Clay Cross Town 0-4 ECFC

The heavens opened midway through the first half and continued for much of the game. Had this rain fell as the forecasted snow we would have been on our way home long before half-time. As it was, the ground stayed in immaculate condition leaving no one in any doubt that Town groundsman Lee Watson fully deserved his Derbyshire FA Groundsman of the Year Award for the second year running.

Unfortunately, the pitch was probably too good for his team, who made a bright start, missed a couple of early chances, and played second fiddle for much of the remainder of the game.

The large crowd, the visitors having brought good support, saw the impressive Ryan Williams use his sweet left foot to put over a number of great crosses which picked holes in the Town defence. The first came on five minutes and saw Warren Hatfield swivel to get in his shot which Liam Wajs saved. Minutes later another fine cross from the full back went wastefully across goal without a touch. A third cross saw Jason Westwood head over the bar when he might have done better.

Both sides were playing some delightful carpet football on the splendid surface, but Clay Cross couldn’t find a way through some solid Eastwood defending. And it was no surprise when the visitors went ahead on 18 minutes, Lewis Bentley finishing clinically after some neat interchanging of passes.

Town hit back and Andrew Fretwell was in action saving a Ryan Bates shot, and then could only watch as Josh Pickering cut inside and put his cross shot for the far post on top of the bar.

In teeming rain Westwood was put clear for the visitors but shot wide after drawing Wajs, but a minute later the score was doubled when a series of defensive blunders allowed Warren Hatfield to finish with a low shot beyond Wajs.

Skipper Worger shot over the bar from another left sided move before Town’s best player on the night, Tomas Poole, worked a shooting position but Fretwell was spring heeled to turn his shot over the bar. And before half time Wajs was a little more fortunate this time to save another Fretwell shot with his legs as the Town man wriggled clear. Even then, just before the break, Fretwell slid in and just missed a Greg Fitzpatrick cross as the ball sped across goal.

Dave Worger knocked the stuffing out of any Clay Cross revival eight minutes into the second half when he steered home a through ball which caught the home defence napping to just about rule out any home come-back.

Adam Jackson glanced a corner wide as Eastwood continued to look the better team, particularly in front of goal. Wajs fluffed a goal kick in the teeming rain from which Hatfield put Worger clear, but the goalkeeper made amends by saving the latter’s shot.

Poole continued to look for the goal he deserved for Town and was unlucky to see his header cleared off the line by a visiting defender and when the ball rebounded to Bates he put the home side’s best chance high over the bar. Then Fitzpatrick wasted a home free kick by shooting over the bar and Town could not find a way back into the game.

And so, Wajs was called into action again to save from substitute Emanuel Bockarie who was clear, but was frozen to his line when Jordan Leeming moved up for a corner and saw his header strike an upright.

As the game ran into stoppage time Dave Worger accepted a gift when the home defence failed to cut out a through ball to score the visitors fourth, and before the end Leeming sent another screaming shot just over the angle.

CLAY CROSS TOWN: Wajs, Booker, Slack, Bates, Ryan Ordidge (Sennett 65), Harris (Holland 65), Fitzpatrick, Poole, Hendley, Lynam, Pickering (Plant 75). Substitutes not used – Aiden Ordidge, Townsend.

EASTWOOD COMMUNITY: Fretwell, Leeming, Williams, Roberts (Bockarie 68), Jackson, Kenworthy, Worger, Westwood (Coxon 83), Hatfield, Bentley, Guild (Evans 68). Substitutes not used – Staley, Looker.

REFEREE: Wayne Gray
YELLOW CARD: Tomas Poole (Clay Cross) 82
OFFICIAL ATTENDANCE: 83
STAR PERFORMER: Ryan Williams (Eastwood Community)
By STAN WILTON