Fr: North Ferriby 5-1 Albion Sports

North Ferriby ended their pre-season campaign with a superb 5-1 home win over Northern Counties East League Premier Division side Albion Sports. The sides were level at 1-1 at half-time before the Villagers stepped on the accelerator to put in a great second-half performance. 

Manager Chris Bolder was again please with his side’s performance but will be looking for further improvement in the coming weeks when he said: “It was really pleasing to finish our pre-season campaign with a win in which we scored some good goals. 

“Some of our play was exceptional and some of our play was less so at times. We spoke at half-time about the intensity and a change of pace when we are in possession as we were a little pedestrian at times. Apart from the first couple of minutes of that second-half, I think we performed really well.”  

The Villagers started the brighter of the two sides and after five minutes Matty Plummer won a header on the halfway line which found Danny East. He played an excellent ball to Liam Nelthorpe on the right-hand side and the right back’s cross into the box saw Tom Corner who found  Jamie Forrester on the edge of the area but his shot went over the Albion goal.  

Forrester was in the action again a couple of moments later when he shot just wide of the goal after good build-up play by Ferriby. Levi Tarbotton had played a great ball over the top in the direction of Danny East who got in behind and put a good cross into the box. 

Ferriby continued to dominate the game but were reminded of Albion’s presence when a corner from the visitors found Graham Hall whose header was saved by Lewis Exall and Ferriby cleared the danger.  

On 25 minutes the Villagers were rewarded for all their early dominance when Tarbotton but Ferriby 1-0 up. A free-kick from Jamie Forrester found the centre back but whose effort was blocked. The ball landed back at his feet but again his shot was blocked before he finally found the net. Tom Corner had a chance but was well defended only for Tarbotton to fire home from close range and out of reach of Albion keeper George Clarke.  

The visitors were level on the 40-minute mark after a shout from Ferriby keeper Lewis Exall for Ben Leyland to leave the ball. Exall couldn’t get there and in doing so clipped Robbie Fox inside the area. Up stepped Jamal Stewart and sent Exall the wrong way to level the score at 1-1 going into the half-time break.  

The second half burst into life and the visitors were nearly ahead a minute in. Albion intercepted a Tom Corner pass and broke away as Jamal Stewart led the attack and beat Levi Tarbotton in a foot race. He then passed the ball to Finn Donavan inside the area, but his shot went wide of the mark when he really should have scored.  

It was the Villagers who were ahead just two minutes later. A mix up at the back from Albion between Graham Hall and George Clarke allowed Danny East to quickly nip in and put the ball in the Albion goal from a tight angle. The Villagers really were in the ascendancy from this moment on. Jamie Forrester had a free-kick saved by the visiting keeper which resulted in a corner.  

Ferriby continued to have plenty of possession and control the game and after 76 minutes the ball was in the net again. A Ferriby Trialist put a great ball into the box from the right-hand side and there was Joe McFadyen who met the ball and placed it expertly past George Clarke and the scorer was at it again two minutes later.  

Again it was a trialist assist McFadyen was at it again two minutes later as a ball over the top saw the trialist square his pass to the striker and who slotted the ball home. On the 90th minute mark, the Villagers made it five as Harry Fenton, who celebrated signing for the club this week after his trials, put the ball in the net to round up a brilliant afternoon for the Villagers.  

The Villagers will take plenty of positives from this performance. Jamie Forrester was excellent from the Villagers and played plenty of dangerous balls from deep. The defence was strong today as well and dealt with the pace upfront of Albion Sports. The Villagers will travel to Shirebrook Town next week to start their NCEL Division 1 campaign.  

Report by: Ash Walker at the Dransfield Stadium (northferribyfc.co.uk)

North Ferriby FC: Exall, Nelthorpe, Leyland (Jurkstis), Tarbotton, Plummer (Tilsley), Shortland, Emerton, Kirk (Rogerson), Forrester (Fenton), East (McFadyen), Corner (Trialist). 

Albion Sports: Clarke, Brown, Clay (Hakkinen), Suddards (Tektas), Hall, Gordon (Kendall), Fox, Tiani (Agu), Stewart, Abioye (Fernandez), Donavan.