Swallownest 1 v Knaresborough Town 2 - NCEL Div 1

Saturday 2nd September 2017

Toolstation NCEL Division 1

at 'The Swall Siro', Rotherham Road, Aston cum Aughton
Swallownest (1) 1
Ash Burbeary 17

Knaresborough Town (0) 2

Tom Hesketh 77pen

Stephen Bromley 84

Admission £5. Programme £1.50. Attendance 150

Photo gallery from today's game: Click HERE

Swallownest:

James Pollard, Lloyd Gelsthorpe, Ash Cooper, Joel Evans, Dan White, Scott Mullooly (C), Leon Loftus, Jordan Stocks, Aaron Nicolson, Ash Burbeary, Alex Nightingale

Subs - Jamie Hopkins, Aaron Partlett, Mitch Ward, Josh Hobson, Darryl Johnson

Knaresborough Town:

Jack Rushworth; Matt