An away game to forget as Dunston succumb to a 1-4 loss at bottom side Pickering Town.

BetVictor Northern Premier North West Division.

30th November 2019.

Pickering Town - 4. Dunston FC -1

Speaking to Chris Swailes ahead of the game, the Dunston Manager stated “I’m always confident going into games. We need a win today as it will lift us up the league. We need to keep the momentum going. In every game we’ve played this season so far, I think we should’ve won”.

However, in a decidedly below par and abject performance, littered with individual and collective mistakes, Dunston rarely looked on top of this game as Pickering Town deservedly secured all three points in a 4-1 victory on a freezing afternoon in North Yorkshire.

Dunston journeyed to Pickering Town to face a side rooted to the foot of the table, with Dunston’s travelling support forming a fair proportion of the crowd,  ahead of the game, many were optimistic about gaining a positive result. 

The visitors had gone into the game one place ahead of their hosts, albeit with games in hand on the sides around them, and were looking to build momentum on the back of two impressive away victories against Droylsden and Scarborough.

The only change to the previous starting line-up saw Jack Elliott replace the injured Jake Stafford in the middle of the park.

Pickering Town had done most of the damage during a five minute spell after the break. The two sides had went in level at half time, with Dunston having gone a goal down to a Flynn McNaughton strike on 27 minutes, Luke Page had equalised on 35 minutes in a well worked move which saw Jack Elliott provide the energy and pick out Mark Fitzpatrick, his ball into the box found Page who connected well to swerve his shot into the net with opposition defenders around him. Scott Heslop spurned an effort to give Dunston the lead from close range just before half time as the sides went in level.

Pictured: Dunston FC (in red) forward Mark Fitzpatrick providing the assist for Luke Page.

The first half performance had rarely seen Dunston get going, only registering their first shot on target after 25 minutes. The first half was scrappy from both sides and the chances of witnessing attractive football were off the table; non league football on a cold November afternoon, contested on an uneven and sloping pitch is rarely likely to produce a beautiful game of football.  

After the half time interval the hosts grabbed two goals in the space of the opening five minutes. Danny Earl was afforded too much space as he connected well with a cross to direct his headed effort into the net. This having followed Dan Capewell blocking a Pickering Town effort off the line moments earlier. Four minutes later and Earl had claimed his second, firing into the bottom corner as Dunston looked in disarray at the back. The visitors showed little in the way of a fight back and the game was put further out of Dunston’s reach as McNaughton grabbed his second on 61 minutes with a great strike.

Despite the Pikes finishing the game with 10 men, Jackson Jowett receiving his second yellow card of the game, Pickering Town were left with an easy task of seeing out the game. They got bodies behind the ball, closed down space quickly and in numbers to prevent any, albeit on the basis of this performance highly unlikely, comeback from Dunston.

Dunston had rarely shown any sense of rhythm as clearances from the back, more often than not, came back at them. In short, It was a poor performance, however Dunston are a far better side than what they showed today both individually and collectively.

“You can analyse the game all you want, that games a one off” came the sage words of a wise John Thompson who has seen it all in his 40 plus years at Dunston. 

Chairman Mal James had said “I hope you’re going to tell the truth in your report Dan”.

Hopefully I have, putting it mildly It was not pleasant to witness. The players need to lift themselves ahead of the next game away to Mossley next Saturday and a positive response is urgently required.

Final score: Pickering Town - 4. Dunston FC - 1.

Dunston FC line up: Dryden, Marrs (Callum Elliott), Halliday (c), Craig Scott, Hall (Thear), Capewell, Pearson, Jack Elliott, Fitzpatrick, Heslop (Cedwyn Scott) Page. Subs not used: Grant-Soulsby, Brooks.

Dunston UTS FC Supporters Club Man of the Match awarded to: Luke Page

Like Page is kindly sponsored by: Home kit: Page Powder Coatings Ltd. Away kit: Mr Tony Cleugh, Skins: Dunston UTS FC Supporters Club 

Photography courtesy of Beauty Time Photography.

Dunston FC are proudly sponsored by UTS Engineering Ltd.