Bill Martin’s Match of the Week Under-14 Inter Pirelli 4 Warwick Wanderers White 0

Last updated at 12:42, Wednesday, 24 February 2010

Inter Pirelli 4 Warwick WW 0: stepped up the gas after, a goalless first half, to comfortably win the game and consequently hold onto their one hundred per cent record which has them presently leading the Lakeland Bake League Table as well as being semi-finalists in both League and County Cup competitions.

Warwick's Patrick Tidmarch

The Warwick Wanderers White players gave a good account of themselves, in the first half, when they created chances following some neat approach play but they were unable to find the net due to some resolute defending from the home defence.

Despite the over night frost the Pirelli pitch was in perfect condition and both teams were able to pass the ball with a reasonable amount of accuracy enabling play to flow freely.

Tyler Bowman almost broke the deadlock with a shot which struck the crossbar whilst at the other end Jack Thorpe was unable to get his foot to a low cross from Will Clarke and the ball ended in the grateful hands of Ben Sheridan in the Pirelli goal.

Thorpe cleverly beat both Eddie Yusef and Lewis Dickinson, in a clever dribble, but Jack Irving raced across from the right back position to clear the ball off his toe before he could engineer a shooting opportunity.

David Little found Alex Telford, on the right, but the move was broken up by Gavin Cowper who brought the ball away before passing to Dan Smales whose long range effort was off target.

Keanu Hope had a good chance when he outpaced the Warwick defenders to latch onto a great long ball from Irving but the striker missed the target after cleverly chipping the ball over the advancing Stuart Astle following the keeper’s frantic bid to get to the ball before the Pirelli striker.

The Telford twins-Alex and Nick- combined to gain a corner on the Warwick right but Nick’s flag kick was headed clear by Yusef.

Good build up play between Adam Roberts and Nick Telford led to another corner on the right which was again headed out by Yusef only as far as Alex Telford but the winger’s low left foot shot was narrowly wide of the near post.

Warwick Whites were determined to score a goal and they almost managed it when Jack Barnes made progress on their left flank before crossing low to the near post where Thorpe was waiting but the striker prodded the ball wide of the goal.

With half-time fast approaching Adam Wilkinson tried his luck with a long range free-kick but the ball sailed high and wide of the Pirelli goal.

Inter Pirelli started the second half kicking into the same goal as they had the previous week when they scored six against their close rivals Crown Newlaithes. Their opening goal arrived within minutes of the restart through Dan Smales who was left on his own at the far post.

Irving crossed the ball, from the right, to Smales who was positioned beyond the far post completely unmarked. Smales took his time, after first choosing his spot, before he exquisitely dinked the ball over the defensive heads into the far corner of the net.

Pirelli never looked back from that point and it was virtually one way traffic for the rest of the game with Smales striking the post on a couple of occasions and Astle making a number of saves.

Patrick Tidmarsh and his fellow Warwick defenders battled to break up the fluent attacks of their opponents but they were undone for a second time when Smales threaded the ball through for Bowman to go on and score.

Pirelli manager, Andrew Boyce, introduced his two substitutes and both Peter Koveracs and Ben Doherty got into the game immediately.

Indeed Doherty might well have scored a hat-trick on another day.

Warwick Whites made the occasional foray into their opponents half but generally their players were held in a vice-like grip by the Pirelli defenders who immediately got their team back on the attack.

Hope and Bowman were a dangerous combination and it was Hope who made it three-nil following good work by Bowman.

Pirelli goals were likely to come at any time and it was from a corner that brought about their fourth and final goal. Yusef, who took most of the dead ball kicks, delivered the corner from the left which led to mayhem in the visiting goal area with the Warwick defenders and goalkeeper scrambling to clear the ball. They failed in their attempts and Dickinson was able to head home from close range.

Warwick Wanderers Whites have now played Inter Pirelli twice and lost on both occasions but they have the chance to redeem themselves when the two meet, for a third time, when they will play each other in the semi-final of the County Cup.

INTER PIRELLI: Ben Sheridan, Jack Irving, Eddie Yusef, Lewis Dickinson, Gavin Cowper, Codie Slessor, Sam Small, Lee Blaylock, Dan Smales, Keanu Hope and Tyler Bowman. Subs: Peter Koveracs and Ben Doherty

WARWICK WANDERERS WHITE: Stuart Astle, David Little, Adam Wilkinson, Patrick Tidmarsh, Jack Barnes, Alex Telford Will Clarke, Adam Roberts, Luke Hannon, Jack Thorpe and Nick Telford

Referee: Jill Ruddick

Man of the Match: Dan Smales, left-mid-field, Inter Pirelli: Dan made things happen whenever he had the ball and he worked hard up and down the left touch-line. He packed a real punch, in his trusty left foot, striking the post on a couple of occasions with the goalkeeper well beaten. Dan scored a clever goal, to open the scoring, when he cleverly dinked the ball over player’s heads into the far corner of the net.

First published at 11:25, Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk