LEAGUE SEASON 2001 - 02

FAC = F.A. Cup, FAT = F.A.Trophy, MPC = Manchester Premier Cup, CSC = Cheshire Senior Cup, ULC = Unibond League Cup,  UPC = Unibond Presidents Cup, UNI =Unibond League, qr = Qualifying Round,  gs = Group Stage, qf =Quarter Final sf =Semi Final  

01-09-01 HYDE UNITED 1 COLWYN BAY 2 UNIBOND Att. 276
Hyde are now the only side in the league as they slumped to a fifth consecutive defeat and have now gone 12 games without a win. Colwyn Bay started off the better side and Deniol Graham was unlucky to see his shot clear the crossbar on 3 minutes. The home side had a let off soon after when Alun Evans hit the woodwork from close range after a cross from the right. It was Hyde who went ahead as Gavin Salmon scored when the ball looped over Bay
goalkeeper Paul Smith following Josh Howard’s freekick. Hyde’s good fortune changed on 33 minutes when defender Dale Hawtin was dismissed for his second bookable offence. Three minutes later Evans again missed from close range when he headed wide from a Roberts cross. On 37 minutes Hyde almost grabbed a second when a 40 yard effort from Josh Howard clipped the top of the crossbar. The loss of Hawtin soon told though and the Seagulls equalised on 39 minutes when Jason Jones got onto a throughball and finished well. A minute after the break Salmon outpaced the Bay defence but Smith made a good
save to deny the youngster. Bay got the winner on 51 minutes when an Evans free kick was glanced home by Deniol Graham. On 58 minutes Hyde keeper Richard Acton made a great double save to deny Marc Limbert and then James McIlvogue. Limbert then struck the crossbar a minute later. At the other end Paul Smith denied Neil Critchley with a good save but play soon switched back and Acton again saved from McIlvogue. Hyde should have snatched a last minute reprieve when Smith dropped a cross at the feet of Colin Hall but the
substitute inexplicably hit the crossbar with the goal at his mercy as Bay registered their first win of the campaign, something the home side can only go on hoping for.

Hyde: Richard Acton 7, John Foster 7, Matty Taylor 7, Stuart Taylor 6, Dale
Hawtin 5, Peter Band 6, Josh Howard 6, Neil Hall 6, Gavin Salmon 7, Steve
Foster 7, Neil Critchley 6. Subs: Martin Doherty 6 for S Foster, Lee Matthews
6 for Salmon, Colin Hall 6 for Howard.

Colwyn Bay: Paul Smith, Owain Roberts, Paul Jones, Craig Hogg, Glen Graham,
Jason Jones, Stuart Scheuber, Deniol Graham, James McIlvogue, Alun Evans.
Subs: Simon Richards, Gary Lewis for McIlvogue, Colin Caton.


REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER



27-08-01 HYDE UNITED 0 HUCKNALL TOWN 2 UNIBOND Att. 261 
Both teams started this game with no points and the only certain thing was that would change for at least one of the sides. Hucknall came out of the blocks that little bit more alert than the Tigers and it took a last ditch tackle from Dale Hawtin to deny Leroy Chambers on six minutes. Ten minutes later Hyde went behind when Nathan Hollingworth’s corner was met unopposed by the head of Gary Ricketts who made no mistake from close range. Hyde got going after the goal and were unlucky not to equalise on 29 minutes when
Simon Yeo linked well with Martin Doherty but the big midfielder pulled his shot agonisingly across the face of the goal and wide. On 34 minutes the home side had an even better chance to square things when John Foster’s cross was taken down by Neil Hall but Dave McCarthy in the Hucknall goal made a good save. Three minutes later McCarthy again made a good save to deny Simon Yeo after Matty Taylor’s cross. Even though it was all Hyde at this stage Hucknall served a reminder that they were still ahead on 43 minutes when Danny Mayman fired a powerful shot just wide of the upright. Hyde’s bombardment continued after the break and Neil Hall couldn’t stretch enough to meet John Foster’s cross on 47 minutes. On 57 minutes Dale Hawtin met Josh Howard’s cross but couldn’t direct his header on target. Two minutes later Howard and Gareth Rowe combined on the right but Rowe’s finish was weak and the ball rolled wide. The 65th minute was a nightmare for the Tigers, having had a penalty appeal turned down a Hucknall defender took issue with Simon
Yeo and no doubt frustrated by Simon Brown climbing all over him for the last hour with no protection from the referee, Yeo pushed the said defender in the face and was promptly and correctly sent-off. Provoked or not, you can’t raise your hands on the pitch and expect to stay on. Despite being reduced to ten men the home sides domination continued, Gavin Salmon raced down the right and crossed for Steve Foster but the substitutes effort was somehow kept out on the line by McCarthy. On 77 minutes McCarthy again saved from
Foster after Neil Hall had played him in. On 80 minutes as Hyde went for all or nothing they almost got nothing as Leroy Chambers raced away from his marker but amazingly shot wide with just Richard Acton to beat. Hyde kept on pressing forward but it just wouldn’t happen and their frustration turned into Hucknall’s second goal as Phil Bignall broke away to round Acton in injury time to settle the game. Hyde are now rock bottom having lost all four games and conceding 12 goal in the process, yet somehow I’m not too worried. The three performances that I have seen have all been very promising but a couple of mistakes and no luck have cost us. Take today’s game, Hucknall goalie Dave McCarthy was my man of the match but he didn’t hold a shot all day, he got just enough on everything and either had defenders to clear his parries or grasped the ball at the second attempt. On another day these things would have dropped at a strikers feet. Obviously the longer we go with
no points it gets worrying but we just need a lucky break and I’m sure things will turn around.

Hyde: Richard Acton 6, John Foster 7, Matty Taylor 7, Dale Hawtin 7, Martin
Doherty 7, Peter Band 7, Josh Howard 6, Neil Hall 8, Simon Yeo 5, Gareth Rowe
6, Neil Critchley 6. Subs: Nehru McKenzie 6 for Doherty, Steve Foster 7 for
Critchley, Gavin Salmon 7 for Rowe

Hucknall: Dave McCarthy, Paul Sherlock, Nathan Hollingworth, Mark Place,
Tommy Gallagher, Simon Brown, Dale Wright, Danny Mayman, Gary Ricketts, Leroy
Chambers, Michael McLarnon. Subs: Stuart Taylor, Phil Bignall for McLarnon,
Carl Vickers


REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER



25-08-01 BURTON ALBION 5 HYDE UNITED 1 UNIBOND Att. 1102 
A mauling for the Tigers on their first visit to Burton for 14 years. It could have been so different though as Simon Yeo hit a post in the first five minutes and a couple of other chances went begging before Richard Acton got in all sorts of trouble with a routine save and Darren Stride hammered home. Steve Evans added a second soon afterwards and the Tigers went in two goals down. 
After the break Matthew Duke in the Burton goal made a great save from Yeo. In fact the 6ft 6in keeper looked commanding all afternoon as well as kicking very long clearances that kept the Tigers under constant pressure. 
Nigel Clough came on at half-time and added a 81st minute goal but not before another substitute Sean Farrell had scored twice within four minutes of coming on to leave the Tigers reeling at 5-0 down. A spirited late rally saw Lee Matthews pull one back and there could have been another as the Tigers finished the stronger of the two teams. 
A familiar story really...early missed chances then falling behind and never looking like getting anything from the game. 
The Tigers welcomed back Dale Hawtin signed from Gresley Rovers earlier in the day to play at right back in place of injured John Foster and Martin Doherty back from injury in midfield. Nehru MacKenzie dropped to the bench. Overall a very disappointing performance with only Matthew Taylor, Peter Band and Neil Hall able to reflect on reasonable performances. The scoreline possibly flattered Burton a little, but the facts are the Tigers have everything now to do on Monday when they meet Hucknall ( kick -off 7.45pm) with both teams currently pointless. 
It was always going to be a difficult start with three tough matches, but a return of no points and ten goals conceded puts it into perspective. The first job for Mike and his backroom staff is to stop shipping goals and get some confidence into a defence which is now shell shocked and looks edgy everytime they have to defend. Hawtin added some stabilty today but there is a long way to go. 
A word or two about Burton.They are a very well run friendly club with lots of obvious wealth around, lots of people off the pitch and a brilliant set-up. In Nigel Clough they have a manager like ours who wants to play football. They certainly move the ball around well and will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season. Interestingly enough Nigel has seen us twice this week and says we are the best team he has seen in the last couple of weeks and didn't think we should have lost so heavily today. That is scant consolation as you head back up the M6 on a coach that has seen better days and players with reputations suddenly under the microscope. 

