Liam Salt's injury mars Pickering Town's derby glee (From Gazette & Herald)

Liam Salt's injury mars Pickering Town's derby glee

3:50pm Wednesday 3rd February 2010

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PICKERING Town are sweating on the injury state of free-scoring forward Liam Salt – fearing he could be out for the rest of the season.

Salt,who has bagged 11 goals in 13 games since returning from working in Cyprus, was crocked during last Tuesday’s historic match against derby rivals Kirkbymoorside – in which victory set up a plum game against Middlesbrough.

He suffered the injury while scoring his second goal, hurting his knee while shooting home. He left the field four minutes later and is now set for an MRI scan some time this month. It is feared he suffered ligament damage or even a dislocation.

Pickering – whose Northern Counties East League match at Maltby Main on Saturday was postponed due to a frozen pitch – won the midweek North Riding CFA Senior Cup third round tie 4-1 against Wearside League neighbours Kirkby, the game ending with a flurry of late goals.

It was the first time these two clubs, who are both well over 100 years old, had met, and it drew a crowd of 298, easily the Pikes’ best attendance of the season – with the Moorsiders providing the bulk of the support.

Pickering’s reward was a fourth round tie away to Championship club Boro to be played next month.

The contest began slowly, with Kirkby looking nervous and the Pikes disjointed, although both sides had early chances before getting into their stride.

For the visitors, Johnny Brown and Alex Strickland both went close from a Paul Round corner, while at the other end Ricky Greening’s header from a David Thompson cross went wide.

Then came a crucial moment. Strickland raced clear from Brown’s through ball but, when he thought he had only goalkeeper Kevin Martin to beat, Pikes defender Sam Burns – their man of the match – sprinted back and got in a telling tackle.

Strickland also shot wide on 20 minutes as the Moorsiders began to pick up, while their best move of the night came on 37 minutes with Brown, Sarjo Cham, Round, left-back Rhys Crowe – who was Kirkby’s joint man of the match with defender Paul Hodgson – and Damien Cox all involved. Strickland flicked Cox’s cross to Cham, but his effort was deflected wide.

Pickering had their chances too, however. Greening shot wide from 16 yards while Salt fired one effort over and saw another saved by Darren Collier.

The Moorsiders also went close at the start of the second half, Cham and Brown combining for Strickland to see his shot saved, but the Pikes went ahead soon after.

Kirkby’s Brown gave possession away in midfield and the ball broke to the home side, with Greening setting up Salt to race clear and score.

The same player got the second goal just after the hour mark as poor defending allowed him to score with a right-foot shot from 12 yards – injuring himself in the process.

Substitute Darren Clough got the third goal seven minutes from time after fine work by Christian Fox and more poor defending, and, although Cox got a quick reply with a looping 25-yarder, Fox sealed the win in the last minute with an 18-yard effort.

The late goals were probably due to tiredness given that both sides have had little football recently due to the bad weather.

Moorsiders manager Darren Rivis was pleased with his side’s showing – apart from the lapses in defence.

He said: “The final score was not a true reflection on the game but we can’t give goals away like that. We can also play better.”

Pikes manager Mark Wood said: “We were very poor in the first half but got on top in the second and deserved our victory.”

The other quarter-final ties are York City v Guisborough Town, Marske United or Stokesley v Thornaby or Grangetown, and Northallerton Town v Scarborough Athletic.

Pickering have no midweek game this week but on Saturday host 10th-placed Nostell Miners Welfare looking to complete a league double having won 3-1 away in September.

Wood, who would have been on the bench himself on Saturday had the game gone ahead, as several men were unavailable, is hoping those players will be okay to play this Saturday.

Pickering: Martin, Aziz, Johnson, Burns, McNaughton, Adams, Wrigley, Thompson (Gildea 80), Greening, Saly (Clough 67), Fox. Subs not used: Hepples, Towse.

Kirkbymoorside: Collier, Walker (Bower 72), Crowe, Hodgson, Richardson, Brown, Cham (Ellis 68), D Rivis (R Rivis 77), Round, Strickland, Cox. Subs not used: A Rivis, J Rivis.

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