Mark Convery reflects on Lang Jacks 4-2 defeat in pre-season to Burradon & New Fordley

Following a 2-0 victory over FC United of Newcastle, Whickham FC were defeated in their second pre-season friendly by Burradon & New Fordley after the hosts turned the game around.

The Northern Alliance side got off to a fast start with Joe Besford firing the ball home from inside the area in under a minute.

Two first half goals from Zak Atkinson and Jack Robson sent the visitors into half-time with the lead.

Former Lang Jacks forward Kieron Moat then netted an easy equaliser before Jak Morris was able to put The Yellows back in front.

A corner from Sean McRoberts then went all the way into the net sealing a 4-2 win for Burradon & New Fordley.

Many senior members of the Lang Jacks were left out of this fixture due to self-isolation or recovering from injury.

Burradon & New Fordley came out of the traps flying, by hunting down the ball before Besford wriggled into space within the box before drilling the ball into the bottom corner.

Mark Convery’s side grew into the game before a Jack Robson slipped a reverse pass in behind the hosts backline with Zak Atkinson levelling the score by smashing the ball inside the near post with nine minutes played.

Four minutes later Whickham were split apart by a switched pass going from left to right freed up a Burradon & New Fordley forward who crossed the ball back across goal but it was met with a half-volley that was sent well over the bar.

Both sides then swapped chances within the next three minutes, with Robson dragging a shot just wide of the post before the hosts had a shot with the outside of a boot which floated past Jack Norton’s goal.

Robson then gave the away side the lead five minutes later when he ran from the left-wing across the box dribbling past several defenders before placing the ball into the bottom corner.

In a similar move to earlier in the game, Atkinson saw his shot saved when he was once again played through by Robson with seven minutes to play until half-time.

Whickham then gave away a second goal after losing it inside their own area leaving Kieron Moat with an empty net to tap the ball into with three minutes until the hour-mark.

A deflected pass outdone the Lang Jacks defence leaving Morris with two defenders and the goalkeeper to beat, with Morris taking his second chance after an initial block eight minutes after they equalised.

The away side nearly levelled on 73 minutes when a corner floated over the top of the goalkeepers head but no one was able to bundle the ball into the net.

The final score was settled when a McRoberts corner found its way into the net with no touch from anyone sealing the Lang Jacks’ fate with minutes remaining.

Convery responded to his team’s defeat with optimism seeing as the game was a pre-season friendly.

He said: “Look I want to win every game but to be honest with you, it’s another 60, 70, 80, 90 minutes for the majority of the lads, I’m not making excuses but a lot of lads have been struck down and had to self-isolate so we’ve had to draft in a lot of young lads which will be great for their development and experience.”

When talking about the match itself, the Whickham boss stated that physicality is what won the game for the opponents.

He said: “Places like this are going to be physical and I think that’s what really just edged it for them in the end, you know we needed that bit more experience and physicality around the pitch.”

He also believes the Lang Jacks impressed in parts of the match with their passing and movement despite the slower conditions of the pitch.

He said: “When it’s been a warm and sticky day the pitch didn’t help us but some of the play and the passing we put together I was really impressed with, what I’m trying to do is not get to bogged down on everything results based but I’m trying to take a lot of positives out of it because there were a lot of trialists and young lads, there were a lot of people showing me things that have given me a bit of food for thought to add people into the squad and freshen things up.”

Mark Convery’s full post-match reaction: