WAVENEY RESERVES v GREAT YARMOUTH TOWN RESERVES.
Tuesday 2nd May 2023. Report by Martin Baxter.
On a mild and sunny spring evening Yarmouth reserves made the short trip for a local derby with Waveney reserves in their last match of an up and down season.
This fixture would determine which of these 2 clubs would finish in the top 10 in the league with the Bloaters only needing a point on the night to achieve this.
The game started and after an initial quiet first period with both sides sounding each other out the first opportunity fell to Waveney in the 17th minute when their winger Ebury cut in from the left to unleash a fierce volley which was well dealt with by Harding in the Yarmouth goal as he palmed the effort away to safety, and just before the half-hour mark Yarmouth skipper Adams forced the Waveney keeper Staniforth into an excellent save with a superb strike from the right hand side of the box and this encounter was now coming to life, with both sides looking for the all important first goal.
This eventually came in the 40th minute when Adams fed the ball to Grimmer who clinically slotted home from 10 yards out to put the Bloaters 1-0 up and 3 minutes later Adams almost made it 2-0 with a shot from 15 yards out that just missed the target by a matter of inches.
Half-time: Waveney Reserves 0 Great Yarmouth Town Reserves 1.
The 2nd period started badly for the away side as on 50 minutes they conceded a penalty after the referee spotted a handball in the area and Mawford stepped up to take the spot kick sending keeper Harding the wrong way to make it 1-1.
Both sides then went pushing forward for a 2nd goal and this was now a very even and highly enjoyable contest and on the hour mark that man Adams once again had another chance, this time when he sent a header from a corner just over the bar and 5 minutes later man of the match Ebury had a flick at goal from close range cleared off of the goal line by a resolute Yarmouth defender.
In the 80th minute Ebury found himself clean through on goal but was once again foiled by some excellent goal keeping from Harding who managed to block his effort out to keep it at 1-1 on the night and 2 minutes later Wells had a long range strike at goal that went wide and Waveney were finishing the stronger of the 2 sides in the closing stages.
Just before the final whistle blew Yarmouth survived a double scare when firstly Harding turned a rasping strike from Abramson around the post for a corner and from the resulting corner Mawford almost won the game for his side, but his header went sailing narrowly over the bar.
The match then ended and this was a very hard earned point for the Bloaters who managed to grab that all important top ten finish.
Full Time: Waveney Reserves. 1 Great Yarmouth Town Reserves 1.
GYTFC Reserves: Harding, Purton, Duffield, Bishop, Vincent, Craine, Smith, Melo, Adams,Grimmer, Abbott. Subs: Niali, Riches, Miller.
Man of the match: JJ Ebury. (Waveney)
Yarmouth Man of the match: Duncan Harding.
