This third round league cup tie finally took place at the
third time of asking after being postponed because of inclement weather
previously and it wasn’t exactly a balmy summers evening this time around
either as the temperature plumbed new depths and the wind howled through the
main stand at Garforth Towns Cedar Ridge stadium but some of the play from
Staveley Miners Welfare will have warmed the hearts of those that made the trip
from North Derbyshire...
...To the casual observer it looked like the Trojans
employed a 4-2-3-1 formation with Chris Baugh continuing in the defensive
midfield role alongside the returning Steve Carty who had more of a licence to
get forward, in front of those two Kieren Watson played on the left, Adam Scott
down the right with Courtney Hastings up front and as always the under 21 side
was well represented with Tom Gambles at right back Alex Pugh in the centre of
defence and George Johnson wearing number 11 occupied the “number 10” role!
After a minutes
silence following the loss of one of their loyal supporters – Ralph Backhouse
Garforth got the game underway kicking towards the trees and both sides started
well, perhaps the need to keep warm spurred them on…
Garforth got forward early on and Ash Preece volleyed a
Charlie Oglesby clearance back towards goal but Nick Siddons wasn’t troubled
and gathered comfortably and moments later Preece again threatened from a
corner but this time headed wide.
Staveley soon got into gear and Steve Carty played a
superb ball through the Garforth defence for Adam Scott who couldn’t quite
break past the last man but checked and slipped a reverse ball to Courtney
Hastings whose shot towards the far post was kept out by the right foot of Tom
Osbourne in goal for the home side.
With nine minutes on the clock Charlie Oglesby providing
the width from left back saw his cross cut out for an Adam Scott corner from
which Kieren Watson rose highest in the crowded box to nod the Trojans into the
lead.
Garforth Town 0 – 1 Staveley MW
The attack minded players in the Staveley line up were
switching around all the time and ten minutes after taking the lead Adam Scott
this time popped up in the number 10 position and again spotted the run of
Courtney Hastings but off balance he spooned his shot well wide.
Tom Gambles pretty much had the right hand side of the
field to himself and like Charlie Oglesby on the other side got forward at
every opportunity nineteen minutes in he got the better of a crunching tackle
and at the byline managed to get a cross in but it was just too close to Tom
Osbourne who was able to claim at his near post.
Staveley switched around again and this time it was the
classy George Johnson who was furthest forward and he latched onto a clipped
left footed pass from Tom Gambles who had stepped inside from the flank.
Johnson found Kieren Watson via an attempted interception from Jasim Alali and
Watsons stab toward goal was brilliantly and bravely saved by the feet of Tom
Osbourne who instinctively dived at the far post to prevent a certain goal.
Watson did put the ball in the back of the net from the resultant corner but it
was ruled out for a push elsewhere in the box– replays prove inconclusive
however.
The home side had largely been reduced to hitting
speculative pot shots from range and their own goal was leading a charmed life.
Tom Osbourne in particular was having the game of his life and he once again
thwarted Kieren Watson and Courtney Hastings, following a misunderstanding
between himself and his defence, somehow toeing the ball away from Staveleys
star strikers when stranded miles away from the comfort of his 18 yard box.
HT:Garforth Town 0 – 1 Staveley MW.
Staveley had played some really good stuff in the first
45 minutes but only had the one goal and were almost made to pay when a moment
of indecisiveness similar to the Garforth one from the first half between
Charlie Oglesby and Nick Siddons almost gifted the home side a chance to get
back into the game but Siddons was able to clear in time. They almost scored
from the resultant throw in as Staveley dwelt on the ball in a dangerous area
and were dispossessed allowing Mark Simpson to play in George Conway who skewed
the ball wide from the same area of the pitch that Courtney Hastings had done
earlier.
The snow-ish started to come down in the fifty first
minute but that didn’t stop Staveley as Alex Pugh from centre back strode
forward and found Adam Scott whose cross was nearly turned into the goal by a
defender and Scott should’ve buried a chance which fell to him at the near post
after Kieren Watson found him with a curling cross from the opposite flank but
tamely tapped it towards goal for Tom Osbourne to easily save.
Chance after chance went begging for the Trojans and
after Tom Osbourne had once again saved from point blank range from Kieren
Watson following a corner. Garforth began to believe that they could get
something out of the game and but for a last gasp challenge by Steve Carty, Mark
Simpson would’ve scored probably his best ever goal after skipping past three
Staveley challenges on his way into the six yard box.
Staveley were struggling to keep the ball and control the
game but as Garforth piled on the pressure they were hit by a devastating
Trojan counter attack. Chris Baugh was stronger than Garforths Ash Preece
winning the ball the defensive third with a strong tackle, the ball, skewed out
to George Johnson who passed it to Adam Scott. Scott knocked the ball forward
added “rocket fuel” to his boots and left the Garforth defenders trailing in
his wake, then he rounded Tom Osbourne who this time had no answer and slotted
the ball into the empty net. With just eight minutes left.
Garforth Town 0 – 2 Staveley MW
Two goals to the good Staveley were content with playing
time out, Jamie Brown on for Courtney Hastings showed off his skill by blocking
one challenge dragging the ball back from a second before being fouled by a
third, and Alex Pugh confidently sprayed passes from the back, the pick of them
being an inch perfect scoop out to Adam Scott on wide on the right for him to
head to the corner flag.
Garforth were not beaten yet though and having not had
much to do all night Nick Siddons in goal for Staveley was called upon in the
88th minute when he was equal to a left footed drive from George
Conway but he had no chance from the resultant corner which was bundled in by
Gregg Kidd.
Garforth Town 1 – 2 Staveley MW
Sensing the equaliser Garforth piled forward to try and
force the extra time that absolutely nobody wanted but good defensive covering kept
them at bay. One poor flatly hit cross
from Garforths Mick Jones almost made the scoreline more comfortable for
Staveley as the cross landed at Jamie Browns feet where he found Adam Scott in
exactly the same situation as before, through on goal with only one defender to
beat but unlike before he slid the ball under Tom Osbourne but couldn’t beat
the post!
FT: Garforth Town 1 – 2 Staveley MW
A classy performance from Staveley, at times. Who on the
balance of the 90 minutes deserved to go through to the fourth round where
things don’t get any easier as another long midweek trip awaits away at the
seaside against Cleethorpes Town.
Attendence: 80
SMWFC Line Up:1.Nick Siddons..Tom Gambles.3.Charlie
Oglesby.4.Chris Baugh.5.Matt Varley.6.Alex Pugh.7.Adam Scott.8.Steve
Carty.9.Courtney Hastings (14.Jamie Brown).10.Kieren Watson.11.George Johnson.
Subs Not Used:12.Matt Robinson.15.Lewis Naylor.16.Luke
Walker
Highlights from Garforth Towns official website
Highlights from Garforth Towns official website
