ECFC 7-2 Southwell City

Billy Brooks first time shot following a corner was a foot wide as Eastwood made the early running. It was followed by Jack Smith’s lovely left sided run and curling shot which ran across the face of the bar.

However, it was Southwell who took a ninth minute lead when MALAKI ESHELBY’s header at a corner was adjudged to have crossed the line before Gregg Conn headed it out.

Jack Smith’s free kick was too high as Eastwood hit back, and the same player, always seemingly prominent, fired over the top in another attack. Eshelby headed another corner wide for Southwell before CHAY BETTERIDGE restored parity to the situation from the penalty spot on the half hour mark after Alex Bosworth had been adjudged to have impeded Jack Smith. Three minutes later Jack Smith’s precision pass split the Southwell defence and PADDY WEBB raced down the left before cutting inside and beating Mike Oxbarrow with a low shot into the far corner of the net, Jack Smith was causing the Southwell defence all sorts of trouble and when he cut in from the left and put the ball on a plate on the six yard line for Brooks the latter fired the ball high over the bar.

A third Eastwood goal was not long coming though as JACK SMITH robbed Anthony Brown and fired home splendidly from around the edge of the penalty area on 42 minutes. Oxbarrow then tipped over a fierce drive from Brooks before GREG CONN made it 4-1 in the third minute of first half stoppage time with a lovely header from a fine cross by Jamie Thomas.

HT ECFC 4-1 Southwell City

Southwell made a double substitution for the start of the second half and it might have got much brighter for them had Danny Garratt’s free kick been much lower. As it was Eastwood returned to the attack and Rory Smith fired wide from Gregg Conn’s teed up pass. Things got worse for Southwell when they lost Garratt to a 53rd minute yellow card followed immediately by a straight red presumably for some comments after an Assistant Referee made a terrible blunder over a throw in.

A 30-yard curling shot into the top corner on 63 minutes from PADDY WEBB brought the house down, and Eastwood were now in totally dominant mood. Oxbarrow needed to be at his best as Eastwood threw even the kitchen sink at him in the last twenty minutes. It seemed as if his fellow defenders in front of him had given up the ghost as the Community side cut through them like butter.

There was brief respite as substitute Dalton Stephens hit a low shot which Jack Walker saved comfortably. At the other end Brooks shot over from a good opening and Webb was inches wide with another fabulous curling shot from around 25 yards. Oxbarrow made a good block from Jack James’ 76th minute shot but substitute JAMES HALLAM was on hand to toe poke the ball home from close range with his first touch of the game. Conn’s great cross was put over the top by substitute Kallum O’Dowd and Oxbarrow saved superbly from Webb as Eastwood continued to threaten. The visitors defence was completely over-run.

Stoppage time at the end of the game brought more action. Aaron Short barged JAMES KING off the ball as he made a solo run into the Eastwood penalty area, and the striker got up to sidefoot the ball into the bottom corner from the penalty spot in the first added minute. Less than a minute later RORY SMITH shot home a through ball from Jack James to complete the scoring.

FT ECFC 7-2 Southwell City

ECFC Team

1 Jack Walker
2 Jamie Thomas
3 Kane Matthews
4 Jack James
5 Aaron Short
6 Billy Brooks
7 Rory Smith
8 Greg Conn
9 Patrick Webb
10 Jack Smith
11 Chay Betteridge

12 James Duncan
14 Kallum O'Dowd
15 Tom Eastwood
16 James Hallam
17 Jake Pearson

Man Of The Match: Jack James