Acton 5, Hawtin 6, M.Taylor 8, S Taylor 5, Ashwell 5, Band 7, Doherty 5, N.Hall 7, Yeo 6, S.Foster 5, Critchley 5. 
Subs MacKenzie 5, Howard 5, Matthews 6. 

REPORT BY TONY BEARD Att. 1102 



20-08-01 EMLEY 2 HYDE UNITED 1 UNIBOND Att. 272
Emley came straight out of the blocks at Belle Vue tonight,with Rory Prendergast firing a shot over inside the first minute. Hyde came straight back though and Simon Yeo forced a great save from Paul Cuss as he pushed the Tigers strikers effort round the post. The home side had two good chances to break the deadlock on 17 minutes, firstly Ian Edge broke quickly down the right and put his cross onto Simeon Bambrook’s head but his feeble effort was well wide. Darren Day then got into a great position but Richard Acton was out swiftly to deny the midfielder. It was Hyde who went ahead on 20minutes when Simon Yeo latched onto Matty Taylor’s precise pass before firing into the corner from ten yards out. Hyde held their own against last years runners upand could have extended their lead on 36 minutes when Yeo’s header fell into the path of Steve Foster but the young striker fired over from a tight angle. Emley finished off the half strongly and grabbed an equaliser on 45 minutes when Day flicked the ball back for Simeon Bambrook whose lethal left footdidn’t let him down from twelve yards as he found the corner of Richard Acton’s goal. Sixteen minutes into the second half, Veteran Gary Hatto went close for the Pewits with an acrobatic shot that didn’t really trouble Acton. Along pass from Critchley was taken down by Simon Yeo who turned Paul David int he same movement but he couldn’t produce a telling finish. Emleybwent ahead on 79 minutes as Day burst away on the right and provided a great cross for Simeon Bambrook to head home from close range. Four minutes later it could have been three when Edge’s corner was headed goalwards by Andy Wilson but Matty Taylor was on the goal-line to hack the ball clear. Three minutes from time came a controversial moment as Gareth Rowe scored a close range equaliser for the Tigers but the referee awarded a foul on the goalkeeper would had missed the ball from a cross and promptly hit the ground, if there was any contact it was minimal as opposed to the 12 rounds with Lennox Lewis that Cuss obviously thought he had just survived.

Hyde: Richard Acton 7, Clive Brown 6, Matty Taylor 7, StuartTaylor 7, Paul
Ashwell 6, Peter Band 7, Josh Howard 6, Nehru McKenzie 6, SimonYeo 7, Steve
Foster 7, Neil Critchley 6. Subs: Gareth Rowe 6 for Foster, Lee Matthews 6
for Critchley, Neil Hall 6 for Howard.

Emley: Paul Cuss, Ian Edge, Rory Prendergast, Andy Wilson,Gary Hatto, Paul
David, Darren Day, Miles Thorpe, Simeon Bambrook, Mark Wilson,Nicky Wood.
Subs: Charlie Bradshaw, Jamie Robshaw for Bambrook, Chris Prasher


REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER 



18-08-01 HYDE UNITED 1 BISHOP AUCKLAND 3 UNIBOND Att. 344
Bishop Auckland showed just why they finished in 3rdplace last season with a very professional opening day victory at Ewen Fields. Hyde boss Mike McKenzie gave debuts to seven members of his squad as the Tigers youthful side struggled to combat the strength and experience of the Bishops. Indeed after just 3 minutes Hyde were let off when Carl Chillingsworth got behind the defence but pulled his shot across goal. Josh Howard went close for Hyde on 7 minutes when he cut inside from the right and shot just over from the edge of the area. Bishop Auckland got more on top as the half progressed and a couple of long range efforts from Jason Ainsley flashed past Richard Acton’spost. The Durham side went ahead on the half hour when Andrew Shaw headed home from a free kick after Mark Foster had been fouled. Three minutes after the break it was Foster who found himself in acres of space on the left and he easily planted the ball past Acton and into the corner for the second. Hyde came into life after that and the normally prolific Simon Yeo had two chances in a minutes, firstly Mark Salmon blocked his goalbound shot and then he beat David Campbell in the Bishop goal only to see his effort clip the post. On 55minutes Carl Chillingsworth raced away from the Hyde defence and beat Richard Acton with a smart chip leaving the Hyde goalkeeper completely stranded as theball hit the back of the net. A minute later Yeo got through again but Campbell made an excellent save to deny the striker. Hyde scored a deserved consolation goal on 76 minutes when Matty Taylor’s cross eluded everyone in the penalty area and crept in at the far post. There was still time for Campbell to thwart Lee Matthews but Bishops were always good for the points as they look to improve on last seasons third place.

Hyde: Richard Acton 6, John Foster 6, Matty Taylor 7, Stuart Taylor 6, Paul
Ashwell 6, Peter Band 6, Josh Howard 7, Nehru McKenzie 6, Simon Yeo 6, Steve
Foster 6, Neil Critchley 6. Subs: Gareth Rowe 6 for Critchley, Lee Matthews 6
for Foster S, Neil Hall 7 for Howard.

Bishop Auckland: David Campbell, Brian Rowe, Anthony Lee, David Gallacher,
Mark Salmon, David Kitchen, Steven Bell, Jason Ainsley, Andrew Shaw, Carl
Chillingshworth, Mark Foster. Subs: Lee Ellison, Steven West for Bell, David
Bayles for Gallacher.


REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER 



11-08-01 ATHERTON 1 HYDE UNITED 7 FRIENDLY
Hyde’s final pre-season friendly started as a farce when only one match official turned up, after a long wait the assistant referee who was there eventually decided to kick off after almost a twenty minute delay. Hyde tore apart Atherton but were foiled by poor finishing. It was Atherton who took the lead on 36 minutes after Alex Lawler picked up a backpass and LR seized the opportunity to go in front from the resulting free kick. Three minutes later it was level when the ever impressive Josh Howard linked well in midfield before firing home from the edge of the penalty area. A minute before the break the Tigers were inf ront, Clive Brown raced into the box and pulled the ball back for Steve Foster whose back heel was saved but Neil Critchley was on hand to make it 2-1. On 55 minutes Lee Matthews put the ball across the face of goal and Steve Foster finished off well, less than a minute later and having only been on the pitch for ten seconds at most Gavin Salmon made it 4-1. On 60minutes Colin Hall pounced onto a losse ball to get the fifth. We had to wait18 minutes for the next goal but when it came Martin Grant scored from close range. The scoring finished on 79 minutes when Martin Doherty lashed the ball home from 25 yards.



REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER 



08-08-01 TRAFFORD 1 HYDE UNITED 3 FRIENDLY
The Tigers had a bright start here at Trafford,Colin Hall hit a post and Simon Yeo had a good effort stopped by the goalkeeper. Steve Foster also had an effort stopped well. After Hyde’s good start it was Trafford who took the lead on 31 minutes when Joe Murray beat some hesitancy in the Hyde defence before firing past Richard Acton. It was all square again on 42 minutes when Simon Yeo’s centre from the left was gleefully knocked home by Steve Foster. On 74 minutes Hyde went ahead when Gareth Rowe unselfishly laid the ball back across goal for Neil Critchley who couldn’t miss. Four minutes from time a Gavin Salmon cross was easily converted by Gareth Rowe from close range to finish off the scoring.


REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER 



02-08-01 HYDE UNITED 1 TRANMERE ROVERS 3 FRIENDLY
Tranmere brought an experienced side to Ewen Fields for this friendly including Jason Koumas, Richard Jobson and Alex Hay. It was Jason Koumas, linked all summer with a move to Blackburn Rovers, who opened the scoring on 21minutes when he exposed Hyde’s defence to slot past Richard Acton from twelve yards. On 28 minutes a poor Neil Hall free kick lost Hyde possession and Alex Hay ran through from the halfway line before rounding Richard Acton to get the second. On 35 minutes Neil Hall’s free kick this time found a Hyde man and Peter Band was unlucky to see his header saved by Andy Ralph. On 56 minutes substitute Damien Queely made a hash of a clearance and Greg Lincoln couldn’t miss from six yards out as he lashed home Tranmere’s third of the night. The Tranmere onslought continued and Richard Acton denied Koumas his second by saving with his legs in a one on one. Hyde didn’t look like scoring but the introduction of Steve Foster and Simon Yeo made a difference with Simon Yeo heading home a Martin Doherty free kick on 87 minutes to make the score respectable.


REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER 



31-07-01 HYDE UNITED 3 CREWE ALEXANDRA 1 FRIENDLY
Another good workout for Hyde against a strong Crewe side full of ex-Tigers. Two of those combined early on when John Grant got down the right before crossing for Colin Little but he fired over from close range. Hyde’s current super striker, Simon Yeo combined well with Neil Hall at the other end but shot over from just outside the area. On 25 minutes it was Grant who caused problems for the Hyde defence but goalkeeper Richard Acton was the last man standing as he got down well to save his shot. Two minutes later Yeo again went close, this time glancing a John Foster cross past the far post. A minute after the break Yeo got behind the Alex defence but shot wide with a rasping effort that fizzed past the post. On 47 minutes Neil Critchley got onto a through ball and deftly touched the ball over Clayton Ince in the Crewe goal. Two minutes later the lead was doubled when promising midfielder Josh Howard steered a shot from the edge of the area into the bottom corner. As Hyde started to get on top Simon Yeo again got clear but Ince saved his goalbound shot. On 64 minutes aMatty Taylor cross looked to have been headed home by Steve Foster but Ince somehow kept the ball out despite Hyde’s protests that the ball had crossed the line. On 75 minutes Anthony Charles was felled in the area and the Crewe man picked himself up and calmly rolled in the resulting penalty. Two minutes later it was 3-1 after Howard had crossed a Lee Matthews shot was blocked before Martin Doherty let fly with an acrobatic volley to
finish off the scoring.


REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER 



28-07-01 WOODLEY SPORTS 3 HYDE UNITED 7 FRIENDLY 
A worthwhile outing for Hyde with many of the fringe players impressing at Lambeth Grove. Gareth Rowe put The Tigers ahead in the 11th minute when he struck a 30 yard lob with Woodley goalkeeper Keith Jones stranded. On 35 minutes Bradley Sandeman burst into the penalty area before squaring for Gavin Salmon, Jones saved the strikers effort but Neil Critchley was on hand to stroke home the rebound. On 39 minutes Woodley’s Andy Watson burst into the area and went down as he tried to round Alex Lawler in the Hyde goal, Mike Norton slotted home the spot kick. Hyde had two more chances before the end of the half, both falling to Gareth Rowe. Gavin Salmon played him in on 42 minutes but Jones did well to keep out his shot, then on 44 minutes he met Neil Critchley’s corner with a cheeky back heel which Jones again did well to keep out. Gavin Salmon got Hyde’s third on 52 minutes when he leapt to head home Josh Howard’s corner. Five minutes later Howard’s deep cross from the right was kept in by Salmon who laid the ball back for Lee Matthews to score from close range. Woodley got one back on 64 minutes when a through ball sent Darren Garfield away down the right and he rounded Alex Lawler before slotting in. On 69 minutes Josh Howard lashed in a shot from 30 yards to make it 5-2 to Hyde whilst four minutes later Rowe got away before setting up Lee Matthews who curled in his second from the edge of the box. On 86 minutes Colin Hall showed good skill as he dribbled into the box before netting the seventh. Woodley made the score a little more respectable when Mike Norton finished off a ball from the right to make the final score 7-3.


REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER 



25-07-01 HYDE UNITED 1 MANCHESTER CITY 5 FRIENDLY 
A comprehensive win for City's reserves in a game which they dominated from start to finish. The alarm bells should have been ringing inside five minutes when Stephen Jordan headed just wide from a corner for the blues. Little Chris Shuker had a great chance to put City ahead on 8 minutes when he broke from the halfway line but Richard Acton in the Hyde goal produced a fine save at the strikers feet. City scored their first on 21 minutes, Hyde were down to ten men at the time, Bradley Sandeman off receiving treatment as Stephen Jordan slotted in a fine header at the far post from a right wing cross. Three minutes later, Hyde now back to full strength, Stephen Jordan headed home his second when he connected with Joey Barton's cross to nod in with Acton stranded. On 29 minutes Acton was slow to react to a throughball and was caught in no-mans land as Chris Killen beat him to the ball and then took the ball over the goal-line with Acton looking back agonisingly from afar. Hyde's only real chances of the half fell to Simon Yeo who broke down the left but fired straight at Brian Murphy and to Steve Foster who did well before hitting the side netting from 18 yards. Early in the second half Clive Brown met a Josh Howard cross on the volley but his effort went across the face of goal and wide. On 65 minutes Simon Yeo had the best chance of the game for Hyde when he pounced on a defensive mistake before letting rip from 20 yards, Murphy made an excellent save, tipping the ball onto the crossbar. With two minutes left City got their fourth when Gary Browne rifled into the top corner from 18 yards and then in injury time Andrew Tunnicliffe steered the ball into the corner after the Tigers had failed to clear a corner.



REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER
 



23-07-01 HYDE UNITED 1 STALYBRIDGE CELTIC 0 RAY STANLEY MEMORIAL 
As a first run out, this was quite encouraging. A well deserved draw against the Unibond League Champions from a team playing its first game together. Indeed, Hyde had the better chances of the first half, firstly on 14 minutes when Peter Band crossed from the right and midfielder Martin Doherty headed straight at Celtic goalkeeper Gary Ingham. On the half hour Simon Yeo raced down the left before cutting back for Neil Critchley who blazed his shot the bar from 12 yards. On 37 minutes Darren McConnell went close after dribbling into the box but Ingham did well to stop his shot. Hyde went ahead two minutes after the break when NEIL CRITCHLEY curled in a 25 yard free kick leaving Gary Ingham stranded as he placed the ball into the bottom corner.
The lead only lasted four minutes as Paul Ashwell made a poor back header and STEVE WARD nipped in to roll the ball past Richard Acton. On 55 minutes Acton fumbled a catch on his own goal line but this started a flowing move for Hyde as seconds later the goal at the other end was shaking as Simon Yeo rattled the post with a 25 yard thunderbolt. Yeo's strike partner Steve Foster had a couple of chances when he flashed a shot across the face of goal and also when his cross from the right took a diversion and had Ingham frantically backpedaling before the ball dropped over the crossbar. Celtic could have won the game on 73 minutes when a cross from the right was headed goalwards but Richard Acton made a flying save to keep the ball out. 90 minutes were up and so it was onto one of the funniest penalty shootouts in memory. Someone should check the goal size at Walker lane as they are obviously way to small!!!! Richard Acton saved Celtic's first and Gareth Rowe put Hyde 1-0 up. Winny Steele equalised for Celtic then Clive Brown shot wide for the Tigers. Acton saved Celtic's next kick but Ingham saved Gavin Salmon's kick leaving it at 1-1 after 3 each. The next Celtic kick went way over the top and Martin Doherty scored for Hyde. Celtic scored their next while Bradley Sandeman only had to score to win, Ingham predictably saved it. Sudden Death:- Celtic 3-2, Matthew Deevy made it 3-3. Andy Scott missed for Celtic and Richard Acton had to score, but missed by a long, long way. Celtic made it 4-3 and then Peter Band kicked over and Stalybridge had won the first ever Ray Stanley Memorial
Shield. 

REPORT BY STEVE BOWKER