Staveley MW U19 5 v Hallam U19 1 - NMU19L Div 1

Monday 7th January 2013 at Inkersall Road
Staveley Miners Welfare  (2) 5
Steve Mansell 3, 56, 
Lewis Haywood 28, 
Ryan Watters 46, 
Kurtis Morley 72
Hallam FC  (0) 1
Herve Sezerano 78
Admission £2, Programme 50p
Ta very much to Ele Reaney, for the team details and a good old gossip ;-)

Left Hallam team, right Staveley team - left click to enlarge

Without wanting to state the bleeding obvious, the main difference between these two sides tonight, was goals, i.e, Staveley's ability to take their chances and Hallam's propensity not to.
This win saw the home side leapfrog Retford United in the table. 
They are now a point ahead of their North Notts title chase rivals, who they play away from home at the end of January, in an eagerly anticipated game at the Jones & Co Solicitors Stadium (or Cannon Park as it used to be called).
Staveley have a plus 3 goal difference advantage over the Badgers, but that could soon be wiped out though, because the prolific Bassetlaw based side, are currently top scorers in Division 1.
Fellow contenders, Sheffield and Handsworth both have league games later this week. While Retford are in League Cup action at home to Matlock Town on Thursday.
The home side knew not to underestimate Hallam tonight, because 'the Countrymen', had spanked Handsworth 6-2 last month at 'the oldest football ground in the world'.
However, Staveley were in front, as early as the 3rd minute, when Steve Mansell headed home a right wing corner.
Hallam cleared their lines on 20 minutes, when Ryan Watters, playing well out the right delivered a cross deep into the south Yorkshire sides box ... and they were under pressure again when James Whitfield shot narrowly wide shortly afterwards.

Ryan Carroll ought to have done better when he headed the ball against the Blues crossbar, but the chance served as a reminder to Staveley that the visitors were still in the game and they stepped up their game, which culminated in a goal, when Lewis Haywood knocked home a poachers goal after NIck Harrison had fumbled a right wing free kick.
Apologies for not recording all of the assists makers and free kick takers tonight, I was a bit preoccupied with pressing matters elsewhere and only took the minimum amount of notes, due to my phone continuously disturbing me..
I'm really slack and lazy some times ;-)
Ryan Watters had the chance to make it 3-0 after Jordan Claxton found him with a good ball from out on the left, but Nick Harrison stretched and tipped the ball over the bar.
Jake Smith headed over the bar shortly afterwards and James Whitfield headed wide from a Ryan Watters cross.
But it was the visitors who finished the half strongly, as Staveley had to dig in, to keep a succession of corners away their goal.
HT - Staveley MW 2 v Hallam 0

50 seconds into the second half, Ryan Watters, added a 3rd Staveley goal from close range.

I didn't need to consult my watch, because the Hallam managers quite graphic description of the goal time was clearly audible, where I was sat in the stand, on the far side of the pitch from the dug outs.

Take it as read ... he wasn't very happy and then some.
Steve Mansell scored Staveley's 4th, having running from the centre circle, before capitalising on a slip in the Hallam defence, to finish from 30 yards out.
James Whitfield was the next Staveley player to try his luck, when he dispoossed Jack Hague, just inside the Hallam half, but having reached the visitors goal area and having done all the hard work, he couldn't get enough power into his shot.
Hallam, despite being so far behind, kept plugging away, but only had themselves to blame when a couple of half chances went begging.
Danny Booth's snap shot was turned around the post by Mark Hicken for a corner, as the visitors refused to chuck the towel in.
Jake Smith and James Whitfield broke forward together at pace, Smith knocked the ball sideways to Whitfield, but Harrison pulled off a quality save to keep the ball out.
Once again, Hallam showed that they were still up for chasing the game, when Ryan Ruddiforth thumped a crashing shot narrowly wide.

On 72 minutes, after Jake Smith and Jordan Hendley almost scored amidst a goalmouth scramble ... but when Staveley got a third bite at the cherry, Kurtis Morley squeezed the ball home from a tight angle.
Morley nearly added another a minute later. when his free kick from out on the left flank, evaded everybody in the box and came back off the right hand post.
After the let off, Hallam counter attacked and pulled a goal back, when Herve Sezerano, netted from close range to make ot 5-1.
He looked like a class act tonight and was still focussed on his game and approaching things in a calm and assured way, even though his team were, by now, well beaten. Not that you'd have guessed it, because, they created several more chances as the clock ran down, in a game that cold quite easily have finished 5-4.
But Staveley, having racked up such a convincing lead, held on until the end.
FT - Staveley MW 5 v Hallam U19 1
Coming next ...
I'm driving over for a committee meeting at Harworth Colliery FC tomorrow, which I expect will be a very long but quite productive one.
And then I'm back at Scrooby Road, for an Under 19 game v Carlton Town Academy, the night after too.