Hemsworth Hotspur v Ibstock

Coming into this match Hotspur manager Steve Wiggins had a minor crisis with the news that regular no 1 Rob Rollin had failed a late fitness test and was unavailable for the game. Bearing this in mind Wiggins recalled Hotspur’s 2^nd choice keeper Paul Heselden for this crucial encounter.

The game kicked off with Hotspur looking the most dangerous, but in the 4^th minute Hotspur keeper Paul Heselden was tested with a long range effort by Craig Lafferty!, Having pulled off a majestic save, Heselden quickly spotted Damien Liddle unmarked beyond the last Ibstock defender, who pounced to open the scoring!.

Having gone 1 down in the first 5 minutes Ibstock knew they had to respond quickly, and with Matthew Brown in inspirational form all season they tried many times to beat an inform Paul Heselden, but to no avail!. 2 Minutes after the first goal, Dale Cracknel dazzled two defenders and put the ball on a plate for Craig Lazenby to open his Hotspur account for the season!. Almost instantly after the restart Hotspur hotshot Alan Billington tested the Ibstock keeper with a pile driver, only to be denied by a world class save!.

8 minutes were left in the first half when Damien Liddle further added to his account, latching onto a perfect Cracknel through ball and slotted a neat right foot shot past the despairing keeper!.

Half time came with Hotspur leading 3-0 and with Steve Wiggins and Andy Davies in commanding form at the back for Hotspur.

Ibstock started the second half in a better frame of mind, looking nothing like the side that had been ripped apart by Hotspur in the first half!, when from nowhere Andy Davies applied both pace and power into a run down the left flank, and took the defence and keeper by surprise with a left foot thunderbolt which took the net back 2 foot!!! 4-0 hotspur with 18 minutes left!!.

The night was capped by a move that can only be described as sheer class when Damien Liddle paid off some of his £5million transfer fee by scoring his third of the night and his 4^th of the season!. Dale Cracknel picked up the ball in the Hotspur half, danced past 2 Ibstock players and whilst approaching the Ibstock box, he realised there was no the angle to shoot, turned his back to goal, squared the ball to his left where Damien Liddle struck a first time shot off the inside of the far post to take the Hotspur tally to 5 for the night!.

 Final score Hemsworth Hotspur 5 Ibstock 0

 Player ratings –

 Heselden 9, Wiggins 8, Davies 9, Lazenby 9, Billington 9, Cracknel 9, Liddle 10 (mom).