Coxhoe Athletic 2–4 Wolviston FC

Wolvo got their Wearside League season off to a winning start on Wednesday night, but we certainly didn’t make it easy for ourselves!

We started the game really well and were ahead inside two minutes.

A Reece corner was met at the back post by Ben Priestley, whose header took a touch off a Coxhoe defender on its way into the net.

0–1 Wolvo. Perfect start.

Coxhoe responded well though and, after our bright opening, began to make life difficult for us.

Their press forced us into a few sloppy mistakes, our shape became a little disjointed and the frustration started to show.

Jonas Sutherland brought Coxhoe level with an effort from distance which found the bottom corner, before a Sutherland free-kick was finished from close range by James Gristwood to turn the game around.

Coxhoe’s Bailey Jones also tested us with a snapshot before the break, but it was well saved.

HT: Coxhoe 2–1 Wolvo

In truth, half-time probably came at a good time for us.

The second half was a different story.

Wolvo came out much more like we had started the first — moving the ball quicker, playing at a much higher tempo and stepping up the intensity both with and without the ball.

Coxhoe dropped deeper and deeper as the half went on and we started to really turn the screw.

Chances came, their keeper made saves and Coxhoe got plenty of bodies behind the ball, but we just kept going.

For a long time it looked like it might be one of those nights where the ball simply wouldn’t go in.

Then came the final ten minutes…

On 80 minutes, Jacob Watson finally got the goal our second-half pressure deserved.

2–2.

Five minutes later we’d turned it around.

⚽ Callum Croft. 85 minutes. 2–3 Wolvo.

And with Coxhoe now having to come out and look for something themselves, the space opened up.

On 89 minutes, James Webb grabbed our fourth to make sure the three points were coming back to Wolviston.

FT: Coxhoe Athletic 2–4 Wolviston FC

A long way from perfect, particularly during that first half, but plenty to like about the response.

We could have allowed the frustration to take over at 2–1 down. Instead, the lads came back out, raised the tempo and kept piling on the pressure until Coxhoe eventually couldn’t keep us out.

Three goals in the final ten minutes. Four goals away from home. Three points to start the league season.

⚽ Ben Priestley
⚽ Jacob Watson
⚽ Callum Croft
⚽ James Webb

Man of The Match: Jae Wilson

And no time to sit around enjoying it…

Friday night. Back at Metcalfe Park. Local derby against Wynyard Village.