Hyde United Youth 3 County Youth 2

Oh……. woe………woe…… and thrice times woe…….

County`s Youth team crashed to another defeat yesterday, away to Hyde United.

The score was close,and the decisive goal deep into added time, but by the end there was little doubt that the Tameside youngsters well merited the full haul of points their 3-2 win brought them.

It was a disappointing showing from County. Ben Spibey again shone with a brace of quality goals, and a clutch of near misses, whilst a rare start for Dylan Heginbotham saw him go close a time or three, and having a big hand in both County goals, but there was not a great deal else to enthuse over in the blues display.

Hyde had looked lively early on -pressing down the left, forwards 10 and 11 testing Adam Rigby to the full, but it was County who took the lead on 9 minutes when Dylan Heginbotham`s deep cross fell to Ben Spibey who leathered a ferocious shot home in the blink of an eye!

It was nip and tuck for a time thereafter, but gradually Hyde looked to be gaining in confidence and it was no surprise when they equalised on 20 minutes , when a failure to clear by Stockport allowed the centre forward to slam the ball home after neat work by the number 10.

The number 10 was almost in again 5 minutes later, but with Rigby advancing in his direction, he toe poked his shot wide.

Another 5 minutes and a neat ball from Kiarno Samms sent Heginbotham clear and one on one with the keeper, but his shot drifted inches wide.

Then Spibey saw the route to goal blocked having combined nicely with Nick Williams.

The next action however was at the County end, and captain Leon Murphy was on hand to usher a shot from 10 off the line after the forward had rounded Rigby and looked certain to score thanks to a considerable assist from 11.

Then…..suddenly there was a hint of a change as the number 4 upended Samms just outside the box. T

The free kick from Murphy was blocked, but it ran clear to the predatory Spibey who promptly fired a veritable cracker on target.

Yes……it was on target, but it thudded into the post prompting a considerable melee in front of goal.

This ended with Spibey again on the ball, but his side footed effort was kept out by the keeper.

Play swung about rapidly next….. Hyde coming back at County with 10 and 9 both in the van tormenting the Cheshire side, then County replying with Spibey teeing Samms up for a shot on goal that was unluckily deflected for a corner.

Shots rained in on the Hyde goal from the flag kick- twice a defender wellied it out off the line, before the siege ended with a Samms header clearing the bar.

It swung again with Rigby doing brilliant work to deny 11 after he had made light of County`s defensive cover.

County were arguably happier than Hyde to get to the break, but they did not show it and the Hyde centre half did well to stop Albert Keeling as he darted clear.

Corners came and went as County pounded away, but there was no further addition to the score which stayed at 1-1, as the teams trouped off the field of play.

The re-start saw Hyde in control for pretty much the whole of the first 10 minutes- Kameron Palmer doing well to stem the tide organised by 10 and 11 down the left, at times.

County brought Demell Cumberbatch on for Charlie Mather, at this point, but there seemed to be no significant change about to happen as a result, indeed Nick Williams had to kick a shot off the line from substitute 12 midst it all.

It did not look that great at all from a County view point, and then suddenly…it did….as Heginbotham treated us to a lofted cross that seemed to hang in the air for an age. Spibey and Keeling went for it along with the keeper and an outfield defender, but Spibey won it with some to spare powering a fine header home to give his team the lead again!

The temptation was to think that it was `game over` now, but it wasn`t and Hyde`s lively forwards made this point fairly clear with a series of penetrating sorties up field that had County in real difficulties at times.

County had their moments too….Rodney Ajayi and Kiarno Samms both going close , but so did Hyde , and it was again no real surprise when their pressure counted , with 20 minutes left, and the centre forward was able to force the ball home from close in.

With Warren Yeo on for Albert Keeling , County made a noticeable attempt to up their tempo and Heginbotham, Spibey and Samms were all unlucky trying to snatch a winner at the sharp end.

With time fast running out, it was still anyone`s game, as both keepers were kept busy fending off determined attacks.

Were Hyde more determined than County?

I do not think so, but on the day they were better organised and had the better moves of the 2 sides, and after Williams had given County a late life line with a last ditch clearance off the line…… deep into added time it all went pear shaped for the blues as the ball flew from 7 to 17 who drilled a near perfect finish beyond Rigby into the net.

Not long after the game was over and the points were Hyde`s, and it was difficult to deny their right to them.

County line up:

Rigby, Palmer, Murphy, Williams, Livesey, Ajayi, Mather( Cumberbatch 55), Samms, Spibey, Keeling( Yeo 73), Heginbotham

Ian Brown

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