Wear United Yellows started a new season with the majority of the squad retained from last season. Olly Turton and Riley Buglas had gone onto pastures new both within and without the club but we had a league debut for Leon Kader who has joined the team over the summer.
It was familiar opposition too as the lads took on Crook Town a team that always give the lads a tough game. It was to prove the same again today. Crook went into a two goal lead in the opening half an hour. Both through some sloppy defending but good play too, especially the second which was a towering header from a corner.
The Yellows hadn't been out of the game themselves and after having created some half chances and forced a couple of good saves from the Crook Keeper it was down to Ryan Smith to show some determination and win the ball before moving forward and striking a great shot into the top of the net to make it 1-2 at half-time.
The second half was a really good game of football. Wear created a number of chances. Sam had a shot saved which fell to Leon whose follow up was saved. Oscar and Leon pressured the defence and created their own chances that unfortunately went wide. Crook punished the lads for this with another goal after they reacted first to a free-kick that ended up in the box due in part again to some sloppy defending.
The Yellows didn't give up and shortly afterwards Sam pulled a goal back with a shot from outside the box. This was followed up in the last 10 minutes with Ryan hitting the bar, the ball hitting the keeper on the back of the head and somehow stayed out. In the last minute Wear had a free-kick from Sam headed off the line to deny them what would have been a deserved equaliser.
All in all it was a good game and a good performance from the lads. Sean was given Star Player by the opposition but there were also other good perfromances from Sam, Ryan and Mason in particular.