PRUDHOE YC SENIORS RESERVES 4
WHICKHAM FC RESERVES 3
GOALS were guaranteed in this top-of-the-table clash in the Marsh Insurance Northern Alliance 3rd Division.
Both sides were averaging four per game before Saturday, and they served up a treat for the sparse crowd in an action-packed match which could easily have seen the final tally in double figures.
After throwing away a two-goal lead in the second half and looking as if they would have to settle for a point, the hosts were celebrating at the final whistle following an 88th minute winner from substitute Dylan Hall.
Hall's finish made it 21 games without defeat, and clinched promotion as well as leaving Prudhoe on the brink of securing the league title for the first time.
Apart from a Prudhoe corner inside the opening minute that came to nothing, the early exchanges were dominated by the youthful visitors with an average age of 17.
Their top-scorer Albie McPate had a close-range strike blocked by keeper Sam Harrison's legs.
Another McPate shot hit a defender and dropped at the feet of centre forward Lewis Parker who saw his rising effort from 10 yards out palmed away by Harrison.
A sweeping move from halfway ended with McPate's square ball into the box being met by Parker, but a deflection sent his shot wide.
The visitors were dealt a hammer blow inside the first 10 minutes when centre half Harry Graham, 16, was scythed down by his more experienced counterpart Ken Coon, 36, and was eventually forced to hobble off after lengthy treatment with 16-year-old James Pani, one of only two substitutes named by Whickham, taking his place.
On the counter-attack, Prudhoe central defender Kieran Baptist raced on to a through ball and his shot was diverted for a corner by keeper Joseph Davison who was off his line quickly.
At the other end, winger David Burns became the second home player booked after a rash challenge just outside the corner of the box.
Displaying pace and movement all over the park, and playing the ball along the floor at every opportunity with patient build-up from the back, Andy Kingsland's talented youngsters still had nothing to show for their efforts after McPate's latest effort, a sweetly struck 20-yard half volley, whistled narrowly wide of Harrison's left-hand post.
Out of nothing, the hosts took the lead in the 29th minute through captain Matty Mitchell.
Poor defending allowed winger John Keltie far too much space down the right and his cross from the byline wasn't dealt with.
It dropped kindly for Mitchell, unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box, who slotted home (1-0).
Mitchell, an ever-present in Tommy Clasper's team this season, was ending a goal drought stretching back to August 28, when he scored in the 4-0 home win against local rivals Heddon United.
The reverse fixture is on the 3G pitch at Walbottle Academy on Saturday.
They say a team is most vulnerable immediately after scoring and that was the case with Prudhoe, who conceded straight from the re-start.
Put under pressure down the left, their defence was sliced open, and the final ball fed in to McPate was duly dispatched past Harrison for the winger's 22nd goal of the season in 21 appearances (1-1).
Soon after, another dangerous cross from Keltie was turned over his own bar by a defender, and a well-worked move ended with McPate's header lacking the power to trouble Harrison.
Prudhoe regained the lead on 39 minutes with a top quality finish from Baptist.
The visitors lost possession inside their own half on the right when trying to play out from the back once too often, and the ball was quickly fed across to Baptist, who curled a first-time 25-yard effort into the top corner giving Davison no chance (2-1).
David Mitchell then became the third home player booked after scything down striker Sam Tate who was in full flow on a lung-bursting run from his own box into opposition territory.
A half of fluctuating fortunes ended with Prudhoe extending their lead in the 45th minute through full-back Shaun Tinnion.
A cross from the left was just missed by a team-mate's attempted diving header, but fell nicely for Tinnion, who calmly slotted home from close range at the back post (3-1).
The visitors came close to reducing the deficit in stoppage time but it was not to be.
A shot was saved low down at the near post, Kane Gray's firm header from a corner on the left was palmed away by Harrison, and a second corner was punched clear.
They needed an early goal after the break to galvanise their efforts, and it duly arrived in the 48th minute through Parker.
Showing great close control on the edge of the box, he twisted and turned his way past two defenders before prodding the ball underneath the diving Harrison, who would feel he should have saved it (3-2).
The game swung from end-to-end for the next 10 minutes without either keeper being seriously tested until Nathan Riley got the visitors back on level terms just before the hour mark.
A long-range free-kick launched into the box was headed back across the six-yard box to Riley who nodded home from close range (3-3).
Prudhoe were next to threaten on 61 minutes following a slick break started deep inside their own half.
The ball was fed right to Keltie, who beat his man as he cut inside into the box before an audacious chip heading for the top corner was clawed away by Davison at full stretch.
At the other end, the ever dangerous McPate failed to convert a couple of decent opportunities, and Harrison was off his line quickly to clear a through ball just before Tate got there.
After being second best for long periods since the break, the pendulum swung in Prudhoe's favour in the last 10 minutes with all five substitutes making a difference as the visitors started to tire and no options for them on the bench.
Keltie was put clean through on goal, but Davison closed him down and blocked the shot.
Steven Forster's firm header from Tinnion's cross flew inches over the bar, another Keltie effort heading for the bottom corner was kept out by Davison's outstretched leg, and substitute Aaron Robinson's low drive was saved at the near post.
It was one-way traffic towards the Whickham goal in the closing stages, and the home side's relentless pressure was finally rewarded with an 88th minute winner.
A 30-yard free-kick fired in low was initially blocked by Davison, but substitute Dylan Hall reacted much quicker than the static defenders around him and turned in the loose ball from close range (4-3).
The final chance in the 92nd minute fell to McPate, who guided a first-time volley just over the bar with Harrison beaten to round off a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.
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