Plate Quarter-Final: We Hate Ben 5-3 Unbelieveable Tekkers

We Hate Ben came back from two goals down to win 5-3 and book their place in the ADL Plate semi-final. WHB, missing several first-team players including manager Chris Webster went into the half-time break two goals down despite seeing most of the ball and looking the more dangerous.

Stuart Fleming, who took charge of the game in Webster's absence started the team in a 4-5-1 formation, having to replace the missing Tim Dulson with Thomas Svendsen. Danny Shaw and James Phillips were at full-back, Peter Thomas partnering Matt Davies in defence. The midfield five consisted of captain Rhys Jones, Andrew Rhodes, Ryan Muir, James Amos and Jordan Watkins, with Jay Walker upfront. Chris Davies was named on the bench as he had been suffering from illness in the week leading up to the game.

We Hate Ben started brightly as they had done in most matches this season, but couldn't make their early pressure count and looked susceptible to the counter-attack of Tekkers. This resulted in the concession of an early goal when a corner wasn't dealt with properly. As Tekkers grew more comfortable and began to threaten with more regularity and WHB made a tactical change with Thomas substituted for Chris Davies, in an attempt to add more pace to the defence. WHB tried to look for an equaliser but in their haste started to chase the game and were hit again just before the half-time break, going two-goals down with a furious captain in Jones.

Acting manager Stuart Fleming replaced Rhodes with Dan Fellows during the break to try and bring more attacking vigour to the proceedings from midfield, and the change proved a success. Walker played in Watkins who dispatched his finish to bring WHB back into the game. WHB equalised soon after, with Muir picking the ball up in midfield and hitting a shot that dipped at just the right time to cause the goalkeeper enough problems to fail to deal with the effort. WHB weren't done and found a third goal to put them into the lead when R. Jones found Walker whose goal put WHB into the lead, firmly putting the tie back into their favour. WHB looked to secure their lead but then conceded a contentious goal after what appeared to be a handball in the box in the build-up. The Tekkers equaliser however did seem to galvanise the side after they stopped arguing with the referee, which saw goalkeeper Svendsen picking up a booking.

They carried on looking to take the lead for a second time and eventually R. Jones saw his cross headed in by the diminutive Walker, scoring his fifth goal of the season. The tiring Muir, who was making his first start since his knee injury was replaced by James Naik and WHB put the game beyond doubt with another R. Jones cross which was this time turned in by a Tekkers defender. WHB replaced Shaw with Joey Scutt in an effort to shore up the defence and hold their own two-goal lead, and they did so - even having the chance to score a sixth when R. Jones smashed a ball across the box only for Naik to fail to connect with his header. The game was won however and WHB will now face Beaver, whose 3-1 over Abertina has seen them into the Plate semi-final. The winner of that tie will face the winner of the other semi-final, being between Phoenix or Glengower/Commodore. 


Team (4-5-1)

Svendsen - Shaw, Thomas, M. Davies, Phillips - R. Jones (C), Rhodes, Amos, Muir, Watkins - Walker

Subs: C. Davies, Fellows, Naik, Scutt. Unused: Fleming.

Goals: Walker 2, Watkins, Muir, Own Goal.

Man of the match: Walker.