Results

Moor Park – Durham Challenge Cup First Round.

Attendance – TBC.

Another late show for Hebburn Town and another dramatic final minute saw the Hornets advance into the second round of the Durham Challenge Cup after Chris Jewels headed the winner with extra-time beckoning at Moor Park.

Remarkably, this was the eighth Hebburn game of the season that has brought a goal either in the final minute of the ninety, or during injury time and came on the back of Saturday’s last gasp winner against Bishop Auckland.

After disposing of Darlington in the qualifying round of the competition, Hebburn had high hopes of advancing. That appeared to be a given after a first-half which gave no indication of the drama in store at the end of the match, with the visitors creating a number of chances to wrap the game up by half-time. As it was, they went in with a one goal lead following two sweet finishes either side of a home goal.

The first goal of the evening came after 11 minutes when Tony Stephenson casually slipped the ball under Mathew Crook for his tenth goal of the season.

Ex-Chester-le-Street player Paul Wardle won a tackle on the halfway line with the ball breaking for Scott Robson. Robson’s first touch took the ball out of his feet; his second touch was to dissect the home defence with a deft pass that Stephenson raced on to before finishing.

With Hebburn playing an attacking formation that saw Dan Kirkup moved to join Stephenson and Liam McBryde in a forward three, the South Tynesiders created a number of chances, but found Crook in fine form in the home goal.

The Cestrians were back on equal terms after 26 minutes when Lewis Lynch stroked the ball in from the edge of the Hebburn box, but the lead lasted for only a minute.

McBryde’s alertness in the box saw him stab a shot towards goal when pressure. Crook’s first save only deflected the ball as far as Kirkup who hammered the rebound towards goal only to see the home ‘keeper save again. Unfortunately for Crook, the rebound again fell to Kirkup who hit a sweet left-footed volley back across goal to re-establish the Hebburn’s lead.

The game swung in favour of Chester-le-Street after the break as the visitors struggled to get going, and the game was level again six minutes after the re-start.

Lynch powered down the left-wing and his dangerous front-post cross was diverted towards goal at close range by Michael Pattison. Hornets ‘keeper Martin Hunter got a touch to the ball but was unable to prevent it creeping over the line.

With a result required on the night, both sides went in search of a winner, a goal which hardly looked like coming. That was until Jewels took a position on the edge of the box. The Hebburn captain attacked Lee Harrison’s left-side corner to thunder in a header and send his side into the draw for the second round of a competition they won for the only time in 1992.