Posted by Sam on Apr 13, 2012 in Match Reports | 0 comments
Hill’s Cup run continued this Thursday night when they hosted Horton in the Semi-Finals. Horton, who were table toppers for the first 8 weeks of the season, had lost 4-2 and 4-1 to Crosshills this season and were looking for a result to lift their ailing season. Manager Paul Harrison was forced to shuffle his pack, with Jenkins coming into midfield for the cup-tied McDonald and T Duncan and O Peacock on the bench.
After a large amount of heavy rain, the surface was skiddy and it meant some hard challenges going in – Harry Tosney setting the tone with a huge tackle early on. The referee was excellent in playing as much advantage as possible and the home team benefited from this throughout.
After a sluggish start, it was the away side who took the lead. Hills failed to deal with a corner and the resulting goalmouth scramble saw Ryan Horsman curl the ball through a crowd of players for the lead. This spurred the home team on and what followed was one of the best spells of football seen at Crosshills this season.
The outstanding duo of Luke Wilson and Billy Skelton (chief tormentors of Addingham in the Quarter Finals) were devastating at times, pulling the Horton defence all over and this was backed up by another virtuoso performance from Captain Harry Peacock, who turned back the clock with an outstanding centre forward display.
Hills got the equalising goal minutes after going a goal down. A move started by the commanding Hall, saw Luke Wilson steal a march out wide and fire in a cross that Skelton couldn’t quite reach. However in typical fashion, H Peacock was able to sneak in at the back post unnoticed and power the home team level.
Horton, who were yet again playing an outfield player in goals, were unable to stop the reds attacks and it was 2-0 shortly after. A long freekick from C Smith was inexplicably fumbled in by the stand in keeper and the ball somehow ended up in the back of the net.
With the away side shell-shocked, Hills pressed home and were soon 3-1 up. A move that started right at the back and was touched by nearly every Hills player saw the ball yet again find Luke Wilson out wide. His pace and trickery was too much and when he got to the byline, his cross was met by the unlucky Horton Captain Scott Johnson and his header beat the desperate stand in keeper.
Fullbacks Lockyer and the superb Tosney were giving the home side the edge going forward, constantly providing the overlap and the midfield was being controlled by Jenkins, Hall and Matthews. There was also yet another tremendous defensive display from both L Newton and C Smith. Despite more Hills pressure, the half ended 3-1 with the game far from finished.
Following a rousing teamtalk, the home side came out in search of the killer fourth goal and also expecting the away team to come out guns blazing. With the midfield battle going Crosshills’ way, Horton opted for a more direct approach and C Smith and Newton had to be at their best to snuff out any long ball attacks. Keeper S Smith was on hand if any attacks got through and barring a couple of defence’s lapses towards the end, was largely untroubled.
Another period of home team pressure followed and barring a long range Jenkins freekick, it wasn’t until the 70th minute that Hills were in a genuine goalscoring position.
Skelton, Matthews and Wilson combined and a tired challenge on Skelton gave the ref no option but to point to the spot. Unusually H Peacock hit the crossbar but minutes later the tie was over, when the tireless Skelton fired home from close range following a goalmouth scramble.
Harry Tosney finally got an MOM award after yet another excellent display at left back, but there were tremendous performances from L Newton, C Smith and E Jenkins. Rob Matthews was also superb and Skelton and Wilson put in the type of performance to give watching First Team Manager Greene food for thought.
Team: S Smith; W Lockyer (T Duncan), C Smith, L Newton, H Tosney (R Osadzenko); E Jenkins, C Hall (O Peacock), R Matthews; B Skelton, H Peacock (Capt), L Wilson.
The final against Pendle, will be played on Tuesday May 1st with the ground to be confirmed.
Picture care of Keighley Kicks – for a full photo gallery of the game, please see http://www.keighleykicks.co.uk/2012/04/12/cup-final-double-for-crosshills/
Posted by Sam on Apr 11, 2012 in Latest News | 0 comments
Meet at the Ground for 5:15 – please let Paul know if you’re going to be late
S Smith
W Lockyer
L Newton
C Smith
H Tosney
E Jenkins
C Hall
R Matthews
B Skelton
L Wilson
H Peacock
O Peacock
T Duncan
R Osadzenko
Posted by Sam on Apr 10, 2012 in Match Reports | 0 comments
After what seemed like endless run of away games, Hills finally had a home game, this time against the team they beat in the Quarter-Finals of the League Cup on Thursday in Addingham. Manager Harrison was forced into a few changes; with McDonald replacing Jenkins in midfield and Lockyer returning at right back for O Peacock. T Duncan was recalled to the first team in the only other change.
