Last updated 13:34, Thursday, 14 August 2008

THE young Prudhoe side were given a harsh lesson in finishing on Tuesday night by the hot shots from Crook.

Prudhoe Town 2, Crook Town 5.

The Prudhoe defence leaked five goals in front of their own fans at Kimberly Park in the Skills Training Northern League second division.

Prudhoe actually started well, for in the fourth minute, Shaun Wilkinson’s clearance over the defence was collected by David Potts.

He laid the ball across to John Laidlow, whose shot shaved the post.

The Mark McKean hit a diagonal free kick for Ben Haddock to glance a header wide.

The Prudhoe pressure told in the seventh minute, when Chris Baxter battled hard to win the ball, which was knocked through for Craig Burke to round the keeper, who had come out of his area, and roll the ball home.

Crook fought back, and Coad headed over the bar before keeper Aidan Ames got down to hold a low cross shot.

Kokes then burst down the left, and Ames came out to deflect his shot past the far post.

Crook continued to press, and in the 18th minute, the ball broke to Tom Berj, who hit a first time low shot into the net for the equaliser.

Crook were beginning to hit early crosses, and their quick forwards were chasing everything.

The visitors got their noses in front in the 25th minute with a disputed goal.

A Carling cross bounced high, and Coad headed over the advancing Ames.

Perhaps significantly,a number of away supporters thanked the linesman for not raising his flag...

On 28 minutes, a pass over the defence sent Burke clear, and as keeper Connell came sliding out of his area, the ball came off his hand.

Sadly for Prudhoe, neither official spotted the offence.

Crook were hitting early crosses which tested the defence, but Prudhoe were counter attacking well.

They had a great chance on 35 minutes when Potts was clear, but he took an extra touch, and was crowded out.

McKean’s corner was then headed past the post by Potts, before great work by Haddock and McKean ended with Potts firing the ball across goal, with no-one able to apply the finishing touch.

Right on half time, Prudhoe’s Ludlow was sent clear, and once again Connell came out of his area, and handled the ball as he was rounded.

It should have been an automatic red card, but the keeper somehow escaped with a yellow.

Worse was to follow, for when the free kick was cleared, the ball was hit forward to a suspiciously lone Crook forward, but the flag stayed down.

The flag was still not raised when the ball was hit forward again to Kokes, who lobbed Ames to make to 3-1 the visitors.

It was a buoyant Crook who came out for the second half, and in the 46th minute. Kokes shot wide.

There was no let off for Prudhoe in the 55th minute, when Coad got the ball out of the left near the halfway line.

He reached the 18 yard line, and when no challenge came in, he went on to hit the ball into the far corner far corner for number four.

It was a great individual strike, made easier by poor defending.

Coad then had a header which was brilliantly clawed away by Ames high at the near post.

Crook extended their lead in the 64th minute, when a pass was held up in the Prudhoe box and Nesbit hit a low shot home from 10 yards.

Crook were now well on top, and Ames had to be at his best to save from Bone, as well as blocking a free kick from Kokes.

Prudhoe fought back, and substitute Craig Redpath slotted home a square pass, but was given offside.

They did manage to pull one back when a shot was deflected high into the air, and Nesbit’s headed clearance rocketed into the roof of his own net.

A Wilkinson cross was then headed over Connell by substitute Gav Wood, but the ball went past the far post.