Kirkbymoorside crash 5-0 at sunderland (From Gazette & Herald)

Kirkbymoorside crash 5-0 at sunderland

3:08pm Wednesday 1st February 2012 in Sport

VALIANT Kirkbymoorside crashed 5-0 at Sunderland West End for their heaviest defeat in the Wearside League this season.

But there were hugely mitigating circumstances and the margin of victory did not reflect the battling performance.

The Moorsiders were so ravaged by injuries that manager Alex Strickland could only muster 11 players for the trip.

Those that travelled included Andrew Ferguson, making his first Wearside appearance in 18 months; 44-year-old coach Graham Jemison and Stephen Trousdale, who was forced to play in midfield despite a long-standing knee injury.

The only hope of getting anything from the game was to keep it tight at the back and try to snatch something on the break. It is testimony to the display that there was still a chance at half time as the Sunderland side only led by a single goal resulting from a blatant shove on Jemison, the ball running to Steve Bogie for a close-range strike in the 32nd minute.

Before that Tim Sharples shot just over, while a Ferguson free-kick was fractionally too strong for Jordan Rivis to direct his header on target.

But lingering hopes of plunder vanished after 47 minutes as Jonathan Greener finished a neat run into the box with a well-placed shot.

West End then hit the Moorsiders with two goals in a couple of minutes around the hour-mark. John Coomber beat Hodgson at his near post from 15 yards before Fryatt scored.

After Lee Alexander was thwarted by home goalkeeper Scott Young, Coomber scored a fifth for the hosts.

To their credit the Moorsiders never gave up despite weary legs and in the closing ten minutes they forced a series of corners. A ball from Ellis flashed across the six-yard box but no one could get a touch.

Kirkbymoorside: Hodgson; Strickland; Sharples, Jemison, A Rivis, Ferguson; Ellis, Cham, J Rivis, Trousdale; Alexander.