Newmarket start as
they mean to go on!
After their successful league campaign of 1998/9, Newmarket players
came together for the first time in the new season to play their
first round Cambridgeshire County Cup match, and shocked their
opponents with a classy win.
Newmarket had not even practised together before this game, and yet
the blend of youth and experience that has been so successful in the
last two seasons quickly gelled into a mean attacking unit.
The game began brightly, with the two Simons, Greenwood and Gibson
combining well on the right, and Matt Holden excelled. The Badcock
boys were, as always, stalwarts, and after ten minutes, the first
short corner was won for Newmarket. Not surprisingly, a little ring
rusty, this went astray. However, within another few minutes some
excellent play by Ian Starling inside the Saffron Walden "D" brought
about a second. Simon Gibson changed the normal routine with a swift
ball to "Daddy" Newham, who precisely squared the ball across the
"D" to Cummins, who in turn laid the ball into the path of Wilson
Jnr, who scored with a rifling shot into the bottom left hand corner
of the goal.
After the break, Newmarket had hoped to start as they had finished
the previous half. However, after a dubious tackle on Captain
Cummins, Walden broke free and scored an excellent equaliser past
the despairing Freed. Newmarket made a number of changes, using
their full 14 man squad to good effect, and slowly began to play in
a more composed fashion. Duncan Freed played well in the
unaccustomed position of striker, and Billy Wilson was excellent, if
a little "hot" in the centre of defence. Hayden Marsh complimented
the left side well, and mention should also go to Simon Greenwood,
who looks to have improved again after his excellent 98/9 season.
Eventually, after good Newmarket pressure, the winner came, again
from Wilson Jnr. Newmarket then pressed for a further advantage,
whilst maintaining a disciplined defence, something they must
maintain for their league games, which start in the next few weeks,
in Division 5 North West of the Premier Holidays' East League
The second round of the County Cup sees Newmarket travelling to
Peterborough Town on Wednesday 8th, without one or two key players,
and progression further will be tough.
