Seaham Red Star 3-1 Horden CW: Richardson, Dart and Coulson lead dominant hosts into Durham Challenge Cup second round

Seaham Red Star 3-1 Horden CW

Durham Challenge Cup

1st Round

Tuesday 29th October 2019, 7.30pm GMT

Ferguson Motor Repairs Stadium

First-half goals from Taylor Richardson, Morgan Dart and Richard Coulson saw The Star progress stylishly on Tuesday evening at the Ferguson Motor Repairs Stadium, with Callum Hope’s late strike for Horden only proving a consolation.

“Object was to go through to the next round and we’re through to it so yeah job well done, we’re happy with it,” summarised Seaham Management Team member Simon Johnson post-match.

And along with their place in the 2nd round, where they will face Whickham, Mark Collingwood’s side could also take considerable confidence from an excellent showing under the lights which saw two teenagers — in Richardson and Dart — find the net.

The hosts peppered Paul Griffiths’ goal throughout a relentless first-half display.

Indeed, Dart looked in the mood early, seemingly getting his eye in as he whistled a 30-yard left-footed shot just over in the fourth minute.

Sean Ryder and Chris Bewick both also missed the target with efforts at the other end, but The Star were well on the way to composing themselves.

Dart saw two more attempts flash wide in the following moments but his delivery was very much on the money in the 15th minute when Coulson found his burst down the left-channel and the teenager’s floated delivery to the far-post was given the finish it deserved as Richardson’s downward-header back across Paul Griffiths found the top-left corner.

Dart doubled the advantage only eight minutes later, but there was still time for no less than four Seaham efforts in the meantime. Twice Coulson stung the palms of Griffiths and twice Dan Wilson narrowly missed the target.

It was worth the wait when Dart did find the net, though. After receiving the ball in midfield, he burst away from a marker and inside from the left before rifling a 25-yard right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner via the post.

A moment richly deserved for his first-half display. And the hosts kept coming.

Six minutes later came the third as the ever-involved Wilson found Coulson on the edge of the box and, upon working himself into a more central position, he found the same corner Dart had with a similarly precise but powerful right-footed drive.

Richardson, Coulson and Wilson all came close to giving the half-time scoreline an even more dominant look but it remained at what was still a thoroughly authoritative 3-0 advantage.

The chance creation rate didn’t slow too much come the second-half, either, even if that proved to be all on the scoring front for The Star.

Coulson briefly looked to have added another less than two minutes after the restart but he was flagged offside upon converting the rebound following a Griffiths save from Wilson.

Paul Weldon, who put in a highly assured centre-back display alongside the impressive Liam Gillesphey, whipped a 53rd minute free-kick narrowly over.

Joe Hailes and substitute Tom Lawson then both went just too high with guided attempts from inside-left positions in the minutes prior to the half’s midway-point.

The latter had replaced Dart a few minutes earlier, with the forward limping off after sustaining an ankle injury in what was a cruel end to an excellent personal display.

Griffiths would make two more impressive stops before the evening was out — one from Wilson’s close-range volley in the 69th minute and another from Coulson’s 25-yard shot in the 80th — but, to their credit, Horden refused to lye down despite the scoreline.

Scott Davison nodded Hope’s inviting far-post cross over on 82 minutes but when the creator of that opening got one of his own in the first minute of stoppage-time he was able to find the bottom-right corner from the edge of the box.

The Wearside League leaders could, at least, end the night on a well-earned high.

Seaham, meanwhile, were able to look ahead to the first half of a league double-header with the side they’ll face in the next round.

As Johnson explained, they go into the trip to Whickham facing a thoroughly welcome problem.

“We’ve got selection problems on Saturday, quite a few coming back now. Myers coming back, Sean McRoberts back, Robbo’s [David Robinson] back the captain, Matty Wade’s back from tonight, Dan Hawkins is back so there’s quite a few coming back in, you know.

“But it’s a good headache to have, we’ve not had that this season. This is probably going to be our strongest squad going this week to Whickham.”

The Management Team member was very much aware of the threat posed by the 16th-placed side, but felt The Star should head into the game buoyed, off the back of the past few days’ results.

“I’m excited. It’s always a hard place to go Whickham you know what you’re going to get there, they’ve signed some great players, got some good players in.

“It’s always a battle, they use their pitch well, use the slope well and as I say it’s always a very difficult place to go but we go there confident after the win tonight and the draw with Stockton.

“So yeah we’re looking forward to it. Tough challenge but fingers crossed we get the three points.”

Seaham Red Star (4-2-3-1):

1. Chris Bannon; 2. Scott Young, 5. Liam Gillesphey (C), 6. Paul Weldon, 3. Joe Hailes (Turns, 67’); 8. Paul Gardiner, 4. David Henderson; 7. Taylor Richardson, 10. Morgan Dart (Lawson, 58’), 11. Richard Coulson; 9. Dan Wilson

Substitutes:

12. Sean McRoberts, 14. Michael Chilton, 15. Keigan Turns, 16. Tom Lawson, 17. Aaron Steavens (GK)

Manager: Mark Collingwood

Horden CW (3-4-1-2):

1. Paul Griffiths; 6. Scott Davison, 4. Callum Hodgson, 5. Joe Bell (YC); 2. Sean Ryder (Appleby, 72’), 9. Chris Bewick (Hope, 57’), 11. David Harrison, 3. John Bowes; 8. Andrew Lonsdale (Blades, 78’); 7. David Doughty, 10. Robert Renwick

Substitutes:

12. Callum Hope, 14. Liam Appleby, 15. Declan Blades, 16. Jamie Campbell, 17. Jamie Yorke

Manager: Jonathan Payne

Referee: James Westgate

Goals:

Seaham Red Star:

Richardson (15’), Assist: Dart

Dart (23’), Assist: Hailes

Coulson (29’), Assist: Wilson

Horden CW:

Hope (90’+1), Assist: Blades