Howden AFC v South Cave

Cave Rally to Defeat MinsterMen
 
Howden began the new year in the fashion they finished the last, with a defeat. The MinsterMen traveled to league leaders Cave aiming to get back on track and begin 2015 in positive style. Depleted and defeated but a much better performance from Howden brought a positive outlook on the year ahead for the supporters.
  Manager Dave Holt lined the away side up in a basic 442 formation. Drafting in two shining lights from the Reserves season, Will Butterill and Adam Beevers lined up alongside skipper McMahon and Hutchinson. Josh Oldridge partnered Liam Bell in midfield and Ben Rothery made his first, first team appearance of the season up front with Gorman. 
  The game began at a steady pace, with both sides looking to blow off the Christmas cobwebs. Howden found themselves defending more as Cave pressed and looked to attack early. Butterill coped well with the pacy forward who drifted out wide to look for space. Josh Jackson in goal claimed a couple of corners well through a crowd of players to relieve some pressure.
 The closest the home side came to penetrating the visitors goal, was inadvertently through Butterill, who's clearance rattled the frame of Jackson's goal and back out into play. 
   Howden looked good on the counter, Westerman and Schofield out wide got at the opposition when the chance came, lacking an end product to cause any damage. Howden had a couple of corners which came to nothing, Cave easily clearing their lines. 
  The third corner for Howden though did damage. Westerman delivered an outswinging corner to which Josh Oldridge met well, bulletting home a header giving the visitors a lead. Oldridge's second goal in as many games in centre midfield provided the MinsterMen with a valuable half-time lead.
  Holt asked his men to carry on, playing simple and making sure. That they did. The first five minutes Howden looked more likely to score, retaining possession well and pressing forward. Gorman & Rothery held up well, inviting Bell into the action. Just a lack of a cutting final pass or shot was missing. 
  South Cave inched into the game gradually, winning niggly free kicks cleverly. A corner for the home team saw Oldridge and his marker tumble to the ground. The referee pointed to the spot and booked the MinsterMan for a shirt pull. The decision changed the game as the midfielder slotted home and turned the game on it's head.
  A second came quickly as Butterill's half clearance was picked up and crossed in. The Cave striker headed home from 5 yards out. 
 Schofield came close to leveling the scores as his quick half volley was turned away brilliantly for a corner by the goalkeeper. Howden began to get frustrated, decisions were going against them and dissent towards the official didn't help their cause.
 South Cave grabbed their third from a corner, with more controversy as McMahon appealed for a shirt pull, the referee waving away the protests allowed the 2 yard tap in after a fumble to stand. Howden introduced Andy Kerr and John Boardman into a 433 system to try rescue a point. 
 Boardman came closest as he ran onto a through ball but volleyed his effort wide. The match ended and the MinsterMen take their third defeat in three games. Holt had a positive outlook on the game however. "We've come to top of the league, missing bodies and in a bit of a rough patch. To perform like we did and cause them problems, I'm optimistic it'll turn around. We've no luck at the moment. We don't turn poor overnight and we'll aim to get it right against AFC Rovers on Saturday".
  Josh Oldridge received the Howden WMC's man of the match award for a dynamic midfield display, capped off with a fine goal.