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SUNDAY 21st SEPTEMBER 2008 HARRABY CATHOLIC CLUB U-18s 2-8 CARLISLE CITY A The venue for this game was Keenan Park and the surface was probably firmer than the current state of the Sheepmount pitches. However, the length of the grass was akin to an Amazonian jungle, and this made passing the ball particularly difficult. The City side had played just the one game so far, a fine 3-2 win at Wetheriggs, whereas the Harraby side had lost 9-0 last week, to Workington. City got off to a nightmare start when they were behind in the 2nd minute. A right wing free-kick could possibly have been claimed by keeper Mathison, but the Harraby player scored from close range. City fought their way back into the game, and were level in the 13th minute. It was a disaster for the Harraby keeper as Johnston’s leftwing cross slithered through his hands, and into the net. In the 20th minute, City were ahead 2-1 as Hall picked up the ball on the left-hand side of the box and calmly lobbed over the keeper. Johnston then shot over from 20 yards out before Hall missed a chance to extend City’s lead, when he was put clean through but shot wide. Mathison was called into action on 24 minutes when he had to dive to save a shot from the edge of the box. The City keeper then stopped a cross in unorthodox fashion, after 31 minutes, as the left-wing delivery rebounded painfully from his nose. Harraby should have equalised on 35 minutes as a sharp break down their right saw a good ball pulled back but the striker shot over the bar. The miss was to prove costly as City went 3-1 up in the 38th minute. Neat play in midfield saw the ball switched to the right, and an accurate cross was finished off by Hall, for his second goal. Three minutes later, Harraby were awarded a slightly fortunate penalty following an attempted tackle in the City area. Justice was possibly done as Mathison dived to his left to palm the penalty away. HALF-TIME- HARRABY 1-3 CITY Within 60 seconds of the re-start, City had scored again as a right-wing corner was headed in by Boguszynski. The game now proceeded in very much one-way fashion towards the Harraby goal. After 50 minutes, Johnston was just wide and then Hedley was unlucky to see his clever lob strike the bar. Swailes hit a fine 25-yard shot that the replacement Harraby keeper did well to save. The keeper was soon in action again as he tipped Hall’s shot for a corner. However, he was powerless to stop City’s fifth goal as Boguszynski lashed a fierce shot past him from 30 yards. After 62 minutes, a lovely touch in the box by Hall set up Johnston, but the keeper used his feet to save. In the 64th minute, Hall made it 6-1 and completed his hat-trick as he latched onto a throw-in from the City right, and scored easily. Johnston wasted a good chance for the seventh goal as he blazed over the bar.

Boguszynski was also itching for his hat-trick and another powerful free-kick poleaxed a Harraby defender, who had to leave the field. It was a credit to the Harraby side that they did not give up and Mathison had to save from close range after 72 minutes. However, three minutes later, it was 7-1 as Johnston ran clean through and hit the keeper with his shot, but scored from the rebound. After 78 minutes, it became 8-1 when Johnston’s right-wing cross was converted skilfully by substitute Nixon. The hunger was there for more goals and Innes should have made it nine, but he failed to convert Irving’s cross. Harraby at least had the consolation of scoring the last goal of the game as Mathison kicked poorly and a couple of quick passes allowed the Harraby striker to score. CITY- Mathison, Boguszynski, Gilsenan, Johnston, Hall, Innes, Swailes, Murphy, Atkinson, Green, Hedley. SUBS- Oliver, Irving, Nixon. REFEREE- Les Norden