8th August 2015 Toolstation Northern Counties
East League Premier Division
Staveley Miners Welfare (0)
Bridlington Town (1) 2
Lewis Clarkson 7
Joel Sutton 48
Attendance:154
SMWFC line up 1.Jason Fisher 2.Kyle Clarke.3.James
Finnegan 4.Steve Carty (14. Ellis Wall) 5.Alex Pugh 6.Ross Goodwin 7.Adam
Scott.8.Kurtis Morley 9.Kieran Watson 10.Mohammed Ibrahim(12.Jamie York). 11
Jamie Brown
Sub Not used: 15.Ryan Watters.16.Levi Walker GK Chris
Butt
It was a case of Deja vu at Inkersall Road as for the
second season running Bridlington Town were the visitors in Staveley Miners
Welfares first game of the new Toolstation Northern Counties East Premier
League season.
Staveley came into the game on the back of a good
preseason campaign where they hadn’t looked out of place against higher league
opposition and entered the field of play bathed in glorious sunshine and back
in traditional blue and white stripes, with white shorts and socks with no less
than seven of the Under 21 side that won the league cup last year in the squad.
Bridlington got the first half underway, one which both
sides used the opening exchanges of to feel their way into the new season and
trying not to over exert themselves in the considerable heat.
It was Staveley who got a foothold in the game first with
Adam Scott and Mohammed Tijani combining well to send Jamie Brown off on a run
but the ball was played just in front of the flying winger and ran out of play.
It was Bridlington however who had the first shot on
target, the bounce from a throw-in from near the dug outs eluded everyone and
into the path of Lewis Clarkson, a recent Brid acquisition from North Ferriby
and he let fly with a first time left footed strike from just inside the box to
which Jason Fisher in goal for Staveley dived low to smother comfortably.
The sparring continued, with both sides having offside
decisions going against them when in on goal but then Lewis Clarkson began to
show his quality with a long diagonal run which was tracked all the way by Alex
Pugh whose poke tackle allowed Kurtis Morley to clear the danger.
Clarkson wasn't to be denied moments later though, a long
looping clearance from left back Andy Coverdale and a defensive muddle allowed
the ball to bounce high into his path and without breaking stride he headed the
high ball over Jason Fisher and into the net.
SMWFC 0-1 Bridlington
With only seven minutes on the clock there was still
plenty of time to get back into the game and almost immediately Jamie Brown
returned James Finnegan’s throw-in and the left back found Adam Scott unmarked
on the edge of the box, he turned ran across the box but his shot was straight
at James Hitchcock in goal for the seasiders and he gathered comfortably.
The heat was clearly playing a part in proceedings with
chances coming sporadically following periods of scrappy play with possession
being turned over by both sides frequently in midfield.
Brid came close to increasing their lead midway through
the half when a great bit of skill allowed Joel Sutton to turn between the challenge
of two Staveley defenders and feed Lewis Clarkson to fire another low shot
across goal but one which Jason Fisher was equal to and he palmed it away, and
then Ross Goodwin cleared a looping shot from distance off the line which had
come from another of Bridlingtons long punts upfield, and the first half ended
with Staveley having most of the attacking intent.
Adam Scott got clear of his marker and raced down the
right finding with a clipped cutback, Mohammed Tijani in the box, whose first
time effort was cleared by a defender out to Steve Carty on the edge of the
area. He found Tijani once again and with many of the Staveley faithful
cheering the ‘equaliser’ saw his shot deflect into the side netting and out for
a corner where a foul in the box signalled the end of the first half.
HT SMWFC 0 – 1 Bridlington Town.
Bridlington started the second half the better and Joel
Sutton latched onto a Lewis Clarkson through ball and he nipped in between the
defence to poke the ball past Jason Fisher and put his side into a two goal
lead.
SMWFC 0 – 2 Bridlington Town
The game then settled back into the stop start heat
induced pattern of the first, both side once again being guilty of having one
pass too many or drifting into offside positions and after Kurtis Morley had
two shots blocked and a dangerous square ball across the box which was cleared.
Ellis Wall and Jamie York were brought on to replace a tiring Mohammed Tijani
and deep lying playmaker Steve Carty.
The change provided a much needed spark of creativity to
proceedings with Wall linking the midfield and attack to great effect and he
immediately signalled his intent by firing a shot towards goal but
unfortunately well wide.
A combination of Kyle Clarke and Ellis wall wrestled
possession back and from inside his own half Wall rode one challenge and drove
across the half way line into space before passing out left to Jamie Brown.
“JB” then recycled possession out to Adam Scott on the opposite side via Kurtis
Morley. Staveleys exciting winger then tied Andy Coverdale in knots by first
cutting inside then outside the full back before clipping a perfect cross into
the path of Kieran Watson who, with one eye on the nearby far post couldn't
sort his feet out and the chance was lost.
Staveley had the lions share of the possession in the
closing stages and created a few good chances, a Ross Goodwin header from a
corner which was cleared, two Jamie Brown runs which caused problems but no
clear cut shot on goal, Jamie Yorks long range effort was saved and Adam Scott
fired over from a narrow angle but, it was in fact Bridlingtons Joel Sutton who
actually came closest to scoring near the end when his left foot shot across
Jason Fisher hit the far post.
Full Time Staveley Miners Welfare 0 – 2 Bridlington Town
The score and the game represented a massive improvement
from the same time last season where Bridlington recorded a 1-4 victory (0-4 at
halftime) and despite what the score line suggests this time around there
really wasn’t too much to choose between the two sides and on another day
Staveley would have comfortably won this game.
