Newton Aycliffe WMC 1, Sedgefield St. Edmunds 3
Durham County Sunday Cup Quarter Final
Simpasture Park Playing Field
Sunday January 29, 2012
By Paul McGeary
Newton Aycliffe WMC crashed out of the prestigious Durham County Cup competition with a 3-1 reverse at home to Sedgefield side St. Edmunds.
In a game which arguably should never have kicked off, both sides coped well with the frosty conditions to produce an entertaining encounter.
Aycliffe, managed by Boro goalkeeper and Newtonian Jason Steele, never really recovered from falling two goals behind in the opening 15 minutes, but the final score in no way reflected their endeavour, as they dominated the game for large parts.
Yet rather than knock the Sedgefield door, the hosts merely tapped at it time and time again, and their only reward was teenage striker Lewis Whing’s second-half goal, with the game seemingly already out of sight.
Sedgefield currently sit third in the Durham and District Premier League, while Steele’s Aycliffe a couple of points and places further back in seventh, with games in hand.
Both sides have lost just once in the league this campaign, ironically against each other – Aycliffe winning 3-2 in August with Sedgefield avenging 2-1 in September.
November saw the two sides lock horns in another knockout competition, with Sedgefield winning in extra-time by the odd goal in five.
Aycliffe fell behind after five minutes when ‘keeper Stephen Richardson’s under hit clearance fell to Steven Flockett who stroked home into the unguarded net from 30 yards.
The same man doubled the advantage 10 minutes later when he capitalised on poor Aycliffe marking to find the top corner from six yards.
Aycliffe came into the game and fashioned chances for Mark Brischuk and Liam Cooper, but they couldn’t find the net and with just their third showing on goal Sedgefield stretched their legs and added the killer goal.
A low cross from the left found its way along the Aycliffe six-yard line where Ben Smith was placed to tap home at the back post.
Richardson saved well from Flockett in the second half before Whing gave the home side hope with a goal on 65 minutes, smashing home at the second attempt amid a goalmouth melee following good work from Stuart Owen.
Full-back Carl Robinson stung the ‘keeper’s hands while Whing curled a free-kick just over the joint of bar and post as Aycliffe tried to set up a grandstand finish, to no avail.
Newton Aycliffe WMC: Richardson; Wilson (Lauden), Griffiths, Oliver, Robinson; Cooper, Wright, M.Wood (McMullen), Owen; Whing, Brischuk.
Unused; Hanson, Di Mambro, Brassell