Hull Red Stars produced a five-star performance to progress to the Quarter Finals in the ERCFA Boys U14 Cup, after beating Hessle Rangers 5-1 at Andrew Marvel.

Despite Hessle’s Toby Hanson opening the scoring, Hull Red Stars progressed courtesy of an own goal, a brace from Coby Handley, as well as further strikes from Reece Shipley and Jack Sunley respectively.

Hessle Rangers took the lead within the opening minute as captain Josh Kelsey found the run of Hanson, who poked the ball under Harrison Fletcher to open the scoring. Kelsey then volleyed a chance wide before Mason Elliot’s long-ranged free-kick thundered off the crossbar, with the loose ball being volleyed wide by Hanson. Hessle were the stronger side in the opening ten minutes and they tested Fletcher from distance again from Hanson’s drive, while fellow goalkeeper Robbie Mitchell was sharp off his line to stop Handley racing through on goal.

However, after that ten minute spell, Hull Red Star controlled the game and equalised through a Jacob Hill corner. The midfielder’s delivery was met at the front post by Hessle defender Will Johnson who’s defensive header flew into his own net. A minute later, Red Star took the lead as good passing play on the right found Handley, and the winger dribbled past three defenders before finishing from close-range, despite Mitchell getting a hand to the shot.

From this point, Red Star dictated the game and created plenty of shooting opportunities. A combination of Mitchell and Dan Bunce blocked Shipley’s volley, before Hill’s dipping shot went wide. Sunley then tested Mitchell from range before the Hessle keeper saved well to stop Handley taking the ball round him. Mitchell then produced a fantastic acrobatic save to push Shipley’s volley over the bar, before Handley struck a shot narrowly wide.

Handley then raced through on goal as Red Star captain Kai Nicholson’s pin-point pass from half-way found the winger, who chipped the onrushing Mitchell, but the ball looped over the bar. Mitchell was then thankful for Bunce blocking Shipley’s goal-bound effort as Red Star went into the half-time break 2-1 ahead.

In the second half, Red Star continued their dominance and should have scored a third as Hill’s cross found Handley with the goal gaping, but the winger sliced his shot wide, before his second attempt was cleared off the line by Elliot after rounding Mitchell. Chances kept falling for Red Star with Shipley forcing a save from Mitchell, before Evan Fatahi’s strike went narrowly wide.

Red Star did get that vital third goal as a great through ball found Shipley and the striker cooly finished past Mitchell to score. At the other end, substitute keeper Ryan Waudby had to hold Kelsey’s header, before Red Star scored their fourth. After Shipley’s strong run and pass across goal, it was Handley who took one touch before calmly slotting the ball into the net to secure his brace.

There was still time for more chances for Red Star as Shipley headed over Kian Shelton’s cross before Sunley missed three separate chances, twice shooting wide, before seeing his third attempt deflect off Elliot into Mitchell’s hands. Substitute JJ Gray then saw his shot blocked by fellow substitute Jamie Whiting, before Jack Taylor’s deflected drive was held by Mitchell. Red Star scored their fifth in stoppage time as Shipley’s cross found Sunley, who slid in to score to secure their place in the Quarter-Finals.

TEAMS:

HULL RED STAR: 1. Harrison Fletcher (GK), 2. Kian Shelton, 5. Jack Taylor, 7. Jacob Hill, 8. Kai Nicholson (C), 9. Reece Shipley, 10. Luca Gagg, 14. Coby Handley, 17. Evan Fatahi, 66. Conrad Taylor, 77. Jack Sunley.

Substitutes: 1. Ryan Waudby (GK), 4. Cian Murray, 6. Morgan Hodgins, 50. JJ Gray, 96. Will Bennett.

HESSLE RANGERS: 1. Robbie Mitchell (GK), 3. Finley Tate, 4. Mason Bennett, 5. George Hood, 7. Oliver Brearey, 9. Dan Dunce, 10. Josh Kelsey (C), 14. Kevin Schofield, 15. Max Hanson, 16. Toby Hanson, 17. Will Johnson.

Substitutes: 6. Jamie Whiting, 12. Niko Kazmarek.

Hull Red Star Manager Mike Nicholson:

“I’m absolutely delighted with the performance. Everything we’ve been working on in training, the passing and the movement was outstanding. Some of the goals we scored where we started in our own half and did five or six passes before the ball is in the back of the net was brilliant and you can’t ask for anything more than that.

“I think we conceded the first goal in the first two minutes, more or less straight from the kick-off, and it’s always difficult, but I thought the reaction from our boys was outstanding from going a goal down that early. We didn’t let that affect us, we got our heads back on the game straight away after they scored and we went up and got the equaliser and in truth, it could have been more than 5-1 in the end; great performance from all the players.

“Hessle Rangers are a good side and over the years, they’ve always given us a good game. Although they haven’t played many games this season, I think they’ve only lost one game, so going into it we knew it was going to be difficult. They’ve got some big, strong lads playing for them, but we have that quality right throughout our entire squad and you saw that in our performance today. It was a brilliant performance and absolutely delighted to be in the next round.”

Hessle Rangers Manager Mark Kelsey:

“We managed to get a team together despite a bout of flu affecting eight of the squad, with four not actually making it to the game at all. 

“We started really well and dominated the first fifteen minutes and deserved a 1-0 lead through Toby Hanson, who was found superbly by Josh Kelsey. Unfortunately a couple of quick goals knocked the stuffing out of us a bit and Hull Red Star finished the half the stronger team at 2-1.