8th April 2003

North Ferriby Reserves 3 v 2 Westella & Willerby

Grays Cup Quarter final

It took an hour for this game to come alive after a very frantic first half, which saw neither side come to terms with the bobbly surface and the gloom of the Ferriby lights. It certainly wasn’t a half for the generous crowd who turned up expecting an exciting cup tie.

It was Westella who eventually opened the scoring after Gibson’s through ball was half cleared straight to Laughton and he returned the ball goalwards from what must have been 30 yards and the Ferriby keeper could only watch the ball sail over his head and into the net. After the first half display you would have said that one goal would have settled this match, but this goal was just the beginning.

In the 68^th minute Ferriby countered well from a Westella corner and the ball was crossed to the far post only for it to be smashed back across the goal and the simple tap-in fell to Pindar for his first of three. Two minutes later Ferriby took the lead as the Westella defence was stretched again from a counter attack, and a cross found Pindar unmarked at the far post for him to head past the Westella keeper. Westella continued to create chances and a goalmouth scramble saw the ball come off the bar from Gibson. Gibson had another goalbound effort ricochet off the defender’s chest and out for a corner.

Westella got the equaliser they were looking for as they broke away well. Humphries released Laughton down the Ferriby right hand side and his first time cross fell perfectly into the path of Darren McGrath for him to finish well in the bottom right hand corner of the net. Both teams were attacking and defending like a couple of heavyweight boxers in the 12^th round and the winner came 12 minutes from time from the penalty spot. The Ferriby full back jinked his way into the box and as he lost control of the ball, he appeared to just fall over without any attempt of a tackle from a Westella defender. Understandably, Westella felt hard done to by this decision and it was Pindar who stepped up to complete his hat-trick. It was a pity that the game had to be decided this way but, over the course of a season these decisions usually even themselves out and it doesn’t benefit you if you dwell on them too long!