With their opponents only just arriving in time for kick off, Hills looked to set the pace of the game, immediately utilising the conditions and playing some excellent football. Skelton was looking extremely sharp and the tricky Wilson was a thorn in the side of the defence all day.
After an extended period of Hills pressure, it was the away side who contributed to their own downfall. A defensive lapse in concentration gave Skelton the chance to sneak in unnoticed and casually slot in for 1-0. The home side continued to press and found themselves 2-0 shortly after. A through ball by Hall was seized upon by Wilson and his long range effort deceived the keeper and somehow found its way in for 2-0.
The home side rarely looked troubled in the opening period and with Newton and C Smith outstanding yet again, S Smith saw little action barring a flurry of corners. There was one genuine opportunity, a swerving long range effort could only be parried by Smith and the onrushing midfielder was left with a simple tap in, only for Smith to recover and make an outstanding save to keep Hills two up.
Despite the away side slowly starting to come into the game, Peacock, Skelton and Wilson were causing all sorts of problems up top. Hall and McDonald were dominating the midfield and this gave Matthews chance to play more freely and he looked threatening throughout.
The half time whistle came and Manager Harrison was quick to point out how sloppy Hills play had become and that the away side were starting to pick up.
Roared on by good home support, Hills started the second half positively and looked to get the elusive third goal. Skelton and Wilson were immediately on the attack as the home side looked to turn the screw. Fullbacks Lockyer and Tosney were very impressive in both attack and defence and gave the reds a platform to push on.
The first period of the second half was more of a scrap as the away team looked to shut down the flowing football of reds. Chances were few and far between and it took an outstanding piece of football by the home team to get the third goal. A superb flowing move saw Hills pass the ball from back to front, the move culminating with a superb diving header from Peacock following a splendid solo run from the tremendous Wilson.
With time running out, Osadzenko was sent on for Lockyer, who was outstanding in spite of returning from America the day before. There was time, however for the away side to strike. A harmless ball down the line turned into a spot kick after Newton mistimed a tackle. The resulting penalty was smashed into the side netting to deprive Hills of another clean sheet and this is how the scoreline finished.
Peacock was MOM for the second game running after another trademark centre-forward display but C Smith, Wilson and Tosney could all have had shouts after superb performances. This result takes Hills 4 points clear of Ingrow (who didn’t have a game) and onto the periphery of promotion to Division Three.
Hills face Horton next on Thursday in the Semi-Finals of the League Cup at home. Kick off is at 6pm and all support is welcome.
Team: S Smith; Lockyer (Osadzenko), Newton, C Smith, Tosney; Hall, McDonald, Matthews; Peacock (Capt), Wilson, Skelton.
Posted by Sam on Apr 5, 2012 in Latest News | 0 comments
Meet at the Bull for 12:30 or let Gaz know otherwise
L Knox
S Newton
T McCann
T Duncan
S Parkin
S Throupe
Luke Newton
S Brown
A North
B Dewhirst
W Storrie
S Greene
E Jenkins
Posted by Sam on Apr 4, 2012 in Match Reports | 0 comments
After a week of lovely sunshine, Hills travelled to Addingham on a horrible cold, wet, snowy evening for a crucial League Cup Quarter-Final. Due to players being cup-tied Manager Harrison was forced to shuffle his pack; with Lee Newton partnering the returning C Smith at centre back, O Peacock coming in for Lockyer at right back and Jenkins returning in midfield. T Duncan also returned to the bench. Hills were still without Stephenson and Kildunne who have both being ruled put for the season.
Despite the weather being absolutely awful, Hills were immediately on the front foot and attacking the home side from all angles. Captain Harry Peacock (who produced a vintage centre-forward display) was the focal point and his movement helped lay the platform for Matthews and Skelton to harass the Addingham back line from out wide.
It was the home side however, that took the lead against the run of play. A long through ball out wide found its way to the winger, who’s pinpoint cross found an unmarked runner and he headed superbly in off the far post for 1-0. This immediately spurred Hills into life and it wasn’t long before they were level. The excellent Skelton managed to work himself a yard of space and he fired low past the keeper for the equaliser.
Eddie Jenkins, making his first start in nearly 12 months, got a hold of the midfield straight away and linked up well with Hall and Wilson in the middle. Tosney and Peacock were looking very composed in the fullback slots and centre backs Newton and C Smith were magnificent throughout and gave S Smith very little to do for most of the game.
