Askern Villa 0 v Albion Sports 4 - Baris NCEL Div 1

Monday 22nd April 2013
at the Welfare Ground, Askern
Baris Northern Counties East League, Division 1
Askern Villa (0) 0
Albion Sports (3) 4
Malachi Farquharson 3
Daniel Facey 23
Kayden Jackson 27
James Stansfield 75
Admission £4, Programme £1, Attendance 35

Bottom placed Askern Villa, tonight hosted league leaders and champions of the Baris NCEL Division 1 elect, Albion Sports.
The home side started on a goal difference of -104, while Sports had a slightly better return of +65.
So an away banker, if ever there was one.
Earlier this month, Askern let in 7 goals against Bottesford Town, 11 against Louth Town and 9 against Pontefract Collieries.
It is to their immense credit that they haven't just chucked the towel in and called it a day, buggering up the league table for every body else in the process, just like certain other teams have done in other local leagues recently.

When Malachi Farquharson put Albion Sports ahead in just the third minute, all 35 people present, myself included, anticipated another rout.
But a combination of rugged, determined defending and some poor finishing from the visitors, restricted Sports to just 3 more goals all night, 2 in the first half and another 1 in the last fifteen minutes, even though Askern finished the game a man light when they had a player dismissed for swearing at the linesman, or more to the point, for calling him a cheat.

Malachi Farquharson heads home the opening goal

Askern have always been a very welcoming club, who have been beset with misfortune and constant vandalism to their ground.
Doubtless, the next time I go there it will be to watch them in action in the CMFL next term, but at the moment that step down, might be just what they need as they regroup and try to get back on an even keel. And at least they'll have a few local derby games to relish next season, with Bentley, Brodsworth, Harworth and Thorne.

Hopefully Askern will get a change in fortune some time soon, because they have a good bunch of people looking after them at the Welfare Ground.
Maybe a name change, like dropping the Villa word and reverting back to being called Askern Welfar, would be a good first step on the road to recovery.
4-0, was actually a very respectable margin of defeat all told, for Askern, given all of the circumstances and background to tonight's game.
As damage limitation exercises go, you could almost call it a success.
Tonight, we got talking to a guy from Pontefract, who proudly claimed to have attended almost 100 games this season.
Wow! Your dedication to duty is commendable good sir.
I hope you achieve that impressive target.