ON this occasion, the job was finished. The previous time these two teams met in the Cu-Plas-sponsored FA Cup first round match, the original fixture was abandoned at half-time because of a downpour.
Last Saturday, there was a downpour of goals as St George’s brushed aside a youthful looking Foxdale, firing in nine goals without reply as Geordies’ Grand Slam bandwagon gathers even more momentum.
After seven minutes on the clock, the Glencrutchery Road outfit scored their first.
Johnny Myers’s sprayed his pass to the left. That was collected by Ciaran McNulty who squared it to an advancing Conor Dempsey to slot in at the near post.
Foxdale’s task was made much harder after conceding a penalty on the quarter hour mark when they were reduced to 10 men. Chris Bass Jr bent his corner which was met by Craig Lemaire’s out-stretched hand on the goal-line.
Geordies pleaded for leniency but referee Peter Beighton laid down the letter of the law and dismissed the Miners’ full-back. McNulty made no mistake converting the resulting penalty.
With 25 minutes played Geordies got their third following a foul on the left flank.
McNulty aimed his free-kick at the far post and Myers leapt highest, directing his header across the six-yard box for Sean Quaye to tap in.
McNulty scored his side’s fourth after Dempsey gave chase to a through-ball.
Foxdale keeper Stuart Naisbitt’s clearance was intercepted by the Geordies youngster who teed it up the former Gymnasium man to tuck inside the left post.
McNulty completed a first-half hat-trick after Myers crossed from the right. Quaye flicked it onto the striker and he converted with an out-stretched leg to make it 0-5.
After the break, the visitors continued their goalscoring vein, McNulty’s cut-back on the left was collected by Dempsey. His shot was parried by Naisbitt, but Frank Jones reacted the quickest to score from the rebound.
Jones netted again after Sam Caine intercepted a Foxdale clearance, his cross picked out the midfielder free at the far post to drive in.
Naisbitt was the busier of the two goalkeepers pulling off a number of fine saves, but Grant Dawson, his opposite number was mostly a spectator. However, the visiting shot-stopper pulled off an excellent claim from a Stuart Morrison free-kick.
Caine was the goalscorer for the eighth, battling and breaking free from their hosts’ back-four to tuck into the bottom left.
Bass Jr completed the scoring after being a recipient of the diagonal through-ball, tucking his shot past Naisbitt at the near post.
Who can derail the St George’s express? Corinthians will give it a go come the quarter-final this weekend.
TEAM CHECK
Foxdale: Stuart Naisbitt, Scott Kermeen, Jack Smith (John Kelly 60m), Matt Venables, Craig Lemaire, Stuart Morrison, Andrew Chadwick, Liam Leece, Gavin McLaughlan, Stephen Bettridge, Liam Cannan (Michael Cawte 50m). Sub not used: Andy Cover
St George’s Grant Dawson, Liam Cowin (Neil Brogan 75m), Sean Quaye, Johnny Myers, Julian Ringham, Ciaran McNulty, Chris Bass Jnr, Sam Caine, Andy Bass, Frank Jones, Conor Dempsey (Lee Dixon 83m)
Referee: Peter Beighton
Assistants: Winston Taylor, Gerry Thomson
Bookings: Quaye (St. George’s)
Sent off: Lemaire (Foxdale)
Man of the Match: McNulty (St. George’s)
Match rating: HHHHH