Crook Town earn point at Thornaby in opening game of the season

Crook celebrate their equaliser at Thornaby. Credit: Rory Drake

Newly promoted Crook Town earned a point in the opening game of the Northern League Division One season, after a 1-1 draw at Thornaby.

The hosts were ahead at the break after an Elliott Beddow goal midway through the half, but the visitors levelled early in the second period through substitute Joseph Smith, and were unfortunate not to take all three points.

It was visitors Crook who created the first chance of the game, with Corey Nicholson forcing a save from Dimi Konstantopoulos after a shot from a tight angle.

Thornaby were having more of the ball, but it was Crook having the best of the chances early on, Ben Reay and Lee Hume saw efforts from long range go just over the bar within minutes of each other.

With 12 minutes gone Beddow created the Teesside club’s first effort of the game, driving forward 20 yards before firing just wide from the edge of the box.

The game was still well balanced and could have gone either way. Joe Hillerby tried his luck from 25 yards but, like his teammates before him, blazed his effort over the bar.

With the next attack the hosts went in front. Beddow, who had looked a threat whenever he got the ball, drove into the box before stabbing the ball into the far corner, and past Ronan Makepeace.

Thornaby then started to control the game, Reece Kenney saw an effort go wide from 20 yards, before Anthony Callaghan’s shot from a similar range was saved by Makepeace.

Ewan Forster had an effort go close for Crook just before half time, but it dragged just past the post.

Craig Hutchinson had two efforts for Thornaby before half time, but Makepeace was equal to both.

After the break Callaghan came close for the visitors with a shot from an unlikely angle but Makepeace again kept it out.

Substitute Smith levelled for the visitors in the 57th minute, putting the ball in the bottom corner having been played through in the box.

Crook were on top for the first 20 minutes of the second half but both teams were struggling to create chances.

Smith played in Jamie Tumilty on 74 minutes for what was the visiting striker’s best effort of the game, but his close range shot couldn’t beat Konstantopoulos at his near post.

Crook’s goal scorer was their most dangerous player, and he came close to scoring again with just over 10 minutes to go, jinking past two before dragging a shot wide from the edge of the box.

Moments later Tumilty fired an effort on the turn, after being played in by Nicholson, but Konstantopoulos was equal to it.

Hutchinson had Thornaby’s best effort of the second half with seven minutes to play. His 20-yard freekick was destined for the bottom right-hand corner before being turned around the post by Makepeace.

From the following corner James Frazer saw a header cleared off the line. Crook then broke away and came close at the other end, with Smith firing an acrobatic volley just over the bar.

Tumilty came close to winning the game for Crook, as the clock ticked 90 minutes, with a lobbed effort from a tight angle which went just wide.

Thornaby: Konstantopoulos; Frazer, Poole, Flounders; Moore (c), Davis (Waters 67’), Pickett (Candlin 46’), Kenney, Callaghan; Beddow, Hutchinson

Subs: Scaife-Wheatley, Hogan, Mazfari

Crook Town: Makepeace; Fielding, Owen, Wilsom, Eltringham; Reay (Smith 45+2), Hillerby (Stansfield 64’), Hume (c); Nicholson, Tumilty, Forster (Pascoe 81’)

Subs: Johnson, Hartley

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