by Richard Lusmore
Easington United head off to Bridlington on Saturday hoping to secure a third successive win, something that is almost unprecedented in recent times.
The Eastenders return to Right Car East Riding County League Premiership Division action after recording their biggest win in almost three years, when beating North Ferriby Reserves 8-3 at South Hunsley a fortnight ago to progress to the second round of the East Riding FA Senior Country Cup.
Following on from the 5-2 league win over Holme Rovers, the cup win should have confidence levels soaring ahead of the trip to play Bridlington Town Rovers SFS.
The Seasiders’ young scholarship team have won three and lost five of their eight league games to date. In addition, they have lost to Championship clubs in both the League Senior Cup and the East Riding Senior Country Cup.
That said, victories at Sculcoates Amateurs Academy and East Riding Rangers, along with a home win over Haltemprice last month, will help ensure there is no complacency in the Easington camp despite the recent upturn in fortunes.
United passed up the chance to try to repeat their Ferriby win in the league at the same venue last weekend, with the club taking up the league’s offer to postpone fixtures because of Hull KR’s Grand Final appearance.
Squad-wise, manager Andy Graham will be without four of those who featured in the county cup win. Cal Burden and Bob Eldon-Smith are both away, while James Hare and Guisseppi Pontone are nursing injuries.
Among those tipped to come in and replace them are Matt Adamson, Connor Bradley, Charlie Clark and Ciaran Collins.
The reserves are the other Easington team in action on Saturday. They face a tough task at home to Kingswood United in Division 1.
Brett Agnew’s side arrive having won all four of their league games to date, along with victory at Humber Colts in the League Junior Cup.
For stiffs boss John Harrison it’s a case of hopefully building on a first win of the season, which came against the club’s development team in last week’s all-Easington tie in the East Riding Junior Country Cup. Connor Gallagher scored four times in an 8-2 win for the stiffs, which will hopefully have instilled a bit of belief in the team after what has been a slow start to the season.
As for the thirds, despite a second successive heavy loss (they were beaten 11-0 at Goole United Academy in the previous week’s opening league game), there are signs that new manager Matt Gregory can have a competitive squad at his disposal as the season progresses.
The weekend’s action concludes on Sunday when the Awd Ezzies host Tickton in Division 6 of the Hull & District Veterans League. The locals come into the game buoyed by a 6-2 win at Little Weighton a fortnight ago. Chris Frost led the way with a hat-trick, the other goals coming from Gavin Thurkettle, Dave Chapman and James Martin.
There is no East Riding Girls League action locally this Saturday. The past fortnight has seen the Ez Girls slip to successive home defeats, at the hands of Hull United Reds and Hessle Rangers. Hopefully a couple of weeks off will now do them good.
Away from the action, thanks to Mike Wilson Butchers and Frank Hill & Son for the latest pledges of match sponsorship. If you’d like to support the club, simply email [email protected] or contact us via our website or social media pages.
Finally, the club are saddened to learn of the death of Gordon Lount, another member of the Easington team of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Several amusing anecdotes survive about Gordon, many of which relate to the way in which he revelled in the wet conditions so prevalent back in the day and which, unlike today, would not see games postponed.
Back in the late 1990s, at a get-together of former Eastenders team-mates and club members, Tom Robinson and Gordon Clubley both referred to Lount’s apparent love of wet pitches. Robinson said it gained him “the reddest thighs that clapped together when he ran”, with his favourite trick said to be taking the ball into the flooded areas of the pitch and then beckoning the opposition to come and get it.
Indeed, Clubley recalled a match against Paull in which Lount had “knocked a bloke over in the water and then sat on him!”
As we say a sad farewell to another former Eastender, our thoughts are with Pat, Peter, Julie and all of Gordon’s family and friends at this time.
For up-to-date news, check out our club website at easington-united.co.uk, along with our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages (@EasingtonUtd) or on TikTok at @easingtonunitedafc.