North Ferriby VS Selby Town

North Ferriby FC v Selby Town FC NCEL Round Two Match Report (24.9.19)

Urban Newton

Debutant Will Taylor's missed penalty was the deciding factor as North Ferriby FC crashed out of the NCEL League Cup against Selby Town.

The Villagers drew 3-3 over ninety minutes, before the visitors bagged their spot in round three by winning 5-3 on penalties.

The rain was strong and merciless throughout most of the first half. It clearly had an effect on early proceedings.

Both sides were playing quite direct on the heavy Dransfield Stadium pitch, with the defences regularly under pressure all night.

The Robins' took the lead on eighteen minutes through winger Alex Burton.

After a scrappy start, he showed fantastic quality to cut inside from the left and fire a whizzing effort across goalkeeper Jordan Douglas into the net from twenty-five yards.

Chances seemed to come few and far between, but it only took Chris Bolder's men ten minutes to find an equalizer.

The debuting Taylor's low cross from the right bobbled through to Alfreton Town loanee Morgan Brough on the penalty-spot. He calmly slotted the ball into the away side's bottom left corner.

The intensity and tempo of the game was upped slightly after that goal, yet still the quality was lacking.

As the clouds gave way, Ferriby did take the lead on thirty-five minutes however.

Brough, who showed good tricky feet all game, quickly shifted the ball onto his left foot on the edge of the Selby area before his low deflected effort went past goalkeeper Peter Lawrie.

The hosts led at half-time, though it was the travelling Robins who came out stronger after the interval.

Josh Walker, a former North Ferriby United striker, was introduced by Christian Fox's side and he nearly scored on his return to Grange Lane.

Jordan Douglas flapped at a cross that was then presented to Walker, but his effort from ten yards out was well blocked.

The equalizer came on seventy-seven minutes.

Josh Dale's effort was almost identical to that of Burton in the first half. He cut inside from the left and curled an effort into Douglas' far post from the edge of the Ferriby sixteen-yard-box.

Two minutes later the hosts nearly regained the lead.

A cross aimed at back-post from the right was headed down to Brough, but he shinned his half-volley from the penalty-spot at the keeper.

Sam Robinson was the man to get Ferriby's third however. His effort from point-blank was pawed at by goalkeeper Lawrie, who was unfortunate not to keep it out.

Two minutes from time, Selby struck back again though. A freekick from a crossing position on the left was met by the head of Josh Rogerson, who glanced it into Douglas' far post.

The final whistle then brought penalties. Josh Dale got the deciding penalty for the visitors, as they scored all five. Taylor's penalty was tame to the goalkeeper's left and that proved to be the difference for the Villagers.

It was a game of low quality but lots of goals- a game that either side could have won. But Ferriby will now look ahead to getting back to league football against Glasshoughton Welfare on Saturday.