After a month of clocking up the miles on the highways and
byways of the North Staveley Miners Welfare finally returned home on the
coldest day seen in North Derbyshire for quite some time and made two changes to
the starting line-up for their game against Parkgate. Ryan Watters came in for
Jamie Brown and replacing Mohammed Tijani was fifteen goal striker Courtney
Hastings who was available for selection once again following a suspension.
Parkgate began the game and their leading scorer, Alex Lill
almost added to his tally immediately but was beaten to an excellent defence
splitting through ball from Alex Naylor by Staveley goalkeeper Ryan Musselwhite
who spotted the danger and saved at the feet of Lill.
Moments after surviving that slight scare play went up the
other end of the field and a passage of play involving Staveleys, left back
Charlie Oglesby, Courtney Hastings and Ashley Rawson who’s double block on Ben
Walkers attempts to clear fell to Adam Scott and his pass would have released Steve
Carty for a run into the box had he not been felled off the ball by Reece
Wesley.
Carty picked himself up and from the resultant freekick he
got in front of his marker, Nathan Allot and deftly flicked Adam Scotts cross
just inside the far post from six yards out giving the Trojans a second minute lead
they would never relinquish!
Staveley MW 1 -0 Parkgate
It was almost two as straight from the kick off Staveley
pressed and forced Parkgate into a hurried clearance which fell at the feet of
Ashley Rawson he found Courtney Hastings on the edge of the box who controlled
and laid the ball off to his strike partner Kieran Watsons whose strike spooned
of his boot and out would’ve gone out for a throw-in had Ryan Watters not
chased to collect, but his cross was collected easily by Ben Brunt in
goal…Watson would find his shooting boots later in the game though.
Most of the attacking intent was from the home side but they
were guilty of needlessly straying into offside positions and ruined several
good opportunities to increase their lead by doing so, but they did get it
right after ten or so minutes when a one two between Ryan Watters and Steve
Carty created a chance for Courtney Hastings but with the ‘keeper scrambling a
bit he steered Watters cross just wide of the far post.
Ryan Watters then collected a Fabien Smith throw turned and
left two defenders for dead, taking three more out the game by slotting a pass
for Courtney Hastings to run onto. Hastings shot was expertly saved by Ben
Brunt as he came out to narrow the angle and flicked out a hand but could only
knock it into the path of Ryan Watters who had re-joined the attack following
his initial pass. With the keeper stranded but with a swarm of covering
defenders he elected to pass to better placed team mate Adam Scott who
controlled it, took a step inside and rattled the ball off the base of the
post.
Apart from the half chance in the first minute Parkgate had
offered very little but have shown this season in beating the top teams that
are no pushovers and in Alex Lill they have a player who can be lethal in front
of goal and it was Lill who nearly levelled the score after fifteen minute when
he latched onto a punt upfield and with four Staveley defenders around him
still managed to create an angle to shoot which required the full stretch of
Ryan Musselwhite in the Staveley goal to palm wide.
And it was Lill versus Musselwhite again ten minutes later
when Parksgates forward controlled a high pass from Mick Jones and volleyed
towards goal but once again Musselwhite was up to the task and saved for Matt
Varley to clear.
There were further chances for Staveley but for the second
week running at half time they hadn’t turned their dominance in terms of
chances created into goals…
HT Staveley 1 – 0 Parkgate
But like last week the second half changed all that as
Staveley and in particular Kieren Watson, ran riot…
Watsons first of the afternoon came five minutes after the
restart via the penalty spot, firing low into the left hand corner under Ben
Brunt who had dived the correct way after Adam Scott had been clipped by Nathan
Allot whilst skipping round the defender following a pass from Ashley Rawson
who showed great vision in the dimming light to spot Scotts run down the right.
Staveley MW 2 – 0 Parkgate
His second came three minutes later after he collected a
poor attempted clearance and smashed it from just inside the area into the top
corner.
Staveley MW 3 – 0 Parkgate
Ryan Watters was unlucky not to make it four when Kieren
Watson turned provider flicking a throw-in through to the winger whose pace
took him through two defenders and in on goal but saw his placed shot just
touch the base of the far post and out to safety. – It would have been some
goal!!
Staveley wrapped up this fairly routine victory in the final
five minutes after another mazy Adam Scott run resulted in him being fouled
inside the box, this time by Reece Wesley and Kieran Watson completed his
hattrick by smashing home another penalty high into the roof of the net.
Full Time – Staveley MW 4 – 0 Parkgate
Attendence:151
SMWFC line up:1.Ryan Musselwhite.2.Fabian Smith.3.Charlie
Oglesby.4.Ashley Rawson.5.Matt Varley.(14.Alex Pugh)6.Richard Mintoft.7.Ryan
Watters(.15.Mohammed Tijani).8.Steve Carty.(12.Ross Goodwin).9.Courtney
Hastings.10.Kieren Watson.11.Adam Scott.
Subs not used. 16.Adam Wisdom. GK.Chris Butt
Chairman's message: It was a very professional despatching of a decent Parkgate
side but, when Staveley play their game and work as hard as they do, then they
are looking a half-decent side.
With the one remaining player from last season moving on,
this team is a combination of players from different sides, most not having
played under Brett Marshall (left), previously.
It has taken a 3-month period for him to get a style and
formation that is now producing a decent run of results, but let's not forget -
this is football!
He is getting his message across and getting the 16 players
involved, so that when given their opportunity on the pitch, they grasp it -
with those who are on the bench supporting their team mates on the pitch.
The season's target of finishing between 5th and 9th in the
league looks achievable and hopefully, the second half of the season will bring
a better points tally than the first half.
