South Bank (2006) 1 v HT Sports 3

HT Sports amazing run in the Sunday Cup continued in the Teesside sunshine, where they brushed aside the challenge of Stockton league outfit South Bank, to reach the semi-final, in their debut season in the competition.

HT signalled their attacking intent from the start and should have taken lead after only five minutes of play, when Chris Howarth found himself completely unmarked in the six yard box but to the relief of the home side, his free header hit the cross bar.

HT continued to take the game to their hosts and it came as a surprise when the referee awarded South Bank a penalty in the 17^th minute, for what looked a very debatable foul, on what was a rare foray near the HT goal.

South Bank hot shot Gerard Livingstone confidently dispatched the spot kick and maintained his record of scoring in every round, with his 10^th Sunday Cup goal of the season.

This goal very much came against the run of play but the momentum began to swing in favour of the home side, as lifted by their goal, they finally got in to the game, midway through the first half.

The second half began in similar fashion to the first, with HT enjoying greater possession and looking the more likely of the two sides to score.

HT did restore parity in the 22^nd minute, when a corner was partly cleared to defender Sam Hewitt, who thumped the ball home in to the roof of the net.

HT nearly had the lead three minutes later, only to be denied by a superb point blank save from Graham Willey, who was back in the South Bank goal, after suffering an unlikely injury on their coach trip to the West Midlands in the previous round!

Willey’s reflexes came to his side’s rescue again in the final minute, as he saved well to his left, when he pushed a goal bound shot around the post. This was the last incident of note during the 90 minutes, and the tie shortly entered extra time.

HT took the lead in the first period of extra time, when a free kick was turned in to his own goal by South Bank defender, Paul Griffiths.

A rare moment for me, as I actually capture a goal on film!

Gerard Livingstone thought he had equalised in the second period, only to see his effort disallowed for offside.

HT put the tie to rest with just three minutes on the clock, when Chris Howarth raced through from the half way line to finish well and secure his team a ‘home’ semi-final against one of the favourites to lift the title, 2011 champions Oyster Martyrs.

HT will no doubt be keen to eclipse their Leeds Combination league rivals Chapeltown Fforde Grene, who as Fforde Grene Brazil, played Oyster in the 2009 semi-final at Guiseley, only to lose by the odd goal in five.