3pm – Saturday 3 November, 2012
Ebac Northern League Division 1
Hebburn Town vs Marske United
Hebburn Town will be looking to make it four wins out of four on Saturday when they entertain Marske United at the Hebburn Sports & Social Ground.
The Hornets have bounced back from some patchy form to sweep aside Whitley Bay, sealing the first home victory in the league this the season, and then win at the death against both Bishop Auckland and Chester-le-Street Town.
Az Croft is missing from the squad on Saturday due to work commitments with Sunderland’s Academy while Jeff Forsyth and Stuart Nicholson both face fitness tests.
Will ex-England under-19 star Stu Nicholson return to first team duty?
Marske United travel to South Tyneside with a full squad and with manager Ted Watts telling the Northern Echo that he is hopeful of securing a new signing in time to feature.
Hebburn gaffer Paul Bennett views Marske as “a tough team, they are always a threat”. Continuing, Bennett commented that “the lads and the club reacted in the right way [to events from last week], in a positive manner and travelled to Bishop Auckland and again showed the character and quality that we have in abundance at Hebburn Town by collecting all three points.
To sit in sixth in the league after 15 games is a great credit to every player who has pulled on a Hebburn Town shirt for me and Deano. The players have been immense and have bought into what we believe in. The bond in the dressing room amongst this squad of players is stronger than I have ever witnessed before and that strength, combined with ability underpinned by workrate goes a long way to making match days an enjoyable experience.”
We beat Chester-le-Street on Tuesday night in the Durham Challenge Cup with seven players missing from our normal squad and that again shows character. It wasn’t the best 90 minutes of football but a win is a win.”
Paul Gardiner’s late winner sealed the win last week against Bishop Auckland.
This is the first clash between the two teams since the 2010/11 season, which ended with Hebburn consolidating in mid-table and Marske winning promotion from the Northern League Division 2. That season brought four games between the two clubs after they were paired in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round. Marske progressed in the Cup by way of a 2-0 home replay victory after the first game had ended in a 1-1 draw at Hebburn. One week before the first Cup clash the two sides had also met in the league opener at Marske which had ended in a 1-1 draw, but the Seasiders claimed all three points when they left Hebburn with a 3-1 victory at the end of April 2011.
Captain Chris Jewels celebrated his birthday with the winning goal on Tuesday to send Hebburn through to the next round of the DCC.
Last year the Seasiders finished two places above the relegation zone while this season the North Yorkshire club are six points above the relegation places – sitting seventeenth while the Hornets are currently sixth. Both teams have claimed nine points from their last six fixtures.
The prolific David Onions should lead the Marske attack with eleven goals scored so far this season. Ex-Turkey Under-19 starlet Lev Yalçin should also feature for Marske – if Stuart Nicholson makes an appearance for Hebburn then that will be another Under-19 international on the same pitch with the Knife having been capped for England while playing for West Bromwich Albion.
Before the match, the stars of Hebburn Town stepped into the shoes of the stars of Jason Cook’s hit TV show set in the town of Hebburn. For the match poster and programme, captain Chris Jewels features as Vicky, Dean Nicholson appears as Joe, Liam McBryde pops up as Pauline, Tony Stephenson pouts as Sarah, manager Paul Bennett shows off the luscious locks of Jack while Paul Gardiner commands all as Dot.
