The Ammers couldn’t overcome an early uphill task of a first-half two-goal deficit, losing 2-1 to Eccleshill United in the NCEL Premier on Saturday afternoon.
[Photo by Sean Chandler]
Niall Bent’s poked-finish inisde the box into an open-net forced a nervy final five minutes after Jack Crooks and Matthew Sykes had climbed Eccleshill into a two-goal advantage.
Fermin Fernandez made his full debut in midfield whilst Ousainey Juwara returned from injury to lead the line.
Juwara made acquaintance with the post inside four minutes of his return, his shot from just inside the box connected with the right-hand upright before rebounding to Spencer.
Spencer, out left, tried first-time but Wilczinski’s legs blocked the shot.
Ecclesshill responded as a cross from the left was set back by Louis Fialdini to Fernando Moke on the edge who’s shot was blocked by the Ammers defending crowd.
Juwara was involved again with a smart one-two with Fernandez, off his chest initially before turning and running beyond Eccleshill’s defence onto the return pass. The closing Wilczinski blocked the effort with his chest.
Matthew Sykes weaved his way through the Ammers crowded box, past several challenges before shooting over on 15 minutes.
TJ Kongolo halted Jonas Ndombasi’s threat down the right immediately with a perfectly timed sliding challenge, recovering possession to clear.
The opener saw the game tilt Eccleshill’s way on 25 minutes through Jack Crooks’ close-ranged finish following a throw-in.
The throw from the left was failed to be dealt with inside the Ammers’ box, Crooks smashing in from close-range.
Sykes’ later powerful shot from range was too close to Fabio Intumbo to threaten a second.
He was to win the second battle against the Ammers ‘keeper, doubling Eccleshill’s lead on 42 minutes.
Another throw-in from the same side was headed clear by Ammers but straight to Sykes who powered in from inside the box, leading the sides into half-time with a two-nil lead for the hosts.
Newton Conde’s cut inside led to him countering through the middle before passing further left to half-time substitute Sam Pickles.
The recipient’s first touch sets up a shot with his second, from 20-yards out, towards the near post, denied by Wilczinski’s legs.
The following counter involved Fernandez, Jordan Spencer and a one-two with Pickles down the left before Spencer’s cross was sliced behind for a goal kick.
Moke was in on-goal for Eccleshill down the right of the Ammers box, shooting straight into Intumbo’s hands.
Conde’s latest influence; a back-heeled flicked to return the ball ahead of Fernandez down the right but he couldn’t stop the ball being ran out behind by a covering Eccleshill defender.
Fernandez’s neat turn with his heel in midfield, to head to goal, led to a pass forward into Juwara down the right of Eccleshill’s box.
Forced back, the ball moved back to substitute Matty Hatch before finding Conde wide right who’s cross was merely chipped into the hosts’ ‘keeper.
An Ammers cross from the left into the box skims past Pickles all the way to Bent on the opposite wing inside the final quarter of an hour.
Shifting left and right, he created space for the cross but it landed on a defender’s head to clear.
Intumbo was needed to tip across goal, a cross from the right too close to the ‘keeper, his first test in the second-half with just over ten minutes remaining.
Eccleshill countered from Ammers’ own free-kick, Moke receiving a through-pass down the left, cutting inside and curling a right-footed shot to Intumbo’s near post, parried behind.
Ammers forced a nervy final five after Niall Bent’s poked finish into an open net meant just a one-goal deficit.
Bent’s own tenacity, sliding into a fifty-fifty with Wilczinski, led to a loose ball falling to Diamond-jnr who’s blocked shot returned the ball to Bent to finish from 6-yards out with the ‘keeper downed.
A consolation only, as it proved, revisiting the impact of the misses in the opening minutes.
A trip to Goole follows for Ammers in the NCEL Premier next Saturday.