Colliers pick up three points at Esh

Easington Colliery picked up three points with a 3-1 win at Esh Winning on Saturday afternoon.

Esh Winning took the lead through Lewis Heap, but a Jay Roper brace alongside Tom Hunter’s goal helped the Green Army to the three points.

Paul Griffith came into the Easington side for his first start since signing from Horden, while Luke Pearn also returned to the starting XI.

Upon kick-off, the Colliers started quite well, but it was Esh who had the first half chance as Joe Bates headed over.

In the eighth minute, the Colliers created their first chance. Ryan Lincoln Barrow burst down the right beating numerous defenders in the process. He played a quick one-two with Jonny Carr before finding himself in a shooting position, but Ryan was denied by the legs of former teammate Jak Wells.

Just before the quarter of an hour mark, Esh Winning took the lead. A deep corner from the dugout side picked out Heap, and his powerful header back across goal dropped into the net.

It only took the Colliers four minutes to equalise. Again, Lincoln Barrow burst down the right, and this time, as he passed a defender, the defender fell over. Near the byline, Ryan pulled the ball back to Roper, and Jay rifled the ball into the roof of the net to make it one-one.

Halfway through the first half, Roper had a decent chance to put the Green Army ahead, but this time, his shot was too high.

Denny Tapping was next to go close for the Colliers, before Hunter have the Green Army the lead in the 42nd minute. This time, Roper and Pearn linked up well with the latter picking out Hunter, and his powerful shot at the near post gave Wells no chance.

Early in the second half, Esh Winning had a lot of the ball without threatening, and the closest them came was when a dangerous free-kick was blazed well over in the 55th minute.

In the 69th minute, the Colliers had a dangerous free-kick of their own, and Pearn took responsibility, but alike the Esh free-kick, it was too high.

Shortly after, Roper went close. Having picked up the ball on the left, he cut in to beat his man before shooting, and it wasn’t far away from the far top corner.

The Colliers were temporarily reduced to 10 men when Adam McGuinness was sin binned in the 80th minute, but it wouldn’t have a detrimental impact.

After Griffith had to produce a couple of good saves, the Colliers wrapped up the win with a third in the 87th minute. Roper danced through two defenders on the left before weaving a way into the penalty area, and he was cynically brought down. Roper dusted himself down to take responsibility of the penalty and he confidently dispatched it.

It was a good three points for the Colliers.

Full-time: Esh Winning 1-3 Easington Colliery

Next up for me is maybe Durham Women vs Coventry United Women tomorrow.

Esh Winning: Wells, Wilkinson, Taylor, Wilson (O’Reilly, 45+3′), Heap, Swift (c), Cummings (Lishman, 70′), Smith, Bates, Forster (Lister, 70′), Jones

Unused subs: Pringle, Callender

Easington Colliery: Griffith, Lincoln Barrow (Freeman, 90+3′), Shaw, Pearson, McGuinness (c), Carr, Hunter (Bowman, 90+3′), Pickford, Roper (Eltringham, 89′), Tapping (Best, 82′), Pearn (Johnson, 70′)

No unused subs

Admission: £5 adults, £3 concessions

Programme: I don’t know

Attendance: 65

Referee: Aidan Hewitt