Thursday 28th July 2011, Friendlyat the Tech 5 Stadium, Westfield Lane, South Elmsall
Frickley Athletic (1) 4 (Jack Watts 43, 71, 76 Leon Henry 84)
Staveley Miners Welfare (0) 0
Admission £4, No Programme, Free team sheet
A minutes silence was observed before the kick-off in memory of former club official, Mr Alan Newbound.
Frickley Athletic:Lawrence Matthewson (Jordan Bradshaw 71min), Gavin Smith (Charles Fisher 71min), James Kay, Lee Bennett (Danny Walsh 60min), Lincoln Adams, Michael Simpkins, Alex Callery, James Ashmore, Ashley Longstaff (Bradley Grayson 60min), Ollie Ryan (Jack Watts 14min, Teo Ringrose 81min), Carl Jones (Leon Henry 60min).
Staveley MW: Adam Ledger, Michael Staley, Luke Smith, Tom Jones, Dario Mazzola, Richard Patterson, Martin Foster, Ahmed Tahac, Ryan Damms, Simon Baraclough, Joe Thornton, Chris Fawcus, Andrew Fox, Todd Jordan, Lee Antony.
Tonight Staveley played Adam Ledger, their Under 19's goalkeeper, covering for injuries in that position at the club ... but Adam had acquitted himself well at this season's Teversal tournament and is capable of stepping up to the first team when required.
First chance of the night fell to Frickley's number 11 Carl Jones, who smashed a 25 yard effort narrowly wide.This blog entry could've been subtitled 'The Jack Watts Show' given the Frickley strikers match winning performance.
Watts entered the fray on 14 minutes in place of Ollie Ryan who'd taken a knock.
That said, Ashley Longstaff, with a bit more luck in front of goal could've bagged an hat trick tonight too.
Longstaff's first effort cleared the crossbar and won't have pleased that nice old man with the allotment behind that end of the ground. His second, a one on one with the Staveley keeper was well blocked by Adam Ledger and the third (all three coming in the first half an hour) was cleared by the Staveley defence when Longstaff took too long on the ball instead of just belting it first time.
Staveley created a few good chances themselves during the first half, with both Damms and Baraclough looking threatening up front.
Ashmore and Simpkins line up to take a free kick
Jack Watts opened the scoring on 43 minutes, when Alex Callery's cleverly worked free kick found James Ashmore in space and his cross cum shot was tucked away by Watts ... a predators goal to finish a neat move.
Ryan Damms had the ball in the back of the Frickley goal two minutes later, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
Frickley went in at half time 1 goal ahead, just as they had when I saw them at Gainsborough a few days ago, but in the second half, unlike the game at Trinity where they had to absorb a tide of pressure from the rapidly improving Blue Square North side, Athletic really took this friendly with Staveley by the balls and applied the pressure after the break.
Shortly after the start of the second half Damms got into a goalscoring position again but was thwarted by Lincoln Adams, but from then on the visitors were mainly on the back foot.
I probably gave Staveley the kiss of death when I tipped them to do well in the NCEL Premier this season, but they'll play far better than this when the league season starts and were up against a side tonight full of purpose and a desire to stamp their mark on the game.
Ryan Damms had the ball in the back of the Frickley goal two minutes later, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
Frickley went in at half time 1 goal ahead, just as they had when I saw them at Gainsborough a few days ago, but in the second half, unlike the game at Trinity where they had to absorb a tide of pressure from the rapidly improving Blue Square North side, Athletic really took this friendly with Staveley by the balls and applied the pressure after the break.
Shortly after the start of the second half Damms got into a goalscoring position again but was thwarted by Lincoln Adams, but from then on the visitors were mainly on the back foot.
I probably gave Staveley the kiss of death when I tipped them to do well in the NCEL Premier this season, but they'll play far better than this when the league season starts and were up against a side tonight full of purpose and a desire to stamp their mark on the game.
The Frickley Massive, the next generation
Alex Callery thought he'd put the home side 2 ahead on 65 minutes, but his effort was ruled out. Danny Walsh fired a rasping shot over the bar a few minutes later. It was getting a little bit one sided now.
A Staveley move broke down and Jack Watts charged over the half way line with the ball, there was nobody up to support him and hardly any defenders back to make a challenge as he homed in towards the last third from the right wing. Young Ledger advanced a few yards forward in anticipation of having to charge out and block Watts' angle, but that all the invitation the Frickley striker needed and he lobbed the ball just under the bar from all of 40 yards out ... what a finish!
Five minutes later young Brad Grayson put over an inch perfect cross for Watts to complete his hat trick, heading home past a demoralised Staveley back-line.
Watts came off on 81 minutes to a well earned round of applause from an appreciative crowd.
It was good to see that Frickley's substitute Leon Henry is coming back from injury and looking eager to get stuck in.
After coming on for Carl Jones on the hour, he set about tormenting Staveley down the left, while Brad Grayson, on for Longstaff at the same time as Henry, was making a few useful runs through from midfield too.
With five minutes to go, Grayson had a shot on goal saved but Henry was on hand to fire home the rebound, 4-0.
There was still time for Brad Grayson to make a surging run into the box beating four players on his way, but Staveley blocked his effort on the line and put the ball out for a corner.
In the very last few seconds of the game, Frickley had the ball in the net again, but once more the linesman had spotted an infringement.
Excellent performance from Frickley Athletic tonight and a bad night for Staveley MW.
The north Derbyshire side are back in action on Saturday when Worksop Town visit Inkersall Road, they'll no doubt be pleased to hear that the Tigers released Jack Watts last season and they won't have to play him again so soon while he's in this kind of form.
That's actually one of the games on my short list of possibilities for Saturday.
A Staveley move broke down and Jack Watts charged over the half way line with the ball, there was nobody up to support him and hardly any defenders back to make a challenge as he homed in towards the last third from the right wing. Young Ledger advanced a few yards forward in anticipation of having to charge out and block Watts' angle, but that all the invitation the Frickley striker needed and he lobbed the ball just under the bar from all of 40 yards out ... what a finish!
Five minutes later young Brad Grayson put over an inch perfect cross for Watts to complete his hat trick, heading home past a demoralised Staveley back-line.
Watts came off on 81 minutes to a well earned round of applause from an appreciative crowd.
It was good to see that Frickley's substitute Leon Henry is coming back from injury and looking eager to get stuck in.After coming on for Carl Jones on the hour, he set about tormenting Staveley down the left, while Brad Grayson, on for Longstaff at the same time as Henry, was making a few useful runs through from midfield too.
With five minutes to go, Grayson had a shot on goal saved but Henry was on hand to fire home the rebound, 4-0.
There was still time for Brad Grayson to make a surging run into the box beating four players on his way, but Staveley blocked his effort on the line and put the ball out for a corner.
In the very last few seconds of the game, Frickley had the ball in the net again, but once more the linesman had spotted an infringement.
Excellent performance from Frickley Athletic tonight and a bad night for Staveley MW.
The north Derbyshire side are back in action on Saturday when Worksop Town visit Inkersall Road, they'll no doubt be pleased to hear that the Tigers released Jack Watts last season and they won't have to play him again so soon while he's in this kind of form.
That's actually one of the games on my short list of possibilities for Saturday.
