Five-goal showing seals Kingston win
Kingston Hull FC under-16s beat last season’s Division Three runners-up Springhead Spartans 5-2 at Shelley Avenue. They were well on top in the opening exchanges and on 11 minutes got their rewards when Calum Hepworth was brought down in a dangerous area and Dziugas Kotovicius fired home the resulting free-kick.
Five minutes later Kotovicius’s simple lay-off saw Hepworth unleash a powerful shot from over 25 yards out to double Kingston’s lead.
Springhead pressed hard to get into the game resulting in three good chances in as many minutes but Kingston’s stand-in keeper Jay Hicks kept them out.
Less than 10 minutes before half-time strong pressure from Tonijs Padrevics saw him dispossess the Springhead defender and tee up Matty Stephenson on the edge of the area who finished well.
With the half coming to a close Springhead gained a lifeline when a Harrison Cole strike from a wide angle was tipped onto the underside of the bar and adjudged to have crossed the line despite claims from the Kingston players.
Springhead came out all guns blazing in the second half and almost got to within one goal but for Hicks making an excellent save from close range.
Their heavy pressure finally told on 55 minutes when a break down field saw the impressive Finley Heath score from around four yards out to put Springhead back in the game. Outstanding work from defender Jack Midgley and non-stop running from midfielder Kotovicius went a long way in stopping Springhead equalising.
With around 15 minutes left Kingston took advantage of a poor goal-kick when the ball fell to Hepworth 35 yards out who fired into the open net.
Four minutes later they put the game beyond Springhead when an excellent Hepworth through ball found Stephenson who made no mistake in a dogged but deserved 5-2 win.
Hicks, Midgley and Kotovicius bagged the three coaches man of the match awards.