Maltby Main 2 v Sheffield FC 2 - PSF

Wednesday 25th July 2012, at Muglet Lane
Pre Season Friendly
Maltby Main (0) 2
Scott Somerville 48, Gavin Gould 57
Sheffield FC (1) 2
Dan Williams 26, Liam Garrett 70ish
Admission £5. No paper products available
The home side hit the Sheffield crossbar directly from a corner early in the game.
But I'm not sure who took it ... Maltby secretary John Mills, was busy carrying out his top heavy list of matchday duties, so I didn't trouble him to get a list of the players, because he does quite enough already as it is.
A real Mr Maltby Main, if ever there was one, is John.
Sheffield, playing in an all blue kit that resembles the colours of their time honoured local rivals Hallam, went ahead on 26 minutes, when Dan Williams squeezed the ball in at the near post from a left wing corner, a precision finish through the narrowest of gaps that completely confounded the Maltby keeper and two defenders who were guarding that stick.
Maltby, under their management team of Chris Dunn, Gary Middleton and Andy Carney impressed me a lot tonight, with some neat pass and go football around the edge of the Sheffield box.
First impressions seem to indicate that there's going to be some entertaining football played, on the deck, at Muglet Lane this season.
I'm looking forward to going back soon to check out if that's the case.
However, Sheffield, with Curtis Woodhouse in charge on the bench, the former pro boxer and Mansfield Town player, held onto their lead until half time and gave Liam Richardson in the Maltby goal a few testing moments, which he dealt with admirably.
Half time 0-1

Textbook throw in technique

Shortly after the half time break, Scott Somerville smashed home an equaliser for Main, from outside the box, that put the visitors on the back foot for a while.
And then on 57 minutes Gavin Gould put Maltby ahead, with an equally impressive strike that crashed home via the upright.
Maltby continued to play the game the way that God had intended, i.e. not reverting to hoofing the ball up the pitch, but looking to play a passing game; whilst the Sheffield XI (their strongest team played against Worksop Town last night), kept plucking away and looking to pull the game level.
On 70 minutes, Liam Garrett, beat Liam Richardson in a 50/50 race to the ball and knocked the ball over the Maltby custodian to make the score two apiece.
A decent game, spent in the company of some very knowledgeable local football aficionados (don't worry your identity will remain a secret), seemed to fly by in no time at all ... and I was home in less than 15 minutes of the final whistle sounding.
Full time 2-2

For the record:
The NCEL website has the half time score from this game recorded as 2-1.
But Maltby scored both their goals at the far end of the ground from the entrance, after half time, at the same end that Sheffield had taken the lead at, in the first half.
That said, my goal times are only approximate, so although I got the scoring sequence right, I'm no official timekeeper or 'owt.
Everybody make mistakes, especially me ;-)
And I confidently predict that this blog will be full of them this season, in no time at all.
I'll be checking the NCEL fixtures ASAP, to see when I can squeeze another Maltby Main home game in ASAP, if this is how they intend to play.