Goals from Laurence
Cheese and Nathan Stone saw Thurlow Nunn Division One North Harleston Town
defeat Eastern Senior League South side Hashtag United at Coles Park in North
London to progress into the Final of the First Division KO Cup.
These two sides are top of their respective divisions under
the Thurlow Nunn banner, so it was always going to be an action-packed entertaining
encounter, and the first chance fell to the visitors as a flick-on found Cheese
whose effort stung the palms of Jamie Jackson, and then the hosts first effort saw
a Ryan Adams shot tipped over by Brandon Ling.
Cheese then got in for the visitors again, but saw a great
defensive block thwart his progress, before Ross Gleed fired an effort at the
Harleston goal but Ling got down to save, and then Albie Keith sent a header at
the visitor’s goal only to see it go straight at Ling who caught it comfortably.
Hashtag then came close to scoring when after Harry Honesty
had dug out a brilliant cross to the back stick, Keith saw his powerful header
brilliantly saved by Ling, before the hosts really should have scored when
another cross into the mixer saw Neil Richmond’s close-range header somehow
kept out by Ling.
Cheese then broke the hosts offside trap although his
eventual effort was blocked, before a corner for the visitors was cleared off
the line, but in the 25th minute came the breakthrough, and it saw
the visitors lead, as a ball forward was miskicked by the hosts, and it allowed
Cheese in behind to fire past Jackson.
A scramble inside the visitors box almost resulted in an
opening for Hashtag, whilst down the other end Jake Anema sent in a terrific
cross but it was just over the head of Cheese, and then Hashtag skipper Jack
Harrison nodded wide of the post as they looked to try and find a leveller
before the break.
Richmond then sent a header a the visitors goal but Ling
saved easily, before another ball into the visitors area again saw Richmond get
his head to it and head back across goal, but a defender was their to hack
clear, before another chance for the home side saw Honesty somehow head over unmarked,
meaning the visitors held a slender lead at the break.
Half Time Hashtag
United 0 Harleston Town 1
Hosts skipper Harrison saw an early second half effort
blocked, before Stone sent a long-range effort at the Hashtag goal but it was
straight down Jackson’s throat, but after Jackson then cut-out a dangerous ball
across, the loose ball fell to Nick Howell who then went down under a challenge
from Jackson, and the referee gave a penalty.
And Stone duly converted the spot-kick, and Harleston now
had a two-goal cushion.
Hashtag tried to respond but saw a Gleed effort go over,
before Richmond laid off a pass to substitute Matt Carter, but his effort was
brilliantly blocked by Harleston skipper Matt Harold, and down the other end
Cheese got in down the right, only to see his ball flash across the box and
away from danger.
The hosts then dragged wide of the target before Cheese
again got in down the left this time, but his poor cross was straight at keeper
Jackson, but then with fourteen minutes remaining Hashtag got themselves back
into the contest courtesy of a crisp left-footed strike from Gleed, and it was
very much game on now.
Tom Williams then saw a Hashtag corner come off the post
although Ling looked to have it covered anyway, and with Hashtag pressing,
Cheese burst through after a miskick, but the defence got back to put striker
off and he could only loop a poor effort into Jackson’s hands.
Honesty then cut inside to fire an effort at the visitor’s
goal, but it was easy for Ling, before a ball into the visitor’s box was well
gathered by Ling with forwards lurking.
The hosts continued to pile on the pressure to force a leveller,
but the visitors held firm to record a brilliant win and take their place in
the final, meaning Hashtag now have just the league title and promotion to the
Essex Senior League to concentrate on.
Full Time Hashtag
United 1 Harleston Town 2
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