Holbeach United v Great Yarmouth Town.
Saturday 26th November 2022. Report by Martin Baxter.
Yarmouth made a very rare trip to Lincolnshire to face mid-table Holbeach United who until very recently played in the United Counties league and are in their first season in the Thurlow Nunn division one north.
Owing to an injury crisis at Yarmouth with 11 first team players being unavailable the club were forced into calling up the majority of the reserves squad to travel with the first team, which meant that the Norfolk Junior cup match at Long Stratton had to be forfeited as the club simply did not have enough players available to fulfil both fixtures on the day.
The Bloaters made 4 changes from the previous match at Sudbury with Melo, Willets, Rix and Adams all starting and the latter two were up front in a 4-4-2 formation.
The game started and in the 5th minute the visitors almost went behind when Henderson hit the post with an effort from 20 yards following a corner and 2 minutes later Yarmouth responded when Rix tested the Tigers keeper with a strike from 15 yards which he was equal to and at this point things were pretty even.
Lane was called into action in the 13th minute when he made an excellent point blank save from a shot from Compton and the play then switched to the other end of the pitch when an Adams flick at goal was cleared off the line by a Holbeach defender and turned away for a corner.
Then both sides had headers from corners in the space of 2 minutes and both efforts went sailing over the woodwork, however in the period leading up to half time the Tigers started to create the lions share of the opportunists when firstly Robertson put a header from a cross just past the left hand post and then Yarmouth’s best player on the pitch Lane made another superb save to deny Wirchoski from close range.
Right on half time Lane was adjudged to have brought down Compton in the box and the ref booked the young keeper and pointed to the penalty spot and Davies stepped up to convert the spot kick and send his side in 1-0 up at the break.
Half time: Holbeach United 1 Great Yarmouth Town 0.
Conceding a goal right on half -time was a body blow for the visitors but it then became mission impossible as man of the match Compton tapped in from close range only 2 minutes into the 2nd period following very good team build up play and the home side were now firmly in control of this match.
5 minutes later a surging run from the impressive Tigers winger Yambasu ended with him rattling the cross bar with a great strike and on the hour mark Lane was once again called into action to save a shot from Wirchoski from 15 yards out and this very young and inexperienced Yarmouth side were now 2nd best all over the pitch.
However to their credit they did defend resolutely and Vincent cleared an effort off of the line in the 65th minute, however the traffic was all now one way and the vocal Tigers fans were getting behind their team and they were responding with some very good attacking football.
When a side have not got possession of the ball they are working twice as hard and the Bloaters started to look jaded and in the last 15 minutes youth team players Woodhouse, Harrsion and Smith all came on to add some fresh legs and also to gain some vital game time experience.
Holbeach finally got their 3rd goal in the 83rd minute when substitute Martin hit a sweet strike from 15 yards that gave keeper Lane no chance of stopping.
Young Smith had a header in the dying minutes which went straight to the Tigers keeper, however the ref then blew the final whistle and it was another empty handed and long trip back home to East Norfolk for the Bloaters!
Full time: Holbeach United 3 Great Yarmouth Town 0. Attendance: 120
GYTFC starting line up: Lane, Melo, Duffield, Perry, Vincent, Willets, Trennery, Soares, Rix, Adams, Fenn. Subs: Harrison, Woodhouse, Smith.
Man of the match: Kyle Compton. (Holbeach)
