Quickfire Quadri rescues point for Tigers

Hyde United’s first match at Leek Town since 2005 was marred by horrendous conditions as the two sides ground out a 1-1 draw.

Wind and rain from Storm Darragh hurtled around Harrison Park, and although the Tigers were far from their fluid best, Ewan Bange was once again their main attacking outlet. 

The 6’7” striker had a goal ruled out for a tight offside on 12 minutes, before having strong shouts for a penalty turned down later in the half by the unimpressed referee, David Hinton. 

The home side took the lead just past the half-hour when winger Hayden Campbell poked home a Nathan Okome header that ricocheted into his path via the Hyde crossbar. 

The ever-industrious Matt Fearnley replaced Harry Ditchfield at the break, the full-back waylaid by a hamstring injury, with the Tigers exerting more authority as the game wore on. 

Fearnley and captain Jack Redshaw came close for Hyde, but it was the introduction of the mercurial Ayo Quadri that swung the match.  

The teenager scored within a minute of coming on. Fearnley pounced onto a fluffed clearance by a Leek defender, laying it into the path of Quadri who swept home left-footed to claim his first league goal of the season. 

Hyde pressed for a winner, but a freak dislocated shoulder to Connor Heath disrupted their momentum and the game fizzled out at 1-1. 

“I feel sorry for the supporters, because if I was one, I’d want my money back,” said Nick Spooner. “You come to see a football match with two good footballing teams, and you can’t play in that.  

“That pitch is beautiful and it deserves a good game, but I’ve got experienced players in there who say that they’ve never played in conditions like that. They’re shivering. 

“I thought we tried over-playing. We didn’t play the weather at all. You’ve got to get it into the box because there’s going to be mistakes, and their goal came from one of ours. Second-half we played the conditions better.” 

The draw moves Hyde up into 5th place in the Northern Premier League table, above neighbours Ashton United on goal difference, whose game at Matlock was postponed.