The second goal arrived shortly after and it was Skelton again with it. A long kick from S Smith was flicked on by H Peacock and Skelton managed to power through two defenders and coolly slot home from 12 yards out. Hills quickly went 3-1 up when another good passing move gave Luke Wilson a bit of space. The youngster then dropped his shoulder, glided into the penalty area and coolly dinked the ball past the keeper into the bottom corner.
With the away side in the ascendency, a fourth was sure to follow and it came via the left foot of Rob Matthews. A crude challenge out wide on Wilson gave Hills a free kick and Matthews shot come cross flew into the far top corner for a three goal lead. The half time whistle was greeted by both players and supporters alike as they headed into the changing rooms and pavilion for some shelter from the Baltic conditions.
With the players slightly warmer, Hills went out for the second half and tried to close the game out. Despite playing into the wind, they were roared on by their large following who had packed out the steps and sheltered area of the pavilion.
Todd Duncan was introduced for O Peacock as Hills went in search of the killer fifth goal and the first spell in the second half was more of a territorial battle than the flowing football fest from the first half. Big tackles were coming in from both teams and the Addingham skipper was certainly in the wars, repeatedly taking body and head shots from Jenkins’ various miscued and shanked attempted long balls.
With the wind and snow making conditions very difficult, Hills got the goal they were looking for. A superb long ball by Jenkins was perfectly controlled by Matthews and he smashed the ball into the keepers near post from a tight angle to make it 5-1. The bullish Osadzenko was then introduced for Skelton, with Duncan being pushed forward into midfield to tighten things up.
The last 15 minutes were a contrast to the rest of the game as the plucky home side (aided by the wind) poured forward and put plenty of pressure on the Hills back line. Hall, Jenkins and Duncan were pushed deeper and S Smith was called upon a few times to keep the score at 5-1. The back four looked to be holding strong but the pressure finally told when the home side were awarded a penalty. Keeper Smith made an outstanding full stretch save to keep out a cross come shot from the wide man and when the ball landed, Newton and Duncan were adjudged to have fouled the onrushing striker, who dusted himself off and coolly slotted away the penalty.
The game finally finished 5-2 and Hills ran out deserved winners, but credit must go to a home side that didn’t stop battling til the end. Harry Peacock was MOM but there were some excellent performances, notably from Lee Newton, Chris Smith and Harry Tosney, with Eddie Jenkins also looking sharp, if not a little jaded towards the end.
This result sees Hills face a resurgent Horton side on next Thursday night (the 12th) at home in the Semi Final. The other semi sees Skipton Town (who beat Sutton 2-1 last night) face Pendle, who beat Ingrow on penalties at the weekend. This Saturday sees Hills face Addingham again at home in the league.
Team: S Smith; O Peacock (T Duncan), C Smith, L Newton, H Tosney; C Hall, E Jenkins, L Wilson; R Matthews, H Peacock (capt), B Skelton (R Osadzenko)
Posted by Sam on Apr 3, 2012 in Latest News | 0 comments
Meet at the Bull for 5pm or at Addingham for 5:30pm. Please let Paul know if you’re going to be late.
S Smith
T Duncan
C Smith
L Newton
O Peacock
H Tosney
C Hall
R Matthews
L Wilson
H Peacock
B Skelton
E Jenkins
R Osadzenko
Posted by Sam on Apr 3, 2012 in Match Reports | 0 comments
Cross Hills welcomed Chatburn to Sutton Fields on another sunny Saturday afternoon, with both sides hoping to gain ground on top-of-the-table Trawden Celtic in the race for the Division 1 title.
Gary Greene found himself with a team selection headache with the loss of several squad members through ‘stag weekend’ duties, so it was a welcome return between the sticks for Adam Greenwood for his first league game of the season.
Both sides were quick out of the traps initially but it was the South Craven side that had the lion’s share of opportunities in the first period, going close on several occasions. Oliver Peacock, Tom McCann and stand-in left-back Stephen Throup kept the Lancashire side at bay with Greenwood commanding his area superbly and not being troubled unduly in the first 45 minutes. The away side were also hampered by the loss of their centre-forward with a nasty-looking hand injury midway through the half and went in at half-time lucky not to see the game slip out of their grasp.
The second half started with the away side now in command and they too were unlucky not to be several goals to the good, only last gasp blockages and fingertip saves keeping them from adding to the score sheet. Meanwhile at the other end, Steve Brown saw a looping header cleared off the line, Throup had a blistering shot tipped over the bar by the Chatburn ‘keeper whilst another goalmouth scramble saw the ball cannon off the crossbar.
