MATCH REPORT: Moss Side FC V Charlestown CYC
An Ashley Stott brace helped to inspire Moss Side to an emphatic 4-0 victory over Charlestown CYC to win the Sunday Challenge Shield at Ewen Fields on Friday.
Both sides came into the game with previous triumphs in the competition, with Charlestown the winners in 2014 and 2016 and Moss Side lifting the shield in 2015.
Man of the Match Omar McKenzie was also amongst the goals for the blue & black stripes, and a Charlestown own goal completed the scoring.
Charlestown nearly got off to a dream start when Brad Sixsmith was put through one-on-one with Brad McDonagh, only for the ‘keeper to make himself big to block Sixsmith’s rather tame effort. But it was Stott who broke the deadlock between the two sides on the half-hour mark, after he rounded the ‘keeper Chris Petrou and poked the ball into an empty net.
Half-time: Moss Side 1-0 Charlestown CYC
Moss Side came firing out of the starting blocks for the second period, when McKenzie dazzled defenders with a run from right to left; drawing defenders and goalkeeper towards him, before stroking the ball into the bottom right corner for 2-0.
Moss Side’s dominance and confidence began to grow into the early exchanges of the half, with Stott’s second goal the epitome of just that; a curled effort from the edge of the area and into the top right corner for a third – 68 minutes in.
10 minutes later and the game was finished off after Stott ran to the by-line and put a low-hard cross into the six-yard area, only for an unfortunate Charlestown defender to bundle the ball into his own net.
Despite Charlestown’s best efforts, Moss Side saw the game out in comfortable fashion to lift the 2018/19 Sunday Challenge Shield.