Barnes Debut Double moves Sports up to Fifth

U15's Saturday Division One Notts Youth League

Hyson Green 2 Hucknall Sports 4

8/2/14

Hucknall Sports stop-start season saw them travel the short distance to Greenwich Avenue in Basford for a match against Hyson Green in the only Division One fixture to survive the poor weather. Injuries, illness and suspension had left Sports squad looking a little threadbare recently so they joined the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United to make a ‘deadline day’ signing of their own by bringing in local boy Ethan Barnes.

Playing with the strong wind at their backs Hyson Green made the best possible start by smashing in a ‘worldly’ goal after only 5mins. But Sports have a strong believe in their own abilities nowadays and refused to be bowed. Lead by Ellis Evans and some terrific energy from midfielders Mitch Davies, Matt Leivers and Maleek Batten Sports cleverly used their passing game to move the team forward and started to carve out opportunities. Tom Eastwood found the head of Evans from a series of corners but playing into a ferocious wind made it really difficult to get anything on goal with power. Eastwood looked dangerous on the left but had to leave the game with a nasty ankle injury after his great drive into the box was cleared by a last ditched tackle from the opposition keeper. Evans moved over to the left in his place and substitute Ethan Barnes was brought on to partner James Hallam up front. Two minutes on, Barnes used to his pace to streak clear of the last defender before smashing an absolute screamer into the top corner to mark his debut for Sports. Moments later good work between Hallam and Barnes looked to have resulted in a penalty only for the referee to wave play on.

Hyson Green, encouraged by the strengthening wind, continued to pick out shots from range but Sports Keeper Kal Orton fielded them well and rarely looked troubled. However, with only moments of the first half left to play a hopeful looping cross to the far post evaded all Sports defenders and was bundled into the net by Hyson Green to go into the break leading 2-1.

Half-Time: Hyson Green 2 Hucknall Sports 1

Sports only change after the break was to bring on Dante Diriso who took up position the on right wing as Hucknall looked to quickly try and get themselves back on level terms. Their equaliser dully arrived when central defender Jarrod Davies won the ball on the edge of his own penalty box and charged forward. His pass found Diriso who showed brilliant vision to pick out Barnes in a crowded penalty area to score his second of the game with a neat finish low into the bottom right corner. Diriso looked dangerous whenever he got the ball and was rewarded with a chance to try his luck from distanced with a free-kick that narrow missed the target with the keeper looking on helplessly. More Diriso action followed in the form of a masterclass on taking corners in such difficult conditions. He skilfully drove the ball in dangerously time and again and finally picked out Jarrod Davies who smashed in a towering header to move Sports into the lead for the first time in the game. Hyson Green threw men forward adventurously but Sports defensive line of Dylan Smith, Joe Newton, Jarrod Davies and Kieran Green played magnificently to repelled everything that was thrown at them. Kieran Green was caught with a late challenge as he drove his team forward but all credit to the referee for playing advantage to Sports and allow Hallam to show his own terrific pace to race into the area and cleverly use the wind to loop the ball up and over the opposition defence to grab a well deserved goal. Still time for more chances from Sports as Batten and Davies tried to extend the lead even further but finally the game ended and Hucknall celebrated a hard-earned victory.

Full-Time: Hyson Green 2 Hucknall Sports 4

Both teams deserve massive credit for playing a fantastic game of football in such poor conditions. When other teams shied away and cancelled games these two sets of boys rolled their sleeves up and got on with it.

Sports won the game due to a fantastic team effort where everyone played their part. But the contribution of Dante Diriso and Ethan Barnes deserves special mention and they ran Jarrod Davies very close for the Man of the Match Award.

However, Jarrod was the deserved winner in a game that saw him play wonderfully well in defence, drive his team forward to assist the equalising goal and then cap it off with a towering header – well done Jarrod, keep it up.

MOM Jarrod Davies

This great run of just 1 defeat in their last 7 games has seen Sports move to fifth in the league but keep playing like this and you never know where you might be at the end of the season - Keep it up everyone.