Driffield Star FC maintained their 100% Driffield League Division One record with a 4-2 win at Bridlington Sports Club Reserves on Saturday.
Star’s large squad meant that they were able to cope with the absence of several players through injuries and unavailability.
Lee Foster and Mike Dee came into the back four for the visitors, while Matty Spence was pushed up front to partner Dan Everest with Mikey Curtis returning on the left wing.
Star started in lively fashion kicking into the wind and had the better of the early exchanges.
In the first minute they forced a corner and Foster was unlucky to see his shot hit the post.
Twelve minutes in and Sports Club sent in a speculative cross from the left that slipped from Star keeper Steven Thomas’ hands and dropped behind him over the line to take the lead.
This spurred Star on and when Rich Gladstone put a cross in from wide on the right, Steve Etherington controlled, turned and rifled in a shot from 15 yards which came back off the post.
Curtis was first onto the rebound and tucked it away to make it 1-1 after 18 minutes.
Star were getting into top gear by now and after forcing a corner, they went in front.
The ball was cleared only as far as Spence who put a pinpoint ball into the feet of Lee Foster who netted with a delightful back-flick through his legs with the keeper rooted to the spot.
Even with the experienced Paul Corrigan marshalling his defence, Sports Club could not hold their opponents back.
Star’s midfield were working their socks off to maintain the pressure.
Lee Jackson won lots of ball with some juicy tackling, with Etherington the powerhouse in the air, and Gladstone often involved.
He sent over a corner which Etherington nodded down to Curtis but his volley cleared the bar.
Star captain Dee then split their defence with a slide rule pass to Curtis who slid the ball in to the league’s top marksman Everest eight yards out to score his 21st of the season.
Star could do no wrong despite the conditions on a boggy pitch.
Another corner was forced, and from Gladstone’s driven cross, Everest was there to blast the loose ball in from six yards to put Star into a commanding 4-1 lead.
Then just as the half went into stoppage time a sloppy free-kick was given away.
Sports Club pulled one back when the resulting free-kick took a deflection off Dee and found the net,
Despite this minor setback the half belonged to Star who had played some of their best football all season.
The second half started a bit scrappy with neither side making much headway until Sports Club whistled a shot wide on 55 minutes.
Gladstone tried his luck from out wide on the right and the Sports Club keeper did well to push his shot round a post.
A solid defence will always win you a game and throughout the second half nothing got past the back four of Paul Hornby, Dee, Foster and the robust Rob Cooper, who made some great tackles.
Spence and Curtis were replaced by Luke Sach and Karl Kember on 75 minutes and both substitutes had chances to increase the visitors’ advantage.
Firstly the Sports Club keeper pushed out an Everest effort which fell to Sach but the keeper saved again.
Then from a Gladstone corner, Kember volleyed wide and shot over the bar from another as the clock ran down.
This was not Star’s usual double figure scoreline but that was down to the opponent offering a better challenge on the day.
Manager Mike Wilmott picked Etherington as the man of the match, with the referee’s choice going to Cooper.
Star would like to thank Rich and Lisa at the Star Inn for food and refreshments and to experess their gratitude to team sponsor Chambers Chartered Surveyors.
Full Measure maintained their title push with a 3-0 win at home to Crown Inn at a wet and windy Allotment Lane.
The game started quickly for leaders Measure, who hit the crossbar twice through EJ Preston and Jordan Cattle.
Soon after the unbeaten hosts went one up with Garry Foster hitting a long-range strike deflecting from a defender.
Rich Hill then made it 2-0 with a well-taken goal.
Chances should have been taken more by Full Measure with the wind on their side in the first half.
However Crown would not to give up and could have scored themselves if it hadn’t have been for the in-form Woodward in goal.
In the second half, Crown came out quickly and strongly, trying to use the wind as an advantage themselves.
Measure broke from a loose ball and Hill netted again to make it three to the home side.
A penalty was later given by the referee, who judged what seemed to be an excellent Chris Strong tackle to be a foul, however Woodward saved the spot-kick to make sure justice was done.
Crown then went down to 10 men with one midfielder verbally abusing the referee.
Another penalty was then awarded for a mis-timed tackle by Danny Svenson once again Woodward saving superbly.
Measure saw out the game winning 3-0.
Man of the match was Woodward for a unbelievable performance.
Measure would like to say thanks to John and Wendy of the Full Measure for their support and to club sponsor The Gentleman’s Barber.