Percy Unread Words

 I'm continuing to compile match reports for Percy Main Amateurs. Here's my latest set for you to peruse -:

Percy Main Amateurs 2 Cullercoats 3: Saturday 30 October

At half time, the players trooped off with Percy Main Amateurs leading 1-0, courtesy of Jordan Thompson’s close range finish in the 14^th minute. The consensus among the assembled Percy faithful was that Cullercoats had got off lightly in a half of almost incessant Villagers’ pressure, with visiting custodian Taylor Blaney being largely responsible for the closeness of the score, courtesy of a series of outstanding close-range blocks, parries and saves. How different was the atmosphere at full time, when Cullercoats celebrated their triumph that came courtesy of the Main’s second half disintegration, which offered up three gift wrapped goals occasioned by a defensive horror show that saw PMA fall to their fourth successive home defeat and fifth in a row in all competitions.

How different things had seemed in the early stages. Within 10 minutes, the returning Main hit man Paul Collinson had twice been instinctively denied by the gloves of Blaney, as the Villagers forced a series of right wing corners. Perhaps Blaney’s best save was the one when he reacted brilliantly to parry Thomas Kalthoeber’s piledriver. It was therefore no surprise when Thompson broke the deadlock, tapping in to an unguarded net at the back post. It seemed a question of how many the Main would score at this point, but Cullercoats finally got a foothold in the game, calming and slowing down proceedings. They also fashioned one chance, when Matty Coaley hit a speculative thunderbolt from nigh on 30 yards that pinged off the top of the bar.

The second half began in a remarkably ragged fashion, with neither team able to find any kind of rhythm. It was perhaps fitting tat the Cullercoats equaliser in the 58^th minute came from an absolute howler in the home defence. A period of aimless keep ball was ended by James Cooper intercepting a loose ball, running on and firing home from the edge of the box. Moments later, the visitors almost went ahead when a free for all in the home box saw Cullercoats hit the post and then smash the ball high over an open goal. Despite Collinson almost getting on the end of a long clearance by Reece Monaghan, swathed in a crepe bandage to protect four stitches in a head wound, the momentum had shifted decisively towards the visitors. Cullercoats took the lead after 76 minutes, when substitute Jay Errington pounced on a loose ball that the Main had spurned several chances to clear.

Remarkably, the Main came again. Collinson drove into the box and ad his legs swept from under him. He got up and was preparing to take the inevitable penalty when an altercation developed with a Cullercoats player who was intent on delaying the kick. The outcome was the referee brandishing a red card that curtailed Collinson’s home coming. Thankfully Stephenson kept his cool and rolled the kick home. Just when Main thought they had got away with a point, another defensive calamity provided a final kick in the teeth. Errington, stood in splendid isolation at the back post, drove the ball home via the far upright after collecting a misplaced clearing header to settle the contest in Cullercoats’ favour.

 

Percy Main Amateurs 1 Seaton Delaval Amateurs 1: Saturday 6 November

After last week’s defensive debacle at home to Cullercoats, Percy Main Amateurs began this week’s contest in determined fashion. Twice in the opening couple of minutes, Delaval keeper Ethan Custance was called upon to keep his side level, with sprawling saves from the lively Kai Charlton. However, it was the visiting Amateurs who took the lead after 6 minutes with a Goal of the Season contender. Burly opposition centre forward Malik Kalimba hit a first time, side foot, cushioned volley from 14 yards out that flashed past Reece Monaghan before he had time to react. When such an audacious piece of skill is enacted by the opposition, there is no place for recriminations; all you can do is nod your head in appreciation and applaud.

Once the lead had been established, Delaval sat back and invited the Villagers to come at them. This the home side did, but with more enthusiasm than skill. Custance, belying his slender frame and lack of inches, took on the role of sweeper keeper, racing from his goal to hammer clearances away. The Main attempted to obviate this threat by switching to a short passing game, though this allowed Delaval to harry the hosts out of their stride. Far too often in the first period, ponderous Percy players held on to the ball for too long, or took extra, unnecessary touches in the hope of finding a killer pass. When the shots did come in, they were too often weak and misdirected, resulting in the visitors leading at the break.

It was a reinvigorated Percy Main that came out after the interval and slowly, but surely, began to turn the screw on their visibly wilting opponents. It was Custance who came to Delaval’s rescue on numerous occasions. He eye-catchingly spread himself to deflect Dylan Taylor’s goal-bound effort behind for a corner after 55 minutes. The equaliser was soon to arrive, however; on 59 minutes the impressive Finlay Baty floated in a superb corner, right on the head of Thomas Kaltoeber, who precisely nodded the ball beyond the despairing leap of Custance for a thoroughly merited equaliser

From that point on there was only one side likely to win it. Twice Taylor and Charlton saw their on-target shots desperately deflected behind for corners. A series of questionable offside decisions also stalled the Percy momentum when in good positions. So, despite doing more than enough to win the game, Percy Main had to settle for a point. Next week, PMA are away to Newcastle Chemfica in the Northern Alliance Team Valley Carpets Challenge Cup at Newcastle University’s Longbenton Sports Ground on Coach Lane. The postcode is NE7 7XA and kick off is 1.30.

