LINE UP
OLLIE SINCLAIR – Goalkeeper
OLLIE BEAN – Right Side Centre Back
JOSH BARKLE – Central Centre Back
CALLUM FOSTER – Left Side Centre Back
CLAYTON WILKINSON – Midfield
JOSH TOYNBEE – Midfield
ELLIOT DYE – Attacking Midfield
MARLON GRUNDY – Right Wingback
CALLUM CHAPMAN – Left Wingback
JACK WILKINSON – Striker
KANE HUTCHINSON-WILKES – Striker
SUBS
TOM COTTON
CARL NEWBERRY
CALLUM HILL
JOE SILSON
ANDY JANSEN
The Whites were quick to settle which was vital. They overcame the bobbly well-worn pitch and realised it wasn’t a night for fluent passing.
We played when we could, and cleared our lines when we couldn't but we looked confident.
About 20 minutes in we created the first opening with a crisp move ended when Elliot Dye’s snapshot hit the post and ran away to safety.
Both teams were defending well with United’s midfield duo of Clayton Wilkinson and Josh Toynbee breaking up Brigg’s attacks.
Ollie Sinclair, a well organised keeper, had to be sharp off his line to save bravely at the feet of the oncoming striker.
Brigg’s main threat came down the left hand side but Ollie Bean was in imperious form.
Marlon Grundy, working tirelessly on the right saw a shot well saved as we went to the interval at 0-0
At half-time we had to re-shuffle as goalkeeper Sinclair had to come off with a leg injury. This meant Kane Hutchinson-Wilkes, who had held the ball up so well in the first half, had to go in goal.
He was replaced up front by Tom Cotton, who had a superb 45 minutes with his energetic running in behind the Town back line.
It was end to end stuff in the second period but united had two great chances.
Cotton and Callum Chapman linked to cross for Jack Wilkinson to head superbly goalwards only to see a great save tipping the ball clear.
Chapman also crossed to the far post for Dye to hit the woodwork with a header.
At the other end Hutchinson-Wilkes made two excellent saves.
There was some great defending from both teams and despite being without goals it was a great game of football.
Then on the 70th minute United scrambled the lead, Dye was awarded the goal but it could have ben an own goal. The truth is several United players mad sure the attack stayed alive and Dye forced the ball goalwards.
More injury problems for the Whites saw Carl Newberry replace the outstanding Bean.
Not long after we had a corner and got caught on the break two v two but Clayton Wilkinson did superbly to break up the attack.
Brigg Town have been promoted and weren’t going to lie down and they began to apply pressure.
The number of corners and free-kicks increased but United,s three centre-backs, Josh Barkle, Newberry and Callum Foster headed everything.
United were forced to reshuffle again when Grundy limped off, Callum Hill came on tto left hand side, Chapman moved to the right, Jack Wilkinson to right back leaving Cotton as the lone striker as we dug in.
Dye’s athletic runs were giving us in with a chance of a clincher on the break and Callum Hill saw a shot blocked.
However the final six or seven minutes saw us defending for our lives.
We were now 4-5-1 and it was a good job as Brigg poured forward.
There were tackles, blocks headers and two unbelievable saves from our leading scorer, Hutchinson-Wilkes.
The whistle went and our youngster’s joy was a joy to watch.
Hutch was awarded the Man of the Match quite rightly but we had five or six others who could have picked up the award.
Congratulations to Brigg on their return to the Northern Counties East and congratulations to the young Whites, most of whom are in their first season of adult football.