Thursday 22nd October 2015
HKL North Midland U19 League
at Rotherham Road, Swallownest
Swallownest MW U19 (3) 6
Mitchell Dunne 22, 24, 81, 83
Conor Gregg 31
Max Sykes OG 69
Worksop Town U19 (1) 1
Nathan Clarke 10
The Tigers had a number of half decent chances themselves over the course of the game, but couldn't quite match the home side's clinical edge in front of goal.
When the two sides last met (REPORT HERE) in September, the 'Swall' lads won 4-2 at Shirebrook and Mitchell Dunne bagged a hat trick.
Tonight he went one better and netted four times, as the home side came back from a goal behind, to record a thoroughly deserved emphatic win.
Dylan Millington, who wore the number 1 shirt for the visitors tonight, is usually an outfield player, but that shouldn't take anything away from Mark Edwards team. Regardless of who had played in goal for the Tigers, the Swallownest attack and Mitchell Dunne in particular were in irresistible form tonight.
Mitchell Dunne and Sam Goulden made all of the early running, testing the visitors down the left flank, but it was Worksop took the lead after ten minutes, when Declan Stevens cut the ball back across the six yard box to Nathan Clarke, who stole the opening goal for the Tigers, with what was their first proper chance of the night.
Dunne had the chance to level things up almost straight away, but he drilled his shot wide of the mark.
Mason Gee made himself room to shoot by perfecting a (Johan) Cruyff turn inside the home side's goal area, but nudged the ball wide of the goal with a (Jordi) Cruyff toe punt.
Richard Chamberlain saved from Macauley Gibbons and quickly launched the ball up the field and Dunne sprinted towards the Tigers goal as Swallownest counter attacked at pace, Millington got down to block the prolific striker's long range shot, but it 'squirmed' under his body and over the line.
Moments later Dunne nearly scored again, but his close range effort came back out off the underside of the bar, however, within two minutes of pulling the home side level, Dunne did put the ball in the net again, when Louis Colley made a complete mess of clearing the ball and presented the 'Swalls' number 10 with the opportunity to lob Millington from ten yards out.
Worksop attacked and Clarke went close when headed over the bar from a Josh Hobson free kick.
Chamberlain saved well from Stevens and when the ball ricocheted back to the Tigers centre forward and he laid it off sideways to Colley, who very nearly atoned for his clumsy goal assist at the wrong end, but was unlucky when his thundering strike crashed against the home side's crossbar.
Alas with Worksop pushing forward's in pursuit of an equaliser, they left themselves exposed at the back and on 31 minutes Conor Gregg had plenty of time and space to pick his spot and plant an angled shot past the woefully unprotected Millington.
Chamberlain dropped a right wing corner from Gee, but his defence scrambled the ball away to safety and as play moved quickly from box to box, Millington only half cleared the ball as far as Gregg and was relieved when the home side captain's shot skimmed off the top of the crossbar.
Right on the stroke of half time, Steve Nettleship slipped as he chased shoulder to shoulder with Stevens, but Chamberlain saved at full stretch to preserve a two goal cushion going into the break.
HT: Swallownest 3 v Worksop Town 1
Junior Gama, on as a second half substitute for the home side, showed a few neat touches and is blessed with a plentiful supply of flicks and tricks and with his slight frame he will always win a decent quota of free kicks, as frustrated defences try to harness his showboating. He's certainly caught the eye on the few occasions I've seen him play this season.
The next goal would be vital and although Worksop were battling on gamely, it was hard to see where they were likely to get another goal from.
Swallownest played a patient waiting game during the first twenty minutes of the second half, but once their fourth goal came, they cruised over the finishing line with no small amount of aplomb.
Dunne chased the ball through the right channel, but Worksop had invented a way of stopping him by now and Cameron Mitchell and Max Sykes sandwiched him in a perfectly executed pincers movement and 'helped' him to lay face down in the nighttime dew.
Callum Mounsey swung the free kick towards Dunne deep inside the Worksop area, but the usually reliable striker air-kicked and missed the ball completely, but it spun off of Sykes outstretched leg to put the home side 4-1 in front.
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| Left WTFC U19 v Right SMWFC U19 Line ups copied from Paul Stacey's notepad. Cheers Paul! |
Gama battled on the edge of the box for a long ball upfield, but although it bounced up unkindly for him, the flamboyant playmaker still managed to nudge it sideways off the top of his head to Dunne who struck it first time and completed his hat trick from 12 yards out.
From a free kick just outside the Tigers penalty area, Bagley chipped the ball over the wall and towards the byline... Dunne sprinted in from where he had left his marker out on the right flank and smashed home the goal of the night. It was a thunderbolt of a shot past Millington, to cap off a great performance from Dunne.
Patrick Menye created two further chances for the home side late in the game, when he cued up Bagley who hit the post from 30 yards out and then picked up the ball again to set up William Hague who shot wide from close range.
A lively game all told and a great advert for the Under 19 league... and you'd have to go a long way to find a warmer welcome than the one you're always guaranteed at the 'Swall Siro', they even employ an unkempt looking man called Kelvin Stannington to fetch coffees for the proper coaches at the club during the game... I always knew you'd find your real niche eventually Stanno!
FT: Swallownest MW 6 v Worksop Town 1
Click HERE for the latest results, league table and forthcoming fixtures in the HKL NMU19L North