In the dying minutes with the visitors visibly tiring, the home side were awarded a free-kick just outside the box. The resultant effort evaded a trio of outstretched Cross Hills legs to go agonisingly out for a goal kick. In the event the match petered out in a scoreless draw and the home side may find themselves rueing the lost chances at the season’s end.
Cross Hills are away at Chatburn in the reverse fixture this weekend with the Reserves at
home to Addingham FC.
Report kindly provided by Steve Birch
Posted by Sam on Mar 27, 2012 in Match Reports | 0 comments
With various players unavailable, Hills travelled to face a tough Pendle side who were at one point challenging for the title. Manager Harrison was able to call upon two returning first team defenders in Steven Throup and Lee Newton as well as the returning Rob Matthews. With McDonald unable to start and C Smith out injured, Hills changed to a 3-4-3 with the solid Osadzenko coming into the starting 11. Tosney and Lockyer moved into midfield in the only other changes.
On a hot day and a very unforgiving surface, Hills got the ball down and were trying to play some good football. Wilson and Skelton were a threat all day with their pace and movement and they had the perfect foil in the Peacock, who was in a bullish mood from the off, dropping deep and creating acres of space on plenty of occasions.
Harry Tosney was acclimatising well to his new role in the midfield and in combination with Hall, Hills looked to take hold of the game and play their football. Chances came and went for the away side but the luck seemed to be against them as they pushed for the opener. Matthews and Peacock both missed the target in good positions and it started to look like another one of those days in front of goal.
The new back three of Newton, Throup and Osadzenko held firm and barring a freekick from a very rash, late tackle by Throup, Smith was untested during the opening half.
The second half started with Hills looking the brighter side but the home team started to cause some problems. Direct play from their two big front men started to bear fruit and Newton and Osadzenko were often stretched and pulled out of position.
After another spell of Hills pressure, the home side took the lead. A miscommunication left the striker in space down the flank and he cut in from the byline and knocked a simple cross to the back post for the striker to nod in from close range. Immediately from the kick off, Hills nearly went 2-0 down but with only Smith to beat, the striker fired wide.
This spurred Hills on and they started to put more pressure on the opposition goal. Throup moved into midfield and started to dictate the pace of the game and his long throws were causing all sorts of havoc in the Pendle goal. Peacock then sent one of his trademark piledrivers crashing into the frame of the goal and it really looked that Hills would fail to score for the second game in a row.
McDonald was introduced in a familiar left midfield role and with Skelton and Peacock pressurising, the away side got the equaliser. The unusually quiet Matthews whipped in a corner and Throup towered above the defenders and sent his header goalwards. With the defender on the post and the keeper behind him, they somehow managed to both leave the ball and it bounced across the goal line leaving them both red faced.
Hills continued to press and were left to thank Smith for a couple of good saves one-on-one towards the end. Despite constant pressure, Hills were unable to get the second goal and the game finished 1-1.
Stephen Throup was MOM on his return from injury but there was another excellent performance from Tosney, whilst Newton looked sharp after a spell out.
With Ingrow having an early kick off against Addingham, Hills new that this week they could be playing catch up with their title rivals. With Ingrow winning, it meant they drew level on points with Hills but having thumped their opponents 8-3, it put them top on goal difference. Hills however, reclaimed top spot with this result.
Hills have no game this Saturday but travel to Addingham on Tuesday night in the League Cup. Four league games in a row are up next for Crosshills in a run which will decide the title race.
Team: S Smith; Osadzenko, Throup, Lee Newton; Lockyer, Tosney, Hall, Matthews, Wilson (McDonald), Peacock, Skelton (Jackson)
Posted by Sam on Mar 23, 2012 in Latest News | 0 comments
Meet at the Bull for 12:45pm, game to be played at SoughPark. Let Paul know if you’re going straight there.
S Smith
W Lockyer
S Throup
Lee Newton
H Tosney
C Hall
R Matthews
E Evans
H Peacock (capt)
L Wilson
B Skelton
R Osdazenko
J Jackson
S Wood
Posted by Sam on Mar 23, 2012 in Latest News | 0 comments
Meet at the ground for 1pm
L Knox
T Duncan
S Newton
O Peacock
T McCain
S Parkin
S Brown
W Storrie
B Dewhirst
A North
S Greene
Luke Newton
E Jenkins
G Greene
