UCL Division 1
2/9/23
Gedling claim massive victory thanks to a crazy five first half minutes.
The Miners came into this game after getting a point at Harrowby last Tuesday and faced a Newark team that had only lost once in their opening 6 games.
The opening exchanges were very tightly contested with the best effort in the opening 10 falling to the hosts, Muta Eisa found some space in the Newark half but his shot from 25 yards lacked power and the visitors keeper easily claimed.
Gedling began to control the game and didn’t let last years play-off semi finalists settle and on 20 minutes the miners should have gone in front, Eisa and Courtney Hastings pressured the visitors backline and Hastings found Kieran Harrison who hit an effort from 20 yards which was saved by the visitors keeper and then cleared.
But on 30 minutes the hosts hit the front, again the visitors were sloppy at the back and a poor header found Harrison who hit a left footed volley from 22 yards that found the bottom right hand corner for his 3rd of the season.
Just 40 seconds later Harrison had his 4th of the season, straight from the kick off the hosts won back the ball and some lovely one touch passing from Hastings and Jordan Knight saw the Miners get through the Newark midfield. Eisa played a lovely flick for the Gedling midfielder to race 1v1 and Harrison delightfully chipped the onrushing keeper to give Gedling a 2-0 lead.
On 34 minutes the hosts scored again, Harrison again tested the keeper who parried away but Eisa kept the ball on and picked out Hastings who found the bottom left corner from 8 yards for his 3rd of the season.
Newark were stunned and were looking to put things right and in the first minute of stoppage time they got one back, a corner found the unmarked Luke Andersen who headed back across and the visitors captain and all time top scorer Lewis Chambers bundled the ball past a helpless Josh Mitchell from two yards to make the score 3-1
But with the last action of a crazy first half saw the miners score a fourth. Eisa who had two assists to his name in the game got his first goal for the club as he hit a brilliant strike from 25 yards that found the bottom left corner to give the hosts a healthy 4-1 half time lead.
Gedling came out for the second half looking for more goals and on 55 minutes they almost extended their lead, Harrison whipped in a corner that Hastings met with a header that looked destined for the top corner but the Newark keeper made a brilliant save to keep the visitors in it.
Newark then began to control proceedings and on 72 minutes they reduced the deficit, ex Gedling player Jamie Lloyd ran unmarked and the ball fell perfectly for him and he lobbed the onrushing Mitchell from 18 yards to make the score 4-2
Just 3 minutes later Newark scored again, Elliot King and Jackson Buckthorp both won flick ons and Lucas Cotterill took the ball on his chest and on the turn smashed it into the net from 8 yards to make the score 4-3
Gedling were up against it but continued to dig in and on 84 minutes they could have put the game to bed, player manager Ruben Wiggins-Thomas went through on goal and managed to get his shot off which again was well saved.
The last action of the game almost saw the visitors complete the comeback, a deep cross picked out Cotterill who headed past Mitchell but Jack Koczalski did brilliantly to clear the ball off the line and Gedling claimed a massive 3 points.
Gedling MOM – Muta Eisa
Gedling Team – Josh Mitchell, Charlie Roberts (Jack Vipond 75’), Buba Ceesay (Ruben Wiggins-Thomas 82’), Daniel Momah, Ross McCaughey (C), Adrian Hawes, Jack Koczalski, Kieran Harrison, Muta Eisa, Courtney Hastings (Kian Clarkson 82’), Jordan Knight
