With five games to go Staveley Miners Welfare have pretty
much achieved the top eight finish that they set out to at the start of the
season, but there’s plenty of reasons to push on till the end of the season not
least because the other teams in the league might be relying on results to
achieve their aims also.
That was the case on Saturday when Athersley Recreation visited
Inkersall Road. The Penguins with 39 points on the board were 6 points clear of the relegation zone but,
given the amount of games more that they have played than their rivals down in
the lower half of the table there was still an outside chance that they could
find themselves in trouble come the end of the season....
....Staveley are kind of in “planning for next season” mode and
went with pretty much the same squad youthful looking squad that played so well
against Cleethorpes in the cup with just Greg Fitzpatrick coming in at left
back meaning Matt Robinson missed out. However the Trojans had to resort to
plan B when an injury to Steve Carty in the warm up meant a change of shirt for
Matt Varley who took on Cartys role in midfield giving it a rather defensive
and unfamiliar look as another central defender in Alex Pugh was alongside him
in the number 4 shirt. Richard Mintoft moved from the bench to start the game
in the centre of defence, to replace Varley.
The game could not have started worse for the Trojans who
fell behind after just thirty five seconds when a long ball forward was allowed
to bounce enabling Kai Hancock to nip in to find McCauley Shilitto who from the edge of
the area clipped the ball high and over Chris Butt in goal for Staveley.
Staveley MW 0 – 1 Athersley Recreation
The thing about going behind so early on is that there is
still more than enough time to go and win the game but the rest of the first
half however won’t win any end of season awards as most if not all of the
attacks from both sides were of the “nearly, but not quite” nature.
Kieren Watson almost set up Nathan Jessop, hoping to add to
his two goals in midweek only to see his through ball intercepted by Adam
White. Jessop then tried to return the favour to Watson but saw his ball down
the right run through to Neal May in the Penguins net.
Nathan Jessop was involved again when he received a pass
from Jack Hutchinson via Matt Varley and rode a challenge before turning back
to Hutchinson whose pass down the right was flicked on by Kieren Watson into
space for Courtney Hastings to run onto. Hastings took advantage of a bounce
that beat former Trojan Tom Copping and hit an early left footed shot from
outside the box which went went just wide of the near post.
The visitors had their “chances” to… McCauley Shillito used
a similar technique to his goal but used it this time to clip over the head of
Jack Hutchinson into the path of Danny Cawley who saw his shot blocked by Matt
Varley. Chris Butt had a Ryan Smith shot from a corner which, just went wide
well covered, and the closest they came to extending their lead was when a Liam
Owen through ball was cut across goal by Kai Hancock to Danny Cawley who for
some reason appeared to run over the ball instead of tapping it goal wards.
HT: Staveley MW 0 – 1 Athersley Recreation
Ten minutes in the second half Staveley reshuffled he pack
somewhat by bringing on Under 21s midfielder Emmanuel Kanteh for his first team
debut alongside Jack Hutchinson who moved from right back which meant Alex Pugh
and Matt Varley could revert to more familiar roles in defence and the changes
seemed to have the desired effect as the Trojans pushed more and more in the
quest for an equaliser…
They broke quickly when an Athersley freekick was
intercepted by Matt Varley with Alex Pugh picking up on the loose ball clearing
to Kieren Watson who flicked the ball onto Courtney Hastings who broke clear of
Adam White despite the penguins number two snapping at his heels. Watson had
continued his run and was found by Hastings but his outside of the right boot
stab towards goal was tipped over by a brilliant one handed save from Neal May.
The corner was eventually cleared allowing Ryan Smith a break all of his own…
running half the length of the field into the Staveley penalty area he was
stopped in his tracks by Jack Hutchinson and Nathan Jessop but still managed to
get a shot away but one which Chris Butt was equal to.
A poor bit of officiating nearly cost Staveley dear when
Danny Cawley off the field to receive treatment for an injury was waved back on
just as the ball was played out to that area of the field allowing him to help
Ryan White dispossess Nathan Jessop when, Staveleys winger having looked
several times to see Cawley off the field, really should’ve been allowed the space
he had before the ball came to him. Fortunately though the resulting break
ended up with a poor cross into the arms of Chris Butt.
Just past the hour a great tackle from Emmanuel Kanteh
allowed Greg Fitzpatrick to set Nathan Jessop on a run down the right with a
perfect crossfield pass. Jessop beat Danny Cawley who had tracked him all the
way from just before the halfway line to the level with his own area. Jessops
cross was fumbled by Neal May under pressure from Kieren Watson, to Adam Scott
who hooked it first time towards goal from a tight angle but saw it headed out
for a corner by Tom Copping.
That corner went for another corner which was taken by Greg
Fitzpatrick and swung into the far post where, Matt Varley was able to knock it
back across goal. Richard Mintoft rose highest only to see his header hit the
post and back into the melee in the six yard box where a free kick was given to
the visitors… for some reason.
Tenacious pressing from Mohammed Tijani who had now come on
for Adam Scott won possession back for the Trojans and Richard Mintoft found
Dan Fletcher who had also joined the game from the bench, replacing Nathan
Jessop. Fletcher went back to Jack Hutchinson who pinged it to the right hand
corner flag and Emmanuel Kanteh. “Manni” passed to Mohammed Tijani who helped
it on to Jack Hutchinson whose cross was met by the head of Kieren Watson,
beating Neal May but not the angle of post and crossbar.
And despite being camped in the Athersley half for much of
the last twenty minutes it was to be one of those games as the away side hung
onto their precious victory, which they celebrated like a cup final win as the
three points probably will keep them in the division for next season.
Ft: Staveley MW 0 -1 Athersley Recreation
SMWFC:1.Chris Butt.2.Jack Hutchinson.3.Greg
Fitzpatrick.4.Alex Pugh.5.Richard Mintoft.6.Charlie Oglesby. (16.Emmanuel
Kanteh) 7.Adam Scott.(15.Mohammed
Tijani).8.Matt Varley.9.Courtney Hastings.10.Kieren Watson.11.Nathan Jessop.
(15.Dan Fletcher).
