A reshuffled defence without Richard Mintoft who has a
slight hamstring problem saw Jack Hutchinson from the Staveley Miners Welfare
under 21s make his first team debut at right back and saw Chris Baugh move into
the centre alongside Matt Varley with Charlie Olgesby moved out to the left. Otherwise
it was as you were for this NCEL Premier League clash against Retford United
and for the second game running a number of players from both clubs and
Staveleys management Team came up against former employers.
This was a much friendlier occasion given that Brett
Marshall actually won the title with the badgers but the game was no less tense
than the Clipstone encounter as two evenly matched teams gave everything in the
quest for the precious three points….
Retford got the game underway and after a few minutes of
sparring they also got in the first attack…of sorts.
Staveley were caught in possession down their right hand
side and the badgers sprang forward in numbers. Christian Savage found himself
near the corner flag and passed to Adam Lee in the box. Lee’s route to goal
however was blocked by Chris Baugh (Retford fans player of the year back when
they won the title) Charlie Oglesby and Steve Carty. With no shot on, Lee made
it to the byline and cut the ball back for Johnathan Roper but Ash Rawson made
sure it never reached the number eleven and cleared and after Retford had
recycled possession to launch another attack the danger was finally averted
with the aid of an offside flag.
The sparring continued and Staveley and the fantastic 203 in
attendance had to wait until the 13th minute for their first
chance…Jamie Brown judged the bounce of a fifty / fifty ball in the middle of
the park better than Mark West and used that same bounce to flick the ball over
the head of Mark Waters and raced towards goal before unleashing a shot from
well outside the area which, unfortunately went well wide in the end.
Two minutes later another former Retford player Adam Scott
after collecting a lay off from Courtney Hastings, beat two players while the
third intercepted his attempted pass only managing however, to clear as far as
Courtney Hastings who rode a challenge before seeing his shot from the edge of
the area blocked, and then a similar shot from Hastings was blocked out for a
corner just moments later after he was found by Adam Scott.
From that corner Staveley were awarded a free kick on the
left just outside the area from which Kieren Watson narrowly put over the left
angle of post and crossbar.
Jamie Brown was stopped in his tracks by Jordan Good who
became the first of many players to go into the referees book, to be fair to
Good it wasn’t a malicious tackle, Brown had just been too quick for him.
Adam Scott crossed the resultant free kick into the box but
it was cleared and Retford hit Staveley
on the counter attack…Christian Savage caught Ash Rawson as he tried to clear
the danger but play was waved on, where Bradley Johnston strode forward from
left back and found Johnathan Roper. His low cross from the left went straight
across the six yard box on would’ve only needed a touch to go in but no one in
black and white stripes had gambled and Nick Siddons was able to race out of
goal and collect the ball.
Midway through the first half Courtney Hastings was pulled
back by Mark Waters as he tried to get another shot away but whilst falling on
the floor he was clattered by Mark West’s clumsy attempt to clear the loose
ball. A melee ensued as Hastings, who gets this sort of attention week in week
out reacted to something said by Waters and a break of five or so minutes was
needed to sort it all out and book the main protagonists. To be fair to the
officials they got most of it right and after all that Staveley didn’t make
anything of the freekick.
With no quarter being asked or given it was going to be
either a mistake or a bit of magic that broke the deadlock and thankfully for
Staveley the latter arrived just before halftime…Kieren Watson flicked the ball
on for Jamie Brown to chase and he got the better of Jordan Good who couldn’t
clear properly. Brown found Ash Rawson
in the centre of midfield and he in turn knocked it to Adam Scott who took one
step forward before hitting an unstoppable twenty yard drive into the top left
hand corner…
HT: Staveley MW 1 – 0 Retford United.
Retford were back in the game on 49 minutes when from a
corner, Mark Waters got in front of his marker and redirected the low cross
into the back of the net giving Staveleys Goalkeeper Nick Siddons no chance.
Staveley MW 1 – 1 Retford United
Siddons again had to be alert just after the hour when he palmed
out a shot from the edge of the area from Retfords Adam Lee, but the game had
settled back into the same pattern with neither side taking the game by the
scruff of the neck and making it theirs. A fact recognised by Staveleys
management as they threw on central midfielder George Johnson, another of the
under 21s making his first team debut in the place of Jamie Brown and replaced
19 goal Courtney Hastings with new signing Dan Fletcher just 18 himself, who
has recently been released by Mansfield Town having made the first team on two
occasions.
These changes heralded a switch to a 4-3-3 formation with
Adam Scott moving further forward, and would pay dividends come the end of the
game although Scott would later leave the field with a neck injury to be replaced
by Luke Walker.
Before Scott was replaced though Steve Carty nearly restored
Staveleys lead when he latched onto a pass, over the top of the defence from
Charlie Oglesby hitting a left footed strike on the half volley which Retford
‘keeper Jamie Davies fumbled but unfortunately Alex Sellars cleared away from
the attentions of Dan Fletcher who was about to pounce on Davies’ mistake.
After Kieren Watsons goal in the 68th minute was
disallowed for offside as he slammed home an Adam Scott shot which had cannoned
off the crossbar It looked for all the world that the game would end in a draw
but a quick look at the pre-game stats suggested that there might just be
something in it for Staveley as most of the goals that Retford have conceded
this season have come in the final fifteen minutes and most of the goals that
Staveley have scored have come in that same period and it proved to be the case
again…
In the 78th minute the tireless Ash Rawson
towered above Johnathan Roper to win a header on the centre spot which sent Kieren
Watson free on the left, he had the time to look up and with the outside of his
right boot centred the ball into the no mans land between goalkeeper and
defender where Dan Fletcher was waiting to pounce and he was able to stretch
and poke the ball home.
Staveley MW 2 – 1 Retford United.
Retford did have a chance to equalise but Nick Siddons
redeemed himself with a brilliant save from a Mark West half volley 6 yards out
after he had poorly punched out an Adam Lee freekick which had been tossed into
Staveleys crowded area, and that was as close as they came as Staveley hung
onto to claim victory!
FT: Staveley MW 2 – 1 Retford United.
The Last word - Retford had proven to Worksop Town FC last Wednesday that they are a dogged hard working set of players and credit must go to their never-say-die attitude - but all too often, they got involved with the referee and needless cautions will cost the club a fortune if they are not careful - and may cost them points.
As for Staveley, on a bitterly cold day, with the pitch not being able to be rolled due to the torrents of rainfall, it was a game not for the purists. The home side dug deep and a special word for Kieren Watson, his work rate off the ball starts defending at the top - and he sets the standard for the more gifted players to follow.
Now it's Worksop Town FC (postponed) on Wednesday night (17th Feb), where it seems Worksop must win, otherwise their promotion chances will be more than long odds with having to rely on both Tadcaster and Handsworth blowing up! One may - but both?
The Welfare Waffle's very own 'stato' may have something to analyse about this...
Attendance: 203
SMWFC Line Up:1.Nick Siddons.2.Jack Hutchinson.3.Charlie
Oglesby.4.Ash Rawson.5.matt Varley.6.Chris Baugh.7.Adam Scott.(15.Luke Walker)
8.Steve Carty.9.Courtney Hastings.( 12.Dan Fletcher).10.Kieren
Watson.11.Jamie Brown.( 17.George
Johnson)
Subs not used:.14.Alex Pugh.16.Lewis Naylor
