Gorleston snatch and grab

Swaffham Town 0 Gorleston 1

Two teams eager to play competitive football entertained the moderate crowd braving the cold at Shoemakers Lane. This First Division knock out Cup Quarter Final, the first match either team had played since December 11th.
Early pressure from the Pedlars uneased the visitors, Will O'Brien and Jack Redhead combining well but efforts failing to achieve their desired result. The first clear Gorleston opportunity came in the nineteenth minute, the centre forward should done better, blasting a loose ball wide of Dean Mayes nearside post. Matthew Parkinsion and Dwayne Hockton standing firm in defence, some precision firm tackles stifling Gorleston efforts to break clear. At the close of the half, a driving run by Dwayne Hockton, whipped across the box narrowly missed by Aaron Clifford to run out for a goal kick.
Redhead and Clifford pressured from the restart, setting Joe Jackson but to see his shot narrowly going over the bar. A further break two minutes later caught Jackson just off-side. Gorleston gave a good as they got and Mayes was called into action, comfortably making necesary saves. In the 82nd minute, a ball into the box by left back Daren Hockton was sweetly met by Jackson on the volley, shaving the wrong side of the post. The give and take by both sides saw the tie surely going to extra time, when at 90 plus two minutes an innocuous cross was met by the Gorleston centre forward and connected perfectly to leave Mayes no chance. Ninety nine times out of one hundred, a strike like that one could have gone anywhere but luck was with the Gorleston forward and the goal was enough to seal the tie.
The Pedlars are at home this Saturday in the League, Cornard United the visitors, 3pm kick off.