Brett Marshall named an unchanged starting line up from the
3-0 win over Thackley in the previous game but brought in former Chesterfield
player Derek Niven who, made around 300 appearances for the Spireites in on
loan from Buxton on the bench and…
…After scoring seventeen goals and gaining twelve points
from their last six league games prior to today, Staveley Miners Welfare
alongside around thirty or so fans travelled up the M1 to Garforth Town with
reasonable expectations of a good result against the “Miners”, just one place
and two points above them in the table. Those hopes would be dashed in one the
most bizarre games you’re ever likely to see…
It started well enough though and a quick glance at the
stats suggested that the home side were susceptible to letting in the odd goal
or two inside the first fifteen minutes and with the lively Adam Scott up to
his usual tricks down the right hand side sliding a ball through to Courtney Hastings
which the inform striker just failed to get on the end of under pressure from
the defence, inside the first minute it certainly looked like that trend might
continue..
The two of them were involved in the next move just a minute
later when, Ross Goodwin brought the ball down and played in Adam Scott who had
stepped inside allowing Kyle Clarke space to move forward and join the attack
from right back. After receiving the ball from Scott, Clarke supplied Courtney
Hastings inside the box but with his back to goal and under pressure from
several defenders Hastings couldn’t get a shot away but instead held it up to
set up Clarke, after continuing his run forward into the box to shoot narrowly
wide of the far post.
A back header which Garforths Curtly Martin-Wyatt didn’t
know much about following a cross from Mark Simpson troubled Ryan Musselwhite
in goal for Staveley slightly, five minutes in but Staveley were soon on the
attack again.
This time Adam Scott ran across the field to play in Jamie
Brown who clipped a ball from left to right over to Kyle Clarke who, won a
throw-in trying to take on Tim Robertson playing at left back for the home
side. From which Courtney Hastings wiggled left, right and back again creating space
to shoot, but wide of the near post.
All the hard work was nearly undone after Curtly Martin
Wyatt robbed the ball off centre back Matt Varley, and looked certain to add to
his total of four goals this season as he raced clear but shot poorly when one
on one with Ryan Musselwhite who was able to save comfortably.
The Trojans went on the attack once again with Kyle Clarke
intercepting a clearance before feeding Courtney Hastings, who’s Cruyff like
turn took him to the byline. His cross, fired into the box hit one the many
Garforth players who from minute one had been swarming back to protect their
goal and was cleared for them to hit Staveley on the break delivering the
classic sucker punch…
Despite several desperate challenges the Trojans failed to
stop the ball coming into the Staveley box and an unmarked Luke Mangham seized
the opportunity to put Garforth 1-0 up by smashing home from close range after
fifteen minutes.
It went from bad to worse after Adam Scott was booked for
dissent, Kyle Clarke in making a genuine attempt to stop another Garforth
counter attack suffered a terrible injury (later confirmed to be a broken Tibia
and Fibula) and had to leave the field in an ambulance.
The game restarted after a 45 minute delay in the 25th
minute and five minutes later a Jamie Brown cross was cut out just as Courtney
Hastings was about to tap it in but by the 33rd minute Staveley were
two down when, a free kick pumped into the box wasn’t dealt with and came off
Curtly Martin Wyatt into the back of the net.
2-0
Courtney Hastings had what was to be pretty much the last
effort on goal for Staveley but saw his free kick palmed over by Ben Hunter in
the net for Garforth, and when it seemed that things couldn’t get any worse
Adam Scott was sent off for his second bookable offence for an off the ball
incident just before halftime…there may have been some provocation which wasn’t
spotted by the referee and maybe the situation could’ve been better handled but
Scott accepted there was no excuse for it and apologised after the game.
Half Time Garforth 2 – 0 Staveley Miners Welfare
Ross Goodwin and Charlie Ogglesby were replaced at the start
of the second half with Derek Niven and Alex Pugh as Staveley went to a back
three keeping Kieran Watson and Courtney Hastings upfront and Fabian Smith
returned to the central midfield role from right back where he had been filling
in for the unfortunate Kyle Clarke.
Kieran Watson shot wide after being put through by Courtney Hastings
and Derek Niven in the 46th minute but that was it as far as good
chances went for Staveley. But after going down to nine men after a quite
frankly bizarre decision to send off Steven Carty presumably for a denying a
“clear” goal scoring chance when on the left wing just past the half way line
it can hardly be surprising…
In fact the rest of the second half was a bit of a non-event
for both sides as the Garforth players seemed to agree with their own fans that
a half decent game (aside from the injury to Kyle Clarke) had been spoiled and
perhaps felt sorry for the Trojans as they laboured to create chances in the
quest to increase their goal difference which might prove useful at the end of
the season. And on the rare occasions they did get a shot on target in the last
twenty minutes Ryan Musselwhite who was arguably Staveleys best player on the
day was equal to them, with one tip over the bar from close range being
particularly impressive.
A bad day at the office for Staveley, but the result is
secondary when compared to what Kyle Clarke must be feeling today as he faces a
quite lengthy absence from the game and officials and fans from both clubs wish
him a speedy recovery.
Full Time: Garforth Town 2- 0 Staveley Miners Welfare
Attendance: 92
SMWFC Line Up:1.Ryan Musselwhite.2.Kyle Clarke.(12.Steven
Carty)3.Charlie Oglesby.(15.Alex Pugh).4.Fabian Smith.5.Matt Varley.6.Richard
Mintoft.7.Adam Scott.8.Ross Goodwin.(14.Ross Goodwin).9.Courtney
hastings.10.Kieran Watson.11.Jamie Brown.
Subs Not Used:16.Ellis Wall.17.Adam Wisdom
