This weekend, we only had one league game on as both Moorlands vs. Loko and Wray vs. Fulwood fell foul of the weather. However, Great Ecc vs. Quernmore was on, the weather didn’t affect the game – and what a game it was! An absolute humdinger of a game…
Great Ecc 4 – 3 Quernmore
Sean McCabe 8, Richard Booth 48, Houssem Dridi 60, Dennis Pulford 89 // Mustapha 23, Winder 32, Moffatt 85
Before the game, Great Ecc manager Rob Tomkins shared about the Tenerife airport disaster on March 27, 1977. He shared how a terrorist incident at Gran Canaria Airport had caused many flights to be diverted to Los Rodeos Airport, including the two aircraft involved in the accident. The airport quickly became congested with parked airplanes blocking the only taxiway and forcing departing aircraft to taxi on the runway instead. Patches of thick fog were drifting across the airfield, so that the aircraft and control tower were unable to see one another. This in turn led to a collision when the KLM airliner initiated its takeoff run while the Pan Am airliner, shrouded in fog, was still on the runway and about to turn off onto the taxiway. The impact and resulting fire killed everyone on board KLM 4805 and most of the occupants of Pan Am 1736, with only 61 survivors in the front section of the aircraft. He spoke of how none of the people on the flight would have been expecting that to happen and how it is the same for us – things will happen to us in our lives that we don’t expect. Nobody is expecting their lives to be cut short but tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Rob challenged everyone there to consider where they are at in their lives and whether they are a follower of Jesus, who know’s where they will spend eternity.
Moving into the game, Great Ecc started the brighter of the sides and only a few minutes into the game they found themselves ahead. Quernmore’s back line was caught out by an incisive through ball and Sean McCabe took it around keeper Smith to fire home for Great Ecc. A great start for them, but a very dissapointing one for Quernmore. However, as the game continued, Quernmore began to grow into the game and it became a real back and forth encounter between the two sides. Quernmore striker Mustapha was proving to be a real handful, with his strength and speed causing the Great Ecc backline real problems. That soon proved to be Quernmore’s way back into the game, as a counter attack from a Great Ecc corner led to Mustapha running at the two Great Ecc defenders, beating them before rounding the keeper to pop the ball in the Eccy net! 1-1. Both sides kept battling and it was a real intruiging game, to see who would come out on top. Great Ecc were uncharacteristically wasteful and weren’t converting many of the chances they would usually. This wastefulness was soon compounded, as, after a thunderbolt from Kaine Winder, a penalty was awarded as the ball was handled in the box as a player tried to get in the way of his shot. Winder stepped up to take the penalty and calmly dispatched it into the middle of the net to give Quernmore a 2-1 lead on the 32nd minute. Game on! Both sides kept battling and working hard to secure the next goal in the game, both sets of attackers causing real problems for the defenders, but neither team could find a way through for another goal and so it went to half time at 2-1 to Quernmore.
Moving into the second half, Quernmore were aware of the fact that they needed to keep strong for the first 5-10 minutes of the second half, to ensure that they didn’t allow Great Ecc an easy way back into the game. However, they gave away a free kick on the edge of the box, which was saved excellently by James Smith, only for Richard Booth to soon follow in and fire home to bring Great Ecc level. Bitterly disappointing for Quernmore, but it was now game on. Soon after, Great Ecc would have been even happier and Quernmore even more disappointed as Great Ecc scored the next goal of the game. Quernmore caught Great Ecc on the counter attack and had a great opportunity to take the lead once more but unfortunately they didn’t take the chance and put it wide instead. Soon after this, Houssem Dridi put Great Ecc ahead in the 60th minute firing home and making Quernmore pay. Both sides kept fighting to score the next goal, both defences holding out resolutely but both attacking forces looking to find a way through. As the game drew to an exciting close, Quernmore began throwing all the could at Great Ecc, whilst Great Ecc were beginning to sit back, trying to soak up the pressure. Quernmore won a corner, which was cleared away, leading to a throw in. Quernmore’s very own Rory Delap – Kaine Winder, launched the ball into the box and it fell to defender Dave Moffatt, who fired home for Quernmore to send the watching supporters into hysterics. Quernmore had done it, 3-3! However, there was to be more drama in the game, in the final few moments! Great Ecc played the ball forward and it was played into the box, into the path of Dennis Pulford, who fired the ball underneath keeper Smith to win it for Great Ecc. Absolute hearbreak again at the end of Quernmore, succumbing to a last minute winner again, for the second week running.
This weekend, there are a number of good games scheduled, with Great Ecc facing Wray in what promises to be another great battle, Loko facing Quernmore and Fulwood facing Moorlands. Roll on Saturday Football!!
