Date 6th Feb; Venue Middlesbrough Rainbow Leisure Centre
After United’ s loss last weekend they needed to come out fighting to put the title back on track. The weekend didn’t start out well when United, already down to a bare team as last weekend, due to players work commitments lost their only sub down to illness and so found themselves travelling to League leaders Middlesbrough with no substitutes. This would mean playing a very disciplined game to enable the five players to make it through the game.
United opted for a box diamond defence to allow them to catch Middlesbrough on the break and conserve energy. This paid off as Neil Austin finished in the top corner after just two minutes.
United continued well but Middlesbrough had a penalty shot but failed to make it count.
The game continued to flow openly and an error from United released Middlesbrough’s Michael Ableson who equalized. Simon Hosking then thought he had scored and although was fouled he finished well. Initially annoyed at the disallowed goal, United were awarded with a penalty shot, Hosking made no mistake replacing the goal he felt should have been left standing.
Middlesbrough kept on pushing and were awarded shortly afterwards with a good team goal finished well from Owen Stewart. The game remained tight for the majority of the half Middlesbrough with most of possession but failing to break United down. With six minutes remaining United took control with Brendan Barker finishing with flick up and hit from behind the goal, Middlesbrough seemed to become unhinged and lapsed with United being awarded a direct free hit after Owen Stewart was sin-bined for slashing Barker, who made no mistake in finishing his chance and in Middlesbrough’s confusion Barker got his hat trick and United went into the break with a 5-2 lead.
Middlesbrough came out strong and quickly scored their third and began creating chances but with United’s ‘keeper Dan Barton in fine form and the defence holding firm Middlesbroughs belief was faltering and heads were dropping. Again United worked the ball well never over committing pulling Middlesbrough out of position and eventually giving Hosking the opening he needed to neatly beat their ‘keeper for United’s sixth.
United seemed in control and were showing good discipline, one slight mistake and a lucky finish for Middlesbrough’s 4th and keeping some pressure on United. Again as in the first half a controlled game with neither team over pushing or committing but as in the first half the chances again came to United as Middlesbrough belief dropped with their frustration of being unable to break United, with Barker scoring his forth and a much improved performance from the young Joel Figueiredo who stepped up to the challenge of the weekend and scored his first of the game a volley against an over committed Dan Palmer.
United completed the dismantling of the league leaders with a suprise push shot from Captain Hosking. United were out and out winners 4-9. Clive Bassom United’s stand in manager for his first game hit the ground running with such an emphatic victory over the league leaders a team that has been challenging United for the last two seasons said “every player in the team did the job that was asked, yes mistakes
were made but the job was superbly done”
Team list: HBU, Dan Barton, Joel Figueiredo(1), Simon Hosking(capt)
(3), Neil Austin(1), Brendan Barker(4), Manager: Clive Bassom
Middlesbrough: Gary Todd, John Jones(1), Marc Rutland, Owen Stewart
(1), Peter Lonsdale, Dan Palmer, Beth Cook, Michael Ableson(capt)(1),
Sam Kay(1), Will Smith, Manager: Ray Stewart
Bredan Barker
