Rossington Main 1 v Armthorpe Welfare 3 - Northern U19 Alliance (East)

Thursday 25th February 2016

at Oxford Street, Rossington

Northern Under 19 Alliance (Eastern Division)

Rossington Main (0) 1
Danny Marquis 60

Armthorpe Welfare (1) 3
Danny Smith 31, 59, Jack Bonser 75

Admission £2 inc. programme. 

Warm food & drink in 'Rozzo' clubhouse... priceless!

Rossington Main:
Jacob Wildsmith, Daniel Bambrough, Brandon Hilton, Jordan Woodhall, Liam Cooper, Jack Farrar, Grant Walker, James Williamson, Brad Tolliday, Tom Humphreys, Danny Marquis
Subs - Lewis Coburn, Adam Cuncliffe
Armthorpe Welfare:
Ryan Ellis, Harry McGill, Luke Williams, Nathan Fox, Joe Dockerty, Adam Wall, Micky Collins, Danny Smith, Rory Millar, Callum Sharp, Liam White
Subs - Owen Smith, Fraser Oxley, Jack Bonser

Rossington wore their away colours tonight, because of a colour clash when Armthorpe turned up with a royal blue and white ensemble. Personally I would have dispatched the visitors back home, the five or six miles up Warning Tongues Lane to their own ground, to fetch the right kit... but then I always have been a pedantic stickler for league rule book obeyance, small print and minuscule details. Don't knock it until you try it kids... this kind of obsessive nit picking and fine tooth combing, has been put to good use to find several local non league clubs a loophole or two to exploit of late.

Look what happens when you knock sick Kevin Blackburn!

With the greatest of respect to the home side, whose management speak to, instruct and encourage their players in the correct manner throughout the game (and that will only benefit a good number of decent quality players that they have coming through the ranks at Oxford Street in the long run), the first half was so one sided that it was actually a minor miracle that Armthorpe were only one goal in front at half time, scored when Rory Millar's long throw in from out on the right wing, found it's way through to Danny Smith on the edge of the area, who crashed an unstoppable shot past Jacob Wildsmith after thirty one minutes.
I will spare you all of the detail, but I have two and a half pages in my notebook detailing attacks by the Welfare youngsters, while I could count Rossington's clear cut openings during the first forty five minutes on my thumbs.

After the break, the Main lads fared a bit better, but found themselves two goals down in the fifty ninth minute, when Wildsmith saved an angled shot from Liam White but Smith was on hand to claim his second from the rebound.
Rossington countered straight from the restart and Danny Marquis pulled a goal back, with an impressive strike, off the back of a great run forward.
Grant Walker combined down the right flank with Lewis Walker and the home side forced a corner, which Jack Farrar took and found Marquis at the back post who shot across the face of the Welfare's goal and narrowly wide of the right hand post.

Callum Sharp crashed the ball over the bar from outside the area as Armthorpe went in pursuit of a third goal, which came after fifteen minutes, when Jack Bonser picked his spot from the edge of the area through a crowded defence.
Ironically, the home side had their most productive spell of the game after Armthorpe's third goal went in, but they couldn't find a way back into the game, regardless of how much the vociferous youngsters behind the goal got behind the home side and tried to put Ryan Ellis off of his game.
FT: Rossington Main U19 1 v Armthorpe Welfare U19 3
Man of the match: Armthorpe's Liam White looked a better prospect than almost any other player I've watched play in various U19 development sides this season... he's definitely one to watch out for.
I could compare him to someone who has just made the step up to the EvoStik League from a NCEL club with a growing reputation for producing young footballers this week, but that wouldn't be fair on either party.