Match Report: Hyde United 3-2 Atherton Collieries

The project Solar Stadium was witness to a brilliant Hyde United comeback on Saturday as The Tigers started poorly but managed to claw their way back from two down to win by three goals to two in The Northern Premier League.

Following last week's defeat away to play off rivals Whitby Town that ended The Tigers 16 game unbeaten run, they looked to get back on track
as bottom of the table Atherton Collieries came to town.

Despite Colls’s league position Hyde knew they scored a lot of goals for a team down the bottom end of the table. Going into the tie they had
scored at least two goals in five out of their last seven games.

This showed as they started quickly when after just six minutes the visitors had the ball in the net from a looped free kick but the assistant referee’s flag denied them an early opener.

Hyde had a flurry of corners following a shaky start however none of them paid off and no real chances were created by Hyde.

Colls managed to take advantage of a calamity in Hyde’s penalty area as Harry Ditchfield was brought down softly by Atherton winger Enoch
Lusiama who then nicked the ball and just managed to get a toe on it to send it under Jordan Eastham between The Tigers sticks.

Just a minute later Matty Fearnley had the ball down the right hand side and played in Harry Bunn who’s looping effort with his left foot was
always rising. Following this the tempo of the game slowed, even though Hyde had the majority of the possession they struggled to create
anything going forward.

Five minutes before the break an Atherton throw in on the half way line by Luke Partington found Jordan Scanion who played a delicious pass
through to full back Lewis Thompson and Thompson smashed the ball home to put the visitors two up.

Just a few minutes later a brilliantly whipped free kick by Josh Doherty found the foot of a stretching Joel Amado and Amado scored his second in
as many games to pull one back for Hyde right on half time.

Following the restart Hyde looked more energetic and dangerous, this showed as Doherty was involved again, his ball into the box was picked
up by Mannasse Mampala who fired it across goal and Jack Redshaw, off the bench, was at the back post to tap home and get The Tigers back on
level terms.

When Hyde get one they usually get another very shortly after and this is what they did once again as Ditchfield’s low cross wasn’t dealt with
by Mo Ali who seemed to fall over the ball, this left Fearnley with an open net to tap the ball into to complete The Tigers comeback.

The rest of the half was flat from both sides, Hyde kept possession and Atherton couldn’t really do much about it in the end. The last kick of
the game was the visitors only real chance in the second period as everyone including the goalkeeper was in Hyde’s box for a corner that
was headed out as far as Thompson on the edge who struck the ball well but Eastham was equal to it as he held the ball down to his left hand
side.

Hyde back to winning ways and back up into second place with Marine losing and a lot of games being postponed due to weather. The Tigers
travel up to Workington next week in a bid to extend the gap on teams below and keep their play off hopes very much alive