We’re kind of reaching the “business end” of the season and
prior to kick off only 6 points separated the top five which despite the
disparity in games played between those teams should lead to an exciting run in
from now and the end of the season.
It’s no less exciting at the wrong end of the table as this
season three clubs will be relegated to division one and like the top the
disparity of games played means that even Garforth in 14th!! place 5
places and 11 points off the dropzone can’t really consider themselves as
“safe”...
...Staveley Miners Welfare’s opponents for this game Nostell
Miners Welfare once again found themselves deep in trouble just one point above
that relegation zone but having played more games than anyone around them. They
are however the Trojans “bogey” side having never lost to the Men from North
Derbyshire on their own patch. (Staveley did win an “away” game against Nostell
in 2012 but the game was reversed to Inkersall Road.)
Brett Marshall made a few changes to the starting line-up
and back came Richard Mintoft in the centre of defence with Ryan Watters
starting at right back and Luke Walker in front of him on the right of midfield.
Dan Fletcher was preferred to Courtney Hastings upfront.
Staveley got the match underway an kicked from left to right
(if you were looking at it from the main stand) and the first attack came
courtesy of some tenacious battling from Ryan Watters as he wrestled possession
back for the Trojans and set Adam Scott off down the right. He took on left
back Jamie Allsop but couldn’t pull the cross back enough and the home sides
goalkeeper, Ed Hall was able to comfortably gather at the near post.
The referee got in the way of Adam Scott and the delay in
gaining possession forced him to find Dan Fletcher instead of carrying the ball
forward into a more dangerous position. Fletcher making his first start for the
Trojans looked to have been fouled but the claim was waved away and Nostell
quickly moved the ball forward for Liam Radford to run onto but an alert Nick
Siddons in the Staveley goal snuffed out the danger by gathering on the edge of
the box just before Radford could get there. And the same thing happened at the
other end, this time Dan Fletcher was thwarted by Ed Hall as he was put through
via a powerful defensive header from Richard Mintoft, a flick from Kieren Watson
and a final pass from Luke Walker down the left hand side.
Kieren Watson was linking the midfield and attack
brilliantly coming back to win the loose balls and in the 6th minute
he did just that hitting a pass over the top of the Nostell defence to Adam Scott
who, from a long way out snatched at a shot which Ed Hall gathered easily.
Scott perhaps didn’t realise he had lots more time and space to do more with
it.
It was Ryan Watters who next exploited the home side
vulnerability to the ball in behind them and Adam Scott was again the
beneficiary as he found space and sent in a low ball across the six yard box to
which Kieren Watson would’ve tapped in had it not been for Luke Blackburn who
just got there first and was able to clear.
Staveley were pressuring, probing and building momentum, but
Nostell were showing why despite limited resources they’ve been able to win the
battle against relegation and sustain their Premier League status year in year
out, by sticking to their tasks and staying in contention and Andrew Davis hit
a speculative shot which although didn’t trouble Nick Siddons it alerted
Staveley to the threat that Nostell posed and that victory would not be a
formality.
Matt Varley encouraged
his team mates to “move the ball quicker” and they responded with Steve Carty
winning a header down the left which fell to Dan Fletcher, playing in Luke
Walker who pulled his shot just wide of the far post and a minute later it was
Walker who flick headed the ball onto Steve Carty again down the left. This
time Carty got in front of his marker, Luke Blackburn and inside the box the
fullback made a clumsy challenge and brought down Carty to concede a penalty to
the Trojans. Which Kieren Watson smashed into the back of the net.
Nostell MW 0 – 1 Staveley MW
Nostell threatened through a Luke Gordon freekick and
dangerous looking crosses into the box, the majority of which were dealt with
comfortably by the Staveley defence, and then a moment of brilliance from Dan
Fletcher looked to have put the game beyond the home side. Fletcher controlled
a highball and could’ve played in Luke Walker but held onto the ball instead,
worked some space under pressure from two defenders and hit a right footed
curler into the far corner of Ed Halls goal from the left edge of the area with
26 minutes on the clock.
Nostell MW 0 – 2 Staveley MW
Luke Walker was then replaced by George Johnson who had
played 90 minutes in the under 21s 5-0 victory the day before and Staveley went
to a 4-3-3 as the half ended with Nostell again on the attack, but a freekick
was given against them for a foul as they swung in a corner.
HT: Nostell MW 0 – 2
Staveley MW
If the first half had been Staveleys then the second was
very much Nostell’s, immediately after the restart Kabine Dumbaya almost pulled
one back with a cheeky lobbed attempt as he saw Nick Siddons slightly off his
line but it went over the bar…just.
Luke Gordon who in the reverse fixture had been Nostells
main threat pulled a shot wide on 53 minutes as Staveley even though they were
still two goals to the good seemed to be panicking on possession, struggling to
string two passes together when they should’ve been in complete control.
The Trojans were still involved in an attacking sense though
and had now reverted back to a 4-4-2 with Kieren Watson dropping to the left of
midfield as Ash Rawson left the field through injury to be replaced by Courtney
Hastings.
Just on the hour the highly rated George Johnson clipped a
ball over for Kieren Watson whose left sided cross was cut out before Hastings
could pounce. Dan Fletcher then hit an Adam Scott corner over and Courtney
Hastings stung the hands of Ed Hall after being put through by a delightfully
weighted deft pass from Richard Mintoft who was up from the back for a corner.
As the game edged ever closer to the end it became a bit
long and possession changed hands more and more as both sides had decent
efforts on goal and had spectators just arrived they would’ve been hard pressed
to tell that there was a two goal advantage for one of the sides.
The home sides Fidel Mholo to his credit stayed on his feet
in the box when he possibly would’ve won a penalty following a challenge in the
Staveley area and blazed his shot wide with fifteen minutes left.
With eight minutes left Ryan Watters passed to Dan Fletcher
who turned Jamie Allsop inside out before hitting a shot against Ed Hall when
Courtney Hastings was arguably better placed and from the resultant corner
Hastings rose highest but directed a powerful header agonizingly wide.
2-0 is a funny old lead though as one goal for the
opposition changes the game, gives them the impetus, a carrot to chase if you
like and Nostell got their goal with just two minutes remaining when a Luke
Gordon cross from the right was headed home by Andrew Davis.
Nostell MW 1 – 2 Staveley MW
And they nearly grabbed hold of that carrot when they were
awarded a dubious looking penalty given when Matt Varley dived to block a shot
in the area, handball? Reckless challenge? Who knows? But it didn’t matter as Luke
Gordon stuck the ball into the trees behind Nick Siddons goal and Staveley hung
on for the three points in a game that was much more uncomfortable than it
needed to be.
FT: Nostell MW 1 – 2 Staveley MW
Results on the day might mean the battle for promotion gets
a little less interesting as Tadcaster Albion opened up a two point advantage
at the top but with 4 games in hand over their rivals, they now have be
considered as overwhelming title favourites. And Staveley will have to play much better on
Wednesday night at Inkersall Road when they roll into town featuring former
Manchester United and Champions League winner Johnathan Greening.
As for the bottom of the league it remains as you were but
despite having played more games, on the evidence of this performance Nostell
may well yet survive for another season in the Premier League.
Attendance: 56
SMWFC:1.Nick Siddons.2.Ryan Watters.3.Charlie Oglesby.4.Ash
Rawson(15.Courtney Hastings).5.Matt Varley.6.Richard Mintoft.7.Adam
Scott.8.Steve carty.9.Dan Fletcher.10.Kieren Watson.11.Luke Walker(14.George
Johnson)
Subs not used: 12. Jack Hutchinson.
