Yellows Bruised and Battered but Victorious

GRAHAM STREET PRIMS 1 HUCKNALL TOWN 2 

UCL DIV 1 WEDS 13TH OCTOBER 21 19.45 KO

MATCH REPORT

TEAMS

GRAHAM STREET: 1 HARRIS 2 POPLAR 3 GORBERT 4 LYNAM 5 DAWSON 6 BIRKINSHAW 7 THOMAS 8 BRUCE 9 FELL 10 BAYLES 11 SEALE

SUBS; BAILEY, BOYALL, WILKS, CRANSTONE, MCDOWELL

HUCKNALL TOWN: 1 JAKE PEARSON 2 COURTNEY BARTLEY 3 OLI BROWN 4 SAM SIMS 5 AARON SHORT (CAPT) 6 LENNY JENKINS 7 JOE BUTLER 8 JORDAN PHILLIPS 9 CRAIG WESTCARR 10 JOE ASHURST 11 GRANT RYAN

SUBS: LOUIS KINNERLEY, MICHAEL BANISTER, TOM HUBBARD, JAMIE CRAWFORD, AARON LAMB

OFFICIALS KARL BAINBRIDGE, PAUL DIXON, OLIVER THORNHILL

 Hucknall came back down the A 52 with the three points but were left with several players injured after a bruising encounter with Graham Street who will feel they deserved something from the game after a battling second half display.

Hucknall started very brightly with a quick tempo with Westcarr's early free kick forcing an easy save from Harris though he nearly spilled it.

The hosts had their first chance on 6 mins Fell heading Gorbert's cross wide.

A taste of things to come came on 10 minutes when Bayles was booked for a late challenge on Sims.

Hucknall then began to dominate the half as Ryan's effort was saved and then Short's was deflected wide for a corner.

Hucknall thought they had taken the lead when Ashurst slotted home from 8 yards only for the linesman to raise his flag. Questionable as the initial ball was cut back and Ashurst was behind Joe Butler from his cross cum shot.

Hucknall didn't have to wait long for the opener and it came courtesy of a great penalty by Westcarr after Sims had been wiped out in the box by Burkinshaw who received a Yellow.

Ashurst had a drive which went well wide before the hosts responded with a Bruce shot which Pearson blocked.

Butler went close on 34, his shot just skimming the post and then Phillips had a crack from distance over the bar as Hucknall continued to press. 

Hucknall doubled their lead just before half time when captain Short provided a finish to a Westcarr free kick though the shot took a wicked deflection.

Hucknall's twitter account mistakenly put the HT score down as FT and maybe that might have been a preferable option. Given Prim's league position and how comfortable the first half had been for Town many were perhaps thinking it was a case of how many but it certainly didn't turn out that way.

Had Short's header just after half time gone in maybe it would have been a case of how many but Harris saved well and then Joe Butler got a nasty looking injury and was down for a long time on the touchline and had to be replaced by Michael Banister.

Wether the game plan changed I really don't know but Hucknall started playing deeper and deeper back. Prims had definitely improved from the first half showing and began to press from this point on.

Jordan Phillips then went in the book as Hucknall responded to the physical side of Prims.

On the hour mark Prims should have scored but were denied by a brilliant goal line clearance from Oli Brown.

Hucknall were reduced to 10 men for ten minutes as Ryan received a yellow and was sin binned for dissent as Hucknall got frustrated. They certainly were rattled andd needlessly kept giving the ball away or booting it to no one imparticular.

Dawson then put a header over Pearson's crossbar before Banister saw yellow for a foul on Bayles.

Hucknall tried to recompose with Westcarr's volley deflected wide and Phillip's header which went just over.

Boyall then skimmed the crossbar with a shot for the hosts.

Manager Andy Graves then made a double substitution with Ryan being replaced by Hubbard and Jordan Phillips by Jamie Crawford maybe because of the red card risk in such a physical game.

The changes seemed to help Town and Jenkins headed just wide.

Short was the next player to join the Yellow card club for a tackle on Boyall.

The host's finally got their reward when Lee Fell pulled a goal back on 88 mins leaving town with a couple of minutes and an excruciating period of added on time to play.

Joe Ashurst then went into the book as Hucknall again lacked composure.

Tom Hubbard then received the ball and at long last common sense took a hold as he took the ball down to the corner and played out time.

A wins a win but huge credit must go to the hosts who will feel they deserved something after their battling second half display. 

Next up is a trip to another Struggling side Blackstones and though we won maybe lessons can be learned from that second half. Hope the injuries aren't as bad as they appeared.

Cranstone then went close for the hosts with a header at the back post.

Jamie Crawford then received a lengthy treatment for a leg injury.