High Fives for the Reds as Ellor Grabs Four

Another 4 goals for Steve Ellor and one from Grant Hill saw United bag another 5 as United beat Maltby Main Reserves 5-1.

United faced near neighbours Maltby Main Reserves in the first of a double header with the two sides meeting again next week in the return fixture at Maltby. On a cold afternoon the Reds were quickly on the front foot, on 4 minutes a quick thrown in from Grant Hill found Steve Ellor and he saw his lobbed shot hit the bar and rebound to safety. That reprieve for the visitors didn't last long as United had the lead 60 seconds later, Paul Mills blocked an attempted clearance out on the left, he passed to Paul Hemmingway who then sprayed a cross field pass to Steve Ellor who turned inside the left full back before stroking the ball past keeper Lewis Balazs to give the home side a 1-0 lead. Two minutes later United double their advantage and again it was Hemmingway turning provider for strike partner Ellor to double his personal tally. Ashley Cantrill surged forward, found space before feeding the ball to Hemmingway, Hemmingway then found Ellor and the United man made no mistake to give the Reds a 2-0 lead. The visitors had hardly been in the United half during the early stages of the game but they pulled a goal back on 12 minutes, Ricky Tate lofted a ball over the Reds defence to team mate Joe Glover, with the referee over ruling the shouts for offside Glover raced to goal and slipped the ball under the advancing Reds keeper Ben Priestley to reduce the arrears to 2-1.

United suffered a bit of a wobble for 10 minutes after this, Tom Salt got a shot away after robbing the ball off Tom Harrison and long range shots came in from Tate and Ricky Thomas though neither troubled Priestley too much. Paul Hemmingway almost got his 3rd goal assist when he put in an incisive pass to Ellor however Ellor's first touch took him wide of goal and he had no angle to shoot at goal. Just past the midway point of the half United got a third and Hemmingway got his 3rd goal assist, taking possession from a Cantrill pass he lobbed it forward perfectly into the run of Grant Hill and his dipping volley sailed over the head of visiting keeper Balazs to restore United's 2 goal margin. United soon made it 4, Luke Skelton robbed possession from Tate, passed to Hemmingway who put in a rasping shot at goal, instead of getting a goal for himself he saw the shot saved whereupon it became yet another assist (his 4th) as Ellor followed up the rebound to fire it into goal for his 4th hat trick of the season. United were well on top now with further efforts from Jack Whittaker and Grant Hill while at the other end the visitors were limited to long range shots, a swerving effort from Tom Salt the pick of these. Half time came with score United 4-1 Maltby Main Res

The second period began in much the same vein as the first with United pinning the visitors back to towards their own goal. After getting the ball from Skelton, Hemmingway got a shot in at goal but it lacked pace and did not trouble the keeper. On 50 minutes Ellor missed a chance to make it 5 when he got the ball from Hemmingway after good work from Hill but perhaps the ball bounced too high and Ellor did not get a strong contact and the keeper saved. A cross from the right wing found Hemmingway at the far post and his header back across goal towards the other post seemed as if he might get a goal for himself after providing 4 assists but he saw the ball just pass outside the upright. Other chances came though in reality the Reds attack looked less menacing, Subs Ben Redfern, Ross Petty and Martin Lawton all got shots in at goal but apart from a Lawton free kick saved by the keeper the others missed the target.

Ben Priestley in the United goal remained untroubled during the second half though a surging run down the right for Maltby Sub Paul Beilby and his drive across goal had the United defence scurrying to get back though no Maltby player was on hand to meet the ball. A Redfern shot was spilled by the keeper who gathered at the second attempt before United got a fifth just before the end, Redfern and Lawton exchanged passes before Lawton played in Ellor and the United striker made no mistake and found the net for his fourth of the afternoon and United's fifth. Final score United 5-1 Maltby Main