 

Newcastle Chemfica 4 Percy Main Amateurs 0: Saturday 13 November

Newcastle Chemfica ended Percy Main’s interest in the Northern Alliance Premier Division Team Valley Carpets Challenge Cup at the first hurdle, in decisive fashion. While it is inarguable that the Main were well beaten by Kennie Malia’s side, the final score was very harsh, especially on Percy’s Kai Charlton who led the line tirelessly and deserved at least a goal for his efforts. Sadly, it was not an occasion for romantic notions of the beautiful game, and the home goal remained intact.

The game had started in far better circumstances, with the Main almost taking the lead on 5 minutes when Cameron McHarg heading against the outside of the post following a corner. Unfortunately, this bright opening counted for nothing when Chemfica opened the scoring on 16 minutes when Oliver Ure pounced on a loose ball and worked an opening on the edge of the area, before firing in a low shot that whistled past Reece Monaghan. The Main almost got back on level terms with a similar move to the Chemfica opener, except that Joe Kelly’s drive was held at the foot of his near post by Jak Wells. It was a decent save, but not as impressive as Monaghan’s instinctive block with his feet from a venomous Joseph Connor strike, as the half came to an end.

The optimists among the travelling Main faithful collectively believed this stop would prove crucial in the second period. Unfortunately, the more pessimistic Percy disciples’ feelings of gloom were to be vindicated as Chemfica doubled their lead on 55 minutes, after Luke Molloy had spurned a glorious chance by driving wildly over when presented with an open goal in the opening seconds of the second half, when Joseph Davy nodded into an unguarded net after Monaghan had parried Ure’s angled drive. This effectively ended the game as a contest, with the Main increasingly frustrated in their attempts to create meaningful chances. Indeed, only one team looked likely to score, meaning Monaghan was regularly occupied, pulling off a series of fine stops.

Sadly, the roof fell in when McHarg was dismissed after 73 minutes, for hauling down an on-rushing Chemfica striker. The Main survived the subsequent free kick, but their numerical disadvantage was ruthlessly exploited by the home side, when Lufter Karim tapped home from straight in front of the net on 82 minutes. The final indignity came in injury time when an unmarked Shane Walton nodded home at the back post, turning a defeat into a thumping.

Percy Main are next in action on Saturday 20 November, away to Haltwhistle Jubilee in a Northern Alliance Premier Division game. The kick off is 2pm and the postcode for those intending to travel, is NE49 9EH.

Cullercoats 1 Percy Main Amateurs 4: Saturday 18 December

The second game of the Thompson-Walker-Deagle era for Percy Main saw the first victory; an emphatic success away to local rivals Cullercoats, where the Main produced a second half as dominant as it was attractive on the eye. Over the years, many great goalscorers have graced the hallowed claret and blue of the Villagers, but never before has a player who hit the headlines for notching the winner in a Wembley final turned out for the club. Fittingly John Campbell, the former Oxford, Torquay, Darlington, Whitby, Benfield and Heaton Stannington striker, slammed in a hat trick on his debut.

However the Walker wizard, alongside strike partner Jonathan Wright, once of Hibernian, in perhaps the most left-footed front pairing in history, was eclipsed for the Man of the Match award, as was the utterly impeccable Dean Deagle who produced a stellar performance at left back, and the all-action, strong running, selfless creativity of Billy Walker. No, the star performer for the Villagers was Adam Green, whose titanic showing in midfield enabled the defence to be afforded much protection and created many opportunities for the attack. He literally did not put a foot wrong all afternoon.

Of course, this being Percy Main, it wasn’t plain sailing from the start. After a short delay to proceedings to clean up the mess of a thoughtless dog walker, Cullercoats tried t impose themselves from the start, causing Reece Monaghan to distinguish himself with a brilliant, instinctive tip over from a full-blooded, close range volley by Jonny Watson. It was only a temporary respite though, as Richard Jull capitalised on a free kick in a central position, just outside the area, curling in a delightful finish that left Monaghan helpless.

The Main were level with 90 seconds, when new signing Mark Waite pounced on a loose ball in the Cullercoats area to drive the visitors level. A quiet period of attritional midfield play saw chances at a premium as the two sides cancelled each other out, when John Campbell began to exert his influence on the game. Running onto a glorious crossfield pass, Campbell took the ball in his stride and proceeded to execute a beautiful dink over the onrushing home keeper, Taylor Blaney after 35 minutes.

The second half saw a noticeable increase in the tempo of the game, in combination with a clear step change in the level of performance from most Percy Main games this season. The Villagers simply seemed tougher, more organised and determined to win the game. Undoubtedly, the introduction of several experienced, quality signings were the difference today. After a couple of reasonable shouts for penalties, Campbell pounced again on 65 minutes, slotting home into the bottom corner after Green’s eye of the needle through ball had split the Cullercoats defence wide open.

