22/02/2003
Tyneside Amateur League Division 2

IJLW Brazil
Andrew, Davison, Churchley, Kennedy, Charge, Hinks, M McClure, P Clark, Haigh, Paterson, Harrison.

Saints, unbeaten all season and hot favourites for promotion, kept Brazil pushed back deep in their own half in the early stages. Despite the pressure, Brazil held firm at the back and Saints were struggling to get any clear shooting opportunities. After 15 minutes, Brazil broke away. A slick passing move involving Paul Clark, Mike McClure and Ewan Paterson resulted in a through ball by Clark. Saints’ keeper ran out to clear but, under pressure from Mark Harrison, he completely missed the ball. Harrison followed it up to tap into the empty net. Saints continued to dominate possession and brought a good save out Al Andrew. Anand Charge followed up quicker than the forwards and managed to clear. On the half-hour mark, McClure played a through ball for Harrison to chase. The keeper got there first but Harrison slid in, using his lankiness to his advantage, and dislodged the ball from his hands. For the second time in the match, Harrison tapped the ball into an empty net. Five minutes later, Saints’ keeper redeemed himself slightly as he made a good save from McClure’s free kick. Some good defending by Brazil, including Dave Churchley charging down a shot from 12 yards, kept the score at 2-0 to the home side at the interval.

The pattern of the game continued as the second half got underway. Saints were constantly putting Brazil’s back-line under pressure but Brazil’s defenders were playing well with both Churchley and Mark Kennedy dominant in the air. Just as it appeared that Brazil might pull off an unlikely upset, disaster struck. A low cross, too close to the goal to be of any real danger, somehow squirmed under the keeper to present Saints’ striker with the easiest tap in of the game. Saints continued to create chances. A shot came back off the post and Churchley beat the striker to the ball to clear. Andrew, diving to his left, made an excellent save. From here Saints expected to complete their comeback but Brazil rallied and managed to regain their two-goal advantage. Harrison was sent clear, finally beating the offside trap, but just before he was allowed to complete his hat trick he was hacked down viciously from behind. McClure calmly slotted home the penalty but the offending defender somehow managed to remain on the pitch.

This was probably the turning point of the match. Had Saints been down to ten men Brazil would surely have been able to hang on to their lead for the last half-hour. As it was, it still took a severe error for Saints to be able to reduce the deficit. This time it was the referee’s mistake. Saints’ left winger was shepherded towards the goal line and the ball was clearly a foot over before he put the cross in. A couple of the Brazil players were also at fault for stopping before the whistle which gifted Saints their second easy tap in. The equaliser was a well worked goal – the type you would expect from a side full of confidence at the top of the league. Brazil then had a couple of half chances to retake the lead. Harrison and Paterson both sliced their shots well wide of the target though. With ten minutes remaining, Saints took the lead for the first time and again it was a freak goal. An inswinging corner swung more than expected and dropped into the goal between the keeper and the defender on the back post. Clark came close to snatching a point for Brazil but his opportunist stab from the edge of the box was just wide. Just to rub salt into Brazil’s wounds, Saints scored another tap in when their captain lost his marker at a corner in injury time.

Jon Hinks made probably his last ever appearance for Brazil, as he is leaving Newcastle, and Andrew was man of the match.