his own half before finding Conroy but his 20-yard effort was wide off the mark much like most of United's second half performance.
Ultimately this was a cup game and the old cliché of being able to concentrate on the league could have been rolled out. In reality it was a game where United had matched a side well in front of them in terms of points but not perhaps ability.
Until Yarm's opening goal there was little to choose between the two sides but goals, as they say, change matches and there's no doubting that once Yarm got in front they went on to deservedly make the next round.
TEAM : 1. James Hughes 2. Dan Robinson 3. Jamie Frizzel 4. Brad Hughes 5. Dylan Wilkinson (c) 6. Alex Clark 7. Harley Lawton 8. Reyhan Grimaud 9. Stephen Siyanbola 10. Ben Gallagher 11. Charlie Loveday
SUBS : 12. Riley Everett (for Robinson 79 mins) 14. Dylan Robson (for Gallagher 68 min) 15. Jet Fittolani (for Loveday 68 mins) 17. Nathan Conroy (for Lawton 68 mins)
MAN of the MATCH : Dylan Wilkinson.
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