Sunday 8 November 2015

07/11/2015 v Maltby Main (a)

Matt Varley returned to the starting line up at the expense of Charlie Oglesby who dropped to the bench alongside new signing from Shirebrook Town Ashley Rawson. Having had his red card in the game against Garforth Town rescinded Steve Carty was able to play, in the left back position he seems to have made his own since filling in there previously and sitting out the game, but still in attendance to support his team mates was Adam Scott who wasn’t able to appeal his sending off in that same game...


After a bout of heavy rain which caused the postponement of their previous game Staveley Miners Welfare took to the field and kicked down the hill towards the carpark of Maltby Mains Muglet Road ground, in a slightly altered home kit of Blue and white striped shirts, BLUE Shorts and BLUE socks, with an opportunity due to other games in the division not surviving the weather to catch up (on games played) and rectify the slightly false looking position of 11th in the table. The same being true for the home side who have as many as seven games in hand on some clubs and find themselves in 16th.

A scrappy opening fifteen minutes saw both side’s huff puff and struggle to get to grips with the inclement weather and heavy bobbly surface…

…Play continued following a foul on Jamie Brown but was brought back for a freekick when an advantage failed to materialise and was quickly taken by Richard Mintoft to Jamie Brown but the ball ran out of play just as he was about to cross into the crowded box.

After twelve minutes Derek Niven exchanged passes with Steve Carty and his left wing cross was cleared out to Kieran Watson who shot wide and defender Matt Varley got in on the act with skills (including a dragback turn!!) the top attackers would be proud of, beating three players in midfield. and stroding forward with purpose before allowing the pitch to beat him as the ball bobbled and left Staveleys captain striking thin air.

It wasn’t all Staveley however and Matlbys combative style came to the fore when Steven Hopewell burst into the Staveley box and deftly back heeled it to striker Brian Cusworth to steer a shot wide of Ryan Musselwhites far post. This, moments after an overreaction from Cusworth and pretty much the entire Maltby bench had got Fabian Smith booked for an innocuous looking foul.

The game had been simmering but came to the boil on 23 minutes when Kieran Watson won and took a corner which Maltby goalkeeper Jamie Bailey had to palm over to stop it sailing in direct and from the second corner Matt Varley narrowly failed to get a touch on the ball which Maltby cleared up field and in an instant had won a corner themselves when Ryan Musslwhite in goal for Staveley looked to have collected the ball comfortably but had taken the ball over the line in doing so.

Unfortunately Joshua Nodder was able to do what Kieran Watson couldn’t just moments earlier and aided by there being no one in Staveley blue on the posts he put his side in the lead direct from the corner.

Maltby 1 – 0 Staveley MW

Their lead didn’t last long though as after Alex Pugh had exchanged passes with Jamie Brown down the right hand side he won a corner when his cross was diverted behind by what looked like the hand of former Staveley favourite Chris Fawcus, as he turned to try and block the cross although it wasn’t deliberate, you’ve “seen them given” and no doubt will again.

Justice was served however when Steve Cartys corner was headed into the middle of the goal by Courtney Hastings.

Maltby 1 – 1 Staveley MW.

A goal which should’ve settled Staveley merely galvanised Maltby into action, with their number 11 Sam Forster the tormentor in chief. After cutting inside and unleashing a fierce shot which just cleared the bar he headed towards goal where another comfortable save was made anything but by a nervy Ryan Musselwhite who fumbled the ball towards his own goal only to redeem himself by bravely diving onto the ball under pressure from Brian Cusworth sliding in at the far post but in the forty second minute an unmarked, unchallenged Jordan Poole scored the goal that the home side had been threatening for the last five or six minutes, tapping home a cross from the right.

Maltby 2-1 Staveley MW

It very nearly got worse for Staveley as just as the crowd were about to join the queue for the halftime pies, Steve Carty headed back towards Ryan Musselwhite who just about got something onto a Brian Cusworth header who had intercepted the attempted back pass.

Half Time: Maltby Main 2 – 1 Staveley MW

Through no fault of anyone something clearly wasn’t right and Staveley Manager Brett Marshall rang the changes at halftime with Ryan Watters coming on for Ross Goodwin and new boy Ashley Rawson coming on for what would be a rather impressive debut in the place of Fabian Smith.

The changes allowed Staveley to take control of the game but not before further defensive scares threatened to put it beyond their reach… as early as the forty sixth minute panic in the Trojan area resulted in a chance for the home side to tap the ball into an open goal but a combination of the rain, pitch and various bodies luckily resulted in it being spooned over from two yards and a Liam Flint flick from a corner took the ball off of Brain Cusworth head.

The Staveley fightback started on the hour when Steve Carty on half way found Kieran Watson inside the box who was tackled trying to bustle his way through two defenders fortunately the ball fell kindly to Courtney Hastings whose first time shot from just inside the area flew past Jamie Bailey into the roof of the net…

 Maltby 2 – 2 Staveley MW

Staveley and in particular Ashley Rawson took control of the midfield battle as an up until now reasonably comfortable home side crumbled and couldn’t cope with Ryan Watters and Jamie Brown who were joining the attack with relative ease.

On 62 minutes Jamie Brown fed Kieran Watson whose fierce strike went over the bar and the same man won a corner a minute later after being fed by Ryan Watters on the opposite side, from that corner Derek Niven almost gave Staveley the lead with a goalbound strike which cannoned off an onrushing defender.

The Trojans didn’t have to wait long for the lead though and on 70 minutes Courtney Hastings wrapped up his hattrick with a textbook header from a Steve Carty corner, won following a Jamie Brown surge down the left, sending the ball back in the direction it had come from and over Jamie Bailey in goal.

Maltby 2 – 3 Staveley MW

Charlie Oglesby came on for Derek Niven and went to left back with Steve Carty moving into the central midfield position vacated by Niven and it was Oglesbys pass that lead to the next goal…

Courtney Hastings collected the pass and ran in on goal where he was felled by Jordan Poole and this time the penalty claims were not waved away and in a brilliant show of team work usual taker Hastings, having already scored three had no hesitation in handing the ball to his strike partner Kieran Watson who lashed the ball straight down the middle to give the Trojans some breathing space.

Maltby 2 – 4 Staveley MW

To their credit Maltby kept going and kept Ryan Musselwhite busy but the game was over as far as the result was concerned when in the 82nd Jamie Brown capped a magnificent second half team performance cutting inside and unleashing a 20 yard shot which flew into the bottom corner…Courtney Hastings almost made in 6 in the last minute but saw his flick over the onrushing ‘keeper take a “bad bounce” round the post and got clattered in the process.

Full Time Maltby Main 2 – 5 Staveley MW


Attendence:48

SMWFC Line up:1.Ryan Musselwhite.2.Alex Pugh.3.Steve Carty.4.Fabian Smith(14.Ryan Watters).5.Matt Varley.6.Richard Mintoft.7.Ross Goodwin(12.Ashley Rawson).8.Derek Niven(15.Charlie Oglesby).9.Courtney Hastings.10.Kieran Watson.11.Jamie Brown.

Subs not used:16.Mohammed Tijani GK.Chris Butt