Exley and Freer fire Newlands to final glory

Sean Exley and Daniel Freer smashed in two goals apiece as Newlands Park eased to a 5-0 victory in the Coastal Shellfish League Cup final against Whitby Fisherman’s Society at Pickering Town on Wednesday night.
Newlands lift the League Cup. Pictures: Brian MuirfieldNewlands lift the League Cup. Pictures: Brian Muirfield
Newlands lift the League Cup. Pictures: Brian Muirfield

Whitby’s Paul Cull was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the opening 30 minutes, pulling off some fine stops as defending Scarborough News Saturday League champions Newlands had the better of the first half.

Exley was denied twice by Cull early on, while Jonny Manson had a volley blocked by Cull and Freer also fired high and wide.

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Against the run of play, the Whitby side almost took the lead when a great piece of play from the dangerous Sam Bailey saw him take advantage of a rare slip in the Newlands defender when skipper Nick Beal hesitated on the ball, Bailey taking the ball off his toe and hitting the base of the post from an acute angle.

Less than a minute later Cull made two outstanding saves to deny Danny Jenkinson, who put in a great shift for Newlands despite playing through the pain barrier as he was suffering from a groin injury throughout.

Two minutes later the title-chasers earned a free-kick just outside the Fisherman’s penalty box and Exley stepped up to curl his low shot expertly around the wall and to the left of Cull to give the Scarborough team the lead.

Dan Brown had a powerful shot saved by Newlands keeper Callum Myers on the half-hour mark, but four minutes before the break a mistake on the edge of the Fisherman’s penalty area allowed Chris Dove to swoop in and slot a low shot beyond the grasp of Cull.

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Things got worse for the Whitby side five minutes into the second half when Jenkinson broke free of his marker on the right and sent in a superb cross for Exley to nod home and a few minutes later the win was sealed with a powerful finish from rising star Freer.

Newlands take the lead with a precise free-kick
picture: Brian MurfieldNewlands take the lead with a precise free-kick
picture: Brian Murfield
Newlands take the lead with a precise free-kick picture: Brian Murfield

Cull made yet another fine stop to keep out a thunderous Exley free-kick on the hour mark, but he could nothing to stop a Freer header, set up by the irrepressible Exley, in the 78th minute as Newlands completed the scoring.

The Whitby side’s only real chance of any note in the second half was a header from Ian Smith, but the centre-back put his header high and wide.

Exley was the winner of the Steve Coulson man of the match award, but boss Shaun Mancrief was quick to heap praise on his teammates.

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He said: “Michael Wilson, Dan Freer and Chris Dove also played very well tonight, Danny Jenkinson did great considering he had a groin injury going into the game, while the defence and keeper Callum Myers also did very well.

“We were missing a couple of key players in Matty Griffiths and Jack Hakings tonight so the lads got stuck in and did very well.”

Newlands Park: Callum Myers, Nick Beal (capt), Ricky Nock, Kile Fields, Jonny Manson, Daniel Freer, Michael Wilson, Chris Dove, Danny Jenkinson (Aidan Thomas 60 mins), Adam Stride, Sean Exley. Sub not used: Tom Jenkinson

Whitby Fisherman’s Society: Paul Cull, Mark Ross, Ian Smith, Andy Kelly (capt) (Callum Ogden 60 mins), Dylan Goldsmith (Dan Winspear 58 mins), Dan Brown, Ryan Braithwaite, Steve Swales, Paul Tose (Ste Ross 51 mins), Sam Bailey, Neil Hart. Subs not used: Dan Smith, Andy Heselton.

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