Staveley Miners Welfare Manager, Brett Marshall was once
again able to play round pegs in round holes in this league fixture against
Liversedge as unlike on Saturday he was able to pick from a full strength squad
which also included fit again Kurtis Morley and Ellis Wall who was returning
from a suspension picked up earlier in the season.
Theirs and, available from the start this time Courtney
Hastings inclusion in the starting line-up gave Staveley the much needed
attacking prowess that was severely lacking at the weekend, it also took the
pressure off Adam Scott who at times against Retford had been a lone wolf in
the final third, and all four of them were to have a big say in this five star
performance from the Trojans....
After just four minutes Courtney Hastings was causing
problems and won a freekick just outside the box, from which Adam Scott tested
the reflexes of Liam Scott-Bell who brilliantly tipped it over the bar for a
corner from which Staveley took the lead…
Adam Scott floated the ball into the crowded box and it fell
kindly to Courtney Hastings who cleverly worked an angle and slotted the ball
home. 0-1
The home side have started the season reasonably well by
gaining points from the more fancied teams in the division but they were
struggling to cope with the interchanging front four of Staveley and with nine
minutes on the clock Courtney Hastings, this time much deeper than normal laid
off to Fabian Smith who hit a long raking pass for Ellis Wall, who was now
upfront to run onto. The ball bounced nicely for a first time volley, and just
close enough to the net with only the ‘keeper to beat but Wall elected to take a touch and allowed
time for the defence to get back and the chance was gone…
It was all Staveley, and around the quarter of an hour
mark a neat interchange of play between Courtney Hastings and Adam Scott set up
Ellis Wall for a strike on goal but one which Liam Scott-Bell was able to
collect. Then Scott himself went on a messi-esque run through three defenders
but weakly shot towards goal, before Alex Pugh and Fabian Smith exchanged
passes to set Adam Scott off again but this time Tom Brook got back to cover.
Liversedge threatened sporadically but only from long
range, however they did come very close to an equaliser in the 20th
minute… when a freekick given for a foul by Alex Pugh was steered around the
wall by Brandon Kane and everyone in Trojan orange was relieved to see and,
hear it ‘ping’ off the outside of the right hand post and out to safety.
Two more Staveley chances came and went just before half
time with Adam Scott slipping at the crucial moment just as he was about to pull
the trigger but he still managed to shift the ball to Kurtis Morley who fed
Courtney Hastings to shoot wide and a well worked short freekick routine
resulted in Ellis Wall firing over.
‘Sedges Tom Jackson had the last chance of the half when he hit a rocket
towards goal which went wide with Jason Fisher at full stretch.
HT: Liversedge 0 – 1 Staveley Miners Welfare
The first half had been more comfortable than the 0-1
score line would suggest and Staveley picked up in the second from where they
had left off - trying to get that all important second goal.
Straight away Man of the match Courtney Hastings was in
on goal again and he took on and beat right back Archie Watson on the byline
and from close range forced a good save down low from Liam Scott-Bell who
ignoring the nearby post bravely dived to his left and used the upright to
gather.
Hastings wasn’t tall enough to head a decent looking
right wing cross from Ellis Wall, and the Trojans number 9 was denied again
when he beat the offside trap to run in from the right and crashed an effort
off the crossbar which is probably still rattling.
An hour gone and even though Staveley looked the most
likely, the defence still had to be alert, against a side who were good in
possession but were not creating anything of any real note, with James Leggitt heading
off the line from a corner.
Five minutes later though Kurtis Morley breached the
defence by finally sticking the ball between the posts after efforts from
Courtney Hastings and Ellis Wall had been blocked. 0-2
Then the floodgates well and truly opened this time Ellis
Wall applied the finishing touch to a similar move which involved Wall crossing
for Adam Scott who then returned the favour.0-3
Three became four a minute later with Liversedge, to
their credit still trying to play football and salvage something from the game
Courtney Hastings broke free and slipped in Adam Scott who slipped himself but
still got a hefty enough touch on the ball to send it sailing into the net.0-4
The fifth goal came with 10 minutes remaining and
involved three of the four main protagonists and probably would’ve included the
fourth, Ellis Wall had he not been replaced by Mohammed Tijani by this point.
Adam Scott carried the ball on one of his trademark untracked runs through the
centre of midfield and had enough presence of mind to not play in Tijani who
had strayed offside, instead Scott turned, had a look round and fed Kurtis
Morley out on the right who crossed for Courtney Hastings to head home.0-5
Staveley blotted the copy book late on when in waiting
for an offside flag they allowed Archie Watson to steal in at the far post and
cross for Andrew Wood to grab a consolation at the death.
Full Time Liversedge 1 – 5 Staveley Miners Welfare
Chairman’s message :Many a time the “Excuse Book” is
reached for by managers – to be fair Marshy hasn’t moaned and groaned about the
continual absenteeism of players in the first 6-weeks but this has given a
large number of players opportunities to have air time. Whether they have
“grasped the nettle” is a matter of opinion. The one remaining first team
player from last season, Ellis Wall, has been joined by players promoted from
the U21’s within the club and more experienced players from outside the club.
Eventually the “mix” of players is hoped to bring with it a stylish winning way
of life. One thing is for certain, that is the Staveley front lot have
individual prowess to frighten many a team as Liversedge found out tonight.
Then again, behind the goal scoring seekers must lie a solid hard working off
the ball defensive unit; blend that potent strategy together and Marshy just
may have what he strives for.
Terry Damms
