UniBond Challenge Cup

26th January 2010

Attendance - 69

Team - Escritt, Lyth( c ), Gildea A, Ingram, Hanson, Hassan, Gildea L, Yale, Charlton(Dalton 80), Beadle, Scott(Leeson 51). Subs not used: Hackworth, Burgess, Gamble

Report - by Andrew Snaith - The Unibond Premier Division’s leading scorers, led by 11-goal Andy Ring, showed on Tuesday night they can be just as devastating in League Cup form against a Whitby side who finished the night with just nine men.

With manager Harry Dunn on holiday for the week, assistant Bob Scaife took the reins and made five changes from Saturday’s 3-1 league win over sixth-placed Hucknall. Goalkeeper Ben Escritt began his third spell with the club, and there were recalls for Denny Ingram, Karl Charlton, and brothers Alex and Liam Gildea.

Charlton came close from the kick-off with a chip narrowly dropping wide, but Simon Collins’ men, with 53 league goals to their name so far, broke the deadlock inside 13 minutes. It was Jamie Vardy, level with Ring in the Steels scoring stakes, at least before this game, reacting quickest after firing against the crossbar to nod home from close range.

As the hosts began to dominate, Ring missed a guilt-edged chance, before Escritt saved well at the second attempt from Alex Callery’s 25-yard effort. However, the former Frickley man doubled Steels’ lead a minute before half-time. A simple in-swinging cross from Mark Ward on the left went over Ring and two defenders, with Callery nipping in between Hanson and Alex Gildea to slide home.

Town began the second half a lot better, winning a series of corners, with both Gildeas having shots blocked and Jimmy Beadle’s effort on the turn flying inches wide. At the other end, Escritt was quickly out of his net to thwart Vardy, and then did well to push Ward’s goal-bound strike wide.

But on the hour mark, the contest was effectively over when a left-wing corner was deflected onto the hand of Alex Gildea on the visitors’ goal line. The Whitby man was given his marching orders and Ward sent Escritt the wrong way from the penalty spot for 3-0. Within moments, Gildea’s younger sibling jumped in needlessly on Steels skipper Darren Schofield near the touchline and quickly joined his brother in the changing rooms.

After a series of misses, Ring finally found the net from underneath the bar to complete the scoring 20 minutes from time, stroking home unchallenged after Callery’s surging run and perfect driven left-wing cross.