04/12/2004
Northumberland FA Minor Cup 3rd Round

IJLW Brazil
Wilkinson, Walker, Churchley, Kennedy, Paterson, Creighton, Stephenson,
Mitchell, Haigh, Bull, Katirai.

Brazil started off very much as second favourites with Wallsend
currently lying mid-table three divisions above their hosts. With
numerous players missing, Brazil started with just three defenders but,
almost immediately reverted to their more usual 4-4-2 when it became
apparent that it wasn’t going to work. The visitors completely dominated
possession but found it difficult to break down Brazil’s
hard-working defence. Their only good chance of the first half came when
the striker lost his marker to get his head on a cross from the right
wing. Everyone thought that Wallsend had taken the lead but Lee
Wilkinson had other ideas. Diving to his right, he pulled off a
phenomenal save, at the expense of a corner.

Just before half time, the deadlock was broken. Brazil’s chances were
few and far between but, thanks to the pressure that Matty Bull and
James Katirai had put on the Wallsend defenders, they had won a few
corners. It was a corner that led to the goal. Ewan Paterson’s excellent
cross evaded the keeper as he came for it and a defender near the back
post volleyed the ball into the top corner of his own net. Shaun Haigh,
who was pressurising the defender at the time, claimed the goal.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first except now it was
harder for Brazil to relieve the pressure on their defence as they were
playing uphill into the wind. Some great defensive blocks, tackles and
interceptions by Bryan Walker, Dave Churchley and Mark Kennedy helped
man of the match Wilkinson to keep Wallsend at bay, but they eventually
found an equalizer with a quarter of an hour remaining. Just as it looked
like the match would go into extra time, disaster struck. A clumsy,
clumsy challenge knocked over a Wallsend player in the box leaving the
referee with no alternative but to award a penalty. It was expertly
tucked away into the bottom corner, postponing Brazil’s dreams of the
fourth round for another year.