Saturday 15th May.
Wideopen & District 1 (Booth)
Swalwell 2
Last game of the season and yet again a lack of numbers for the hosts, with only one substitute ( a 45 year old ).
Instructions to the starting eleven were to go out and enjoy the game and don’t get injured as the sub does not look keen today.
Well Wideopen had the best of the early exchanges with Sword using his pace to good effect and Walker doing his own thing. Jubb was closing the visitors defence a usual and Rowe and Booth were making good use of the ball.
The defence of Wideopen was not really troubled so things were fairly quiet for Hay, Lister and Curran.
But disaster struck twenty minutes in when Sword making one of his burst down the wing went over on his ankle in a challenge. Oh no that’s it here comes the sub, too old for this game (as most of the opposition are twenty years younger) and carrying more weight that Boothy’s wallet (are these tops base layer ones). Instruction from Boss Booth. . . . up front.
Wideopen pressed for the opener and created some good opportunities, but efforts were put wide (including the left foot swinger from Boughen). But the opening goal came from an unlikely source, the knee of the managers son after a good cross came in.
Wideopen pressed again and again but could not get the next goal, it was left to the visitors who claimed that and also the next goal after that one from a dubious penalty where the striker got marked a 5.9.
Wideopen’s mini run came to an end and so has the season, with failure to maintain the eight game unbeaten run at the start of the season to the how many we got today situation, Wideopen will find themselves still in division two next season.
Saturday 8th May
Wideopen & District 4 (Jubb 2, Heatley, Walker)
Willington Quay Saints 3
Wideopen came in to this game knowing that they will still be in division two next season and be a candidate for promotion .
The host started the game well and passed and moved carving open the visitors defence at will, but yet again the finish was what was lacking. Until that is, Jubb opened up the scoring to take his tally to twenty one for the season, although he did try his best to fluff it by taking too many touches to get around the defender and goalkeeper before slotting home.
A second soon followed and looked almost an identical scenario to the first, but this time it was Heatley who showed calmness infront of goal.
Willington came back with two goals of their own and it looked like Wideopen would not get all three points. But hey went back infront, this time it was Walker with a sweetly taken volley from twenty yards, his shot went over the keeper and in to the net.
Then it was Jubb again putting Wideopen two goals ahead with his twenty second goal of the season, but Willington came back again and reduced the deficit to one goal and it was panic for the last five minutes of the game.
Wideopen held on to take all three points and now with only one game remaining they could maybe finish the season on a little run of good form.
Wednesday 5th May.
Wideopen & District 0
Amble 0
Wideopen again were a depleted force for this game and the visitors were at full strength as they were still in with a chance of promotion.
Wideopen started the better of the two sides and played some decent football at times, e visitors could not get at the hosts goal and the league top goal scorer was kept very quiet.
It was Wideopen who had the best chances with efforts at goal that looked certain to go in, but three times Ambles defence cleared the ball off the line.
Wideopen deserved something from this game and can count themselves unlucky not to have taken all three points. Especially when you look at the performance the players put in and the poise and prowess from the Jan Molby lookalike in the midfield who was stroking the ball around rolling back the years.
Wednesday 24th April
Stobswood Welfare 8
Wideopen & District FC 0
A nice midweek game up at Stobswood, a 6.15 kick off and only 9 players and that included two players carrying injuries and the Ass manager. This was not going to be an easy or enjoyable night.
Stobswood were almost at full strength, and were on a good run of results that has seen them reach a cup final and put them in a strong position for promotion.
Wideopen were trying to make a game of it from the start Hay and Potter at the back being worked hard, but they were holding firm. The midfield of Rowe, Heatley and Spratt were trying to close down and break up play. Aso was upfront on his own, and Boughen (Ass manager) was sort of coping at right fullback.
But the game was Stobswood’s to drop points from and the likely hood of that was slim, by half-time they were five goals to the good . Wideopen were trying and all eight outfield players put everything in to it. After half time reinforcements arrived and Wideopen had eleven players, a bit too late to get something out of the game but a chance to show what might have been.
Wideopen now with a full complement of players started to pass and play, they also created chances but were somewhat unfortunate that they did not get on the score sheet. Ord now playing left wing (a change from centrehalf) had a couple of chances, Potter played through the pain barrier ( yes that old chestnut from Potter) was driving forward and Heatley and Rowe were just about everywhere the ball was.
But the players that started the game were flat out on their feet and Stobswood took advantage, scoring three goals in the second half.
The players who started this game and made the effort to get up to the game for the kick off deserve a lot of praise for their commitment to be there and their efforts they put into the game. The Stobswood players and management team past remark on the Wideopen players desire to make something of the game and to keep going until the end.
Saturday 24th April.
Whitley Bay Town 1
Wideopen & District FC 2 (Sword, Ord)
Whitley Bay may be bottom of the league but their pitch is a great leveller as it is rutted and rock hard, no grass in the middle and long grass in the corners.
Wideopen started brightly with Sword making life a misery for the left full back who had to resort to fouling to slow him down. Rowe and Heatley were working hard in the centre but they were also fighting the pitch as you could not run with the ball.
The opening goal came from the wing and it was Sword who scored with a cross come shot that the defender tried to keep out but failed to do so (well we gave it Sword as it was on target). Wideopen should have extended their lead but Jubb put his header just wide, as he also collided wth the back post. Chance after chance came and went but Wideopen could not increase their lead, until the ball was crossed from a corner to the front post and Ord stooped to head the ball home.
Wideopen pushed on in the second half and created more chances but they were not converted, Heatley let a one on one with the keeper go by, Jubb put a header over the bar from six yards when it seemed easier to score and Curran blazed a header over. Whitley Bay to their credit kept trying and were rewarded late on with a goal, this caused some panic in the Wideopen ranks for the remainder of the game. Were the missed chances going to haunt them, well they hung on and only just, Whitley Bay hit the bar in the dying minutes. Wideopen survived to take all three points.