Jonathan Wright was denied by a quality stop by Blaney, with Campbell unlucky not to complete his hat trick after thumping the rebound against the outside of the post. He was not to be denied, claiming a treble after intercepting a short back pass and firing beyond Blaney’s despairing leap on 81 minutes to complete the scoring on a highly successful afternoon by the coast.

Prudhoe YC 3 Percy Main Amateurs 2: Friday 7 January 2022

On a freezing Friday evening in the Tyne Valley, Percy Main Amateurs played their first game of 2022. While the Villagers were ultimately to leave Kimberley Park empty handed, the performance showed just how far the club has come since Derek Thompson and Geoff Walker assumed control at Purvis Park. Last October, Percy Main suffered an awful, almost humiliating 5-0 home defeat when Prudhoe came to visit. The gap between the sides on that occasion was a yawning chasm, but this game showed the Main are playing catch up at a rate of knots.

With Reece Monaghan unavailable with COVID, former Benfield and Whitley Bay keeper Sean Korsbo made his debut for Percy Main. In the early stages he had very little to do, affording him a perfect view of Jonathan Wright’s stunning opener on 22 minutes. The striker found himself unmarked in central midfield with the ball at his feet. Shifting it on to his trusty left foot, he unleashed a venomous strike that Prudhoe keeper didn’t even see.

After the opening goal, the Main enjoyed a period of territorial dominance, so it was something of a shock when Prudhoe hit back with 2 goals in as many minutes. On 35 minutes, Harry Mitchell’s effort squirmed under Korsbo. If the keeper was at question over that one, he was utterly blameless when Brad Rogers put the home side in the lead with an effort almost as spectacular as Wright’s opener within 60 seconds. Prudhoe then assumed control and the Villagers had to regroup to stay in touch.

After the break, Percy Main came again, with Lee Johnson exerting influence in midfield, but chances were at a premium. Indeed, the next goal came from Prudhoe, when the impressive Matty Law received the ball on the right edge of the area, swapped it onto his left and unleashed an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net. The Main refused to lie down after this set back and Wright halved the deficit with an accurately placed free kick with 12 minutes to go. Sadly, despite their best efforts, the Villagers couldn’t find an equaliser, though there was no disgrace in this defeat.

Rutherford 4 Percy Main Amateurs 0: Saturday 15 January

 

Without the services of John Campbell and Jonathan Wright, both of whom were at St James Park for some unaccountable reason, Percy Main Amateurs suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of former boss Gareth “Beanie” Allen’s Rutherford side that was at least partly explained by the shot shy Villagers’ lack of options in an attacking sense.

Having not faced the North East’s second oldest football club during the last two COVID-blighted seasons, the Main set about their hosts with some relish in a fast paced opening that was typified by Brandon Studholme’s teasing cross shot that hit the outside of Rutherford keeper Matthew Pattinson’s post before bouncing clear. Indeed, Percy placed young Pattinson under severe pressure that he was perhaps fortunate to deal with, especially after dropping the ball at Morgan Patterson’s feet, escaping only when a fortuitous whistle put a temporary halt to proceedings. At the other end, the returning Reece Monaghan was relieved to see an effort from a tight angle by Rutherford’s Owen Whitmore hit the inside of the post, before rebounding into the keeper’s arms.

Perhaps the most impressive home performer before the break was former Main full back Aaron Kah, who enjoyed much freedom down the right and almost put his team ahead, firing narrowly wide on 35 minutes. The opener was only seconds away though. In the absence of a qualified assistant, Main’s Moses Igiehon was pressed into carrying the flag. This game being under the aegis of the Durham FA required him to only signal for throw ins, leaving the referee to adjudicate on all offsides. As a result of such confused complexities, a suspiciously offside Aristotle Guerin collected a through ball and fired Rutherford ahead. Seconds before the break it could have been 2-0, but Monaghan tipped over a venomous close range effort by Nick Gibson.

After the break, a full complement of match officials were present, with the new assistant assiduously flagging the Villagers offside from almost every attack, paying tribute to the ruthlessly efficient defensive discipline of the hosts. Percy Main’s frustrations grew when the impressive Lee Johnson pulled up with a hamstring strain, necessitating his replacement. Unfortunately the reorganisation of the Main’s line-up was an on-going process when Rutherford’s burly striker Stephen Hall pounced on a knock down to slide in a second from close range. At this point, there wasn’t an obvious two goal gap between the sides, but the cruel nature of the game saw Rutherford run away with the points after a deflating third goal, courtesy of Charlie Watson’s speculative effort that went through a crowd of bodies and squirmed under Monaghan’s body to make it 3-0 at the midpoint of the second period.

To their credit, Percy Main did not give up and Billy Walker was denied by a full length dive by Pattinson. The Mains stand out performer was Mark Waite, who drove the side forward all game, with a fine array of passes, but even his best efforts were thwarted when Watson collected a loose ball in the box and fired an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net, to make the final score Rutherford 4 Percy Main 0.