Fishburn Park edged out by Pickering Town in five-goal 75th anniversary thriller

Park’s Matty Brown makes it 3-1 with a long-range strike. PHOTOS BY BRIAN MURFIELD

Fishburn Park pushed NCEL Premier Division side Pickering Town all the way in their 75th anniversary match on Saturday, losing out 3-2 despite a late comeback push.

Park hosted locals and club people from across the years as they celebrated the club’s anniversary with three matches at Broomfield Park, writes Paul Connolly.

The club’s under-16s took on a young Sleights side in the first match of the day, before Park’s academy ran out 2-1 winners over Goal Sports in the second match, Harry Coates getting both goals.

The final game saw Park’s first-team face Pikes in torrential rain, thunder and lightning, running Town close across 90 minutes.

Sam Richardson’s goal for hosts Fishburn Park pulls it back to 3-2 late on against Pickering... PHOTOS BY BRIAN MURFIELD

The first half was a tight affair, shaded by Park who had the better opening chances, but Town who took the lead before the break through a trialist’s neat finish inside the box.

While Park worked hard to deny Town space in torrential rain in the second half, Pikes started to make their divisional advantage count. Ex-Whitby man Brad Mills hit the side-netting, before two lapses in concentration saw the Pikes add to their lead.

Park failed to clear a corner, with the ball dropping to a Pikes trialist, who stabbed home across Dylan Humble after some neat close control. And moments later, said trialist would add his second, capitalising after a flat clearance from Humble fell to him and he finished from 20 yards into the bottom corner.

Fishburn rallied despite Pickering’s three goal advantage, creating chances after chance in an attempt to get back into the game.

Fishburn Park, green and white stripes, battle it out with Pickering Toiwn.

Charlie Smith drove his side on, firing over a powerful effort from range, before his low, driven attempt was blocked, though nobody in a green and white shirt could follow in. Andrew Menzies was next to test the Pikes gloveman, beating another ex-Whitby man - Jamie Poole - to his header, before seeing his effort saved low,

Matty Brown - back in a Park shirt after a number of years - saw a low effort go wide of the mark, but soon after, Smith’s right-wing corner fell to Brown 25 yards out, who hit a first-time effort into the top corner.

Moments later, a Park man got onto the end of a neat through ball and attempted to round the keeper. The ball fell loose to Sam Richardson, who made no mistake in tapping into the empty net from close-range. Time, however, run out for the hosts, who couldn’t find a leveller despite their valiant display.