By Haydn Evans
STORM Dennis may have grabbed this week’s headlines but USW 1st made anything but heavy weather of dispatching Northumbria University 3-0 to reach the BUCS play-offs last eight.
Lee Kendall’s defending champions discovered the sort of dominance that made them unbeaten for the entirety of the 2018-19 campaign. Don’t discount them going all the way again.
The home side began a fast-paced encounter at breakneck speed, with Northumbria looking more like the five-hour bus journey had taken its toll.
It was in keeping with the run of play when the influential Clayton Green put USW 1-0 ahead, meeting a corner with clinical authority to find the back of the net.
It was an advantage they held up to the interval, repelling an improved spell by the visitors with relative comfort.
Excellent 3-0 win against a strong @TNmensfootball team this evening. Into the 1/4 finals against Premier North Champions @StirlingUniFC next Wednesday. #USWFootball
— USW Football (@USWFootball) February 19, 2020
USW captain Kane Owen came close to doubling USW’s lead early in the second half when his speculative shot from long distance had the worried Northumbria goalkeeper back-tracking before landing on the roof of the net.
Owen was a whisker away again shortly afterwards as his free kick from the left was curled towards the corner, only for the ‘keeper to divert the danger.
Then USW’s Tristan Jenkins should have given his side a second goal but was denied by the keeper in a one-on-one situation. And Jenkins was nearly made to rue his missed opportunity seconds later as keeper Davies was called into action again to save USW.
But USW did double their lead with five minutes left when Jenkins tapped home.
The third and totally decisive goal came from Mike George who finished neatly to cap USW’s dominant display.
The reward for Kendall’s men is a tough away trip to Scotland next Wednesday when they will face Stirling, a side they beat at the same stage of the play-offs last year at the Sport Park.