Storm Dennis has passed but USW storm through to the quarter final after dispatching Northumbria University 3-0.
The USW Sport Park played host to a fast-paced encounter between USW 1sts and Northumbria University this evening under the lights, in the round of 16 of the BUCS Championship, the highest level of British university football.
USW were chasing a second successive Championship title and began by dominating in the early exchanges, maybe Northumbria were feeling the 5-hour bus journey they made this morning. an assault on the goal in the first 10 minutes saw centre-back Clayton Green narrowly see a shot sail over from the edge of the box and attacking midfielder Cameron Keetch miss from a lob which fell just wide before Green met an excellent delivery from a corner to put the hosts ahead. Northumbria came inches away from pulling the side from north-east back level but dragged a one on one wide of the USW goal.
In the final 15 minutes of the first period the away side started to get a grip in the game, but USW remained in control, stroking the ball about with confidence and snuffling out any breaks Northumbria made upfield.
Captain Kane Owen came close to doubling USW’s lead early in the second half, a speculative shot from halfway had the Northumbria keeper worried but landed on the roof of the net. USW keeper made a plethora of fantastic saves during the second half to deny any opportunity of an equaliser. Owen was whiskers away again as his free kick from the left was curled towards the corner, only to be denied by the goalkeeper. USW’s Tristan Jenkins should have given his side a second goal but shot the ball at the keeper from a one on one. Jenkins was nearly made to rue his missed opportunity seconds later as keeper Davies was called into action again to save USW.
USW did double the lead with 5 minutes left when Jenkins tapped home, lucky for him the keeper was nowhere to be seen this time after he came out the ball and had been beaten. The icing on the cake came from Mike George who neatly slotted away a goal just before the final whistle to cap USW’s dominant display.
The reward for USW’s win is a tough away trip to Scotland next Wednesday where they will face Stirling, a side they beat at the same stage of the playoffs last year at the Sport Park.
Haydn Evans 