Juniors Report
James Richardson
Hull City 2 Scunthorpe United 2
Saturday 12th January
While the first team failed to score again, City juniors could only muster a 2-2 draw with inbred neighbours Scunthorpe having been 2-0 to the good after 44 minutes. The game was billed as a title decider with City 1st and the Scunts 2nd and only one point separating them. City were totally dominant in the opening exchanges and despite Scunny picking their scariest looking 11 to try and frighten City, The Tiger took the lead 5 minutes in, Gary Bradshaw weaved his way around numerous sliding challenges to fire in a curling shot that the Scunt net minder parried to lanky winger and former Scunthorpe youth player Danny Mulchinock who slid the ball home. Mulchinock was involved in most moves City created in the opening period and his wirery frame and seeming lack of real speed doesn’t hinder him from jinking around challenges.
City doubled their lead on 15. Mulchinock the architect this time as his run ended in a fine pull back which Clayton Donaldson squeezed home with his left foot. Donaldson and Bradshaw were extremely impressive today; Bradshaw boyed by his goal in the stiffs in mid-week caused no end of problems for the Scunts back line which was marshalled by their No: 4 and captain. He could only be described as an oaf. His less than harmonious relationship with his keeper, he was at his throat after the second goal. He generally was a tit, as was the referee. Between the two City goals he went through a strange ritual of 4 gestures in 30 seconds, one of which strangely was the universal gesture for the wrestling move ‘the piledriver.’ The Scunt keeper also was a bit odd, he started having a conversation with the ball as he was running up to take a free/goal kick and when he did he started cursing, this occurred every single time he kicked the ball. Bizarre!
Anyway with Steve Burton and Liam Chapman in excellent form at the back, Chapman especially was in ‘thou shall not pass’ mode. However Scunny somehow managed to pull themselves back into the game with barely a few seconds left in the half. A clearance of a corner fell to the Scunt right back and he fired past Nick Asprey with an excellent controlled half volley from 25 yards although their was a possible suspicion of a foul on the keeper by the oaf.
The teams returned for the second half and Scunthorpe picked up the pace and laid siege to the Tigers goal although Burton and Chapman remained solid. In fact City had the first real chance of the half when on 57 a header from Chapman was heading toward the top corner, the keeper flailed at it and got a touch and actually seemed to divert the ball toward the bottom corner although the ball obviously got caught in a temporary wormhole or vortex and somehow ended up over the bar. Scunny took advantage of their good fortune and were awarded a penalty when Chapman let the Scunthorpe No: 9 get past him and brought him down. The man that won the penalty took it and scored to Aspreys’ left as the keeper dived right. That was pretty it really, City threw on Michael Steer, Simon Russell and Chris Hudson for Anthony Bowsley, Pete Turnbull and Donaldson respectively in an attempt to bring a winner. City did go close although some fine blocking prevented the ball from getting through and Scunthorpe hit the bar although no side could fine a clear cut chance to finish the game.
The final whistle was blown and the Scunny team jumped for joy having scored in their cup final, well not really but their village team did look pleased to grab a point after their first half display. |
