Wednesday 9 April 2014

Staveley Miners Welfare 1 v Barton Town Old Boys 3 - NCEL Prem

Left click to enlarge
Wednesday 9th April 2014
at Inkersall Road, Staveley, S43 3JL
Staveley Miners Welfare (1) 1
Joe Flint 30
Barton Town Old Boys (1) 3
Gareth Barlow 11, 76
Scott Phillips 76
Admission £5. Programme £1.50. Attendance 81
This week has been filled with sadness since hearing of the passing away of Staveley Miners Welfare stalwart Bernard Tilley on Saturday.
His presence will be sorely missed.
Prior to kick off the teams and spectators observed an immaculately observed minutes silence for a very popular man, who was one of the most well mannered, humble and knowledgeable people I've ever had the pleasure to know in football circles; mainly through our many meetings and chats at Under 19s games.
Commiserations to Bernard's family and everybody who knew him.
Tonight's visitors to 18th placed Staveley Miners Welfare, were high flying Barton Town Old Boys, who are currently 3rd in the table and still just about in the running for the NCEL Premier title.
Dec Howard, the former Retford United Under 19's keeper, who recently signed from Parkgate, became the ninth different player to start a game in the number 1 shirt for Staveley this season and although he ended up on the losing side tonight, he actually played very well.
Another ex Retford Under 19's player who emerged from tonight's defeat with pass marks, is Luke Walker, who switched clubs and moved across to Staveley last season.
Having impressed with the reserves recently, Luke featured in Saturday's 6-2 defeat for the first team and bagged himself a goal. Tonight, although he only featured in the game for the last ten minutes, he was unlucky not to have scored twice and put quality balls in from both wings as Staveley went on the offensive, looking to get back into the game.
Joe Flint, another product of the local Under 19 scene (at Mansfield Town) scored Staveley's only goal; and Matty Thorpe impressed with his non stop, box to box running throughout the game.
But tonight Barton Town Old Boys, had that bit more in their tank than the Blues and deserved their win.
The visitors towering front pair, Gareth Barlow and Scott Phillips, are a testament to the word stamina. They'll keep making run after run into the right areas all night long, until the opportunity arises for them to inflict damage on opposition defences, or take advantage of any odd slip up here and there .... and that pretty much summed their game plan and the eventual outcome tonight.
Well played Barton ... and God bless you Bernard Tilley.
Match report by my fellow SMWFC press gang co-conspirator Jim McIntosh