A Danny Feasey hat-trick in
the last 10 minutes pushed DC into joint 3rd place and beat a previously
unbeaten Irish side. DC started well and opened the scoring early on when
Steve Bell shrugged off a challenge and knocked the ball past the keeper into
the net via a post. DC maintained their pressure and should have made it 3-0
by half-time but failed to do so due to poor finishing. Back at the other end,
the only way DC were going to concede was from set pieces, Chris cleared one
effort off the line whilst Jordi kept the Irish 6 foot striker at bay with a
couple of important headed clearances. Darren's injury hit season then seemed
to go from bad to worse when he landed awkwardly after claiming the ball and
twisted his knee. He managed to play on though with JJ taking the goal kicks.
The second half continued in the same vein, DC pressing forward and missing
chance after chance. Danny, Nick, Chris, Steve D, to name but a few people who
should have extended the Steamers lead. As time dwindled down, Reading Irish
applied more pressure in search of an equaliser, sending more players forward
but left themselves exposed at the back especially against the pace of Danny.
After a number of dodgy offside calls and a linesman replacement, Danny
finally broke away to increase DC's lead and then with Reading Irish's heads
down, he proceeded to score two more in the dying minutes. For the record, he
did not get a jug in after the game.
The starting line-up was as
follows: Darren Holder; Chris Taylor, Howard Cooke, Mark Jarman, Steve Danby,
Richard Jordan, Richard Scaldwell, Steve Bell, Paul Allen, Nick Smith,
Danny Feasey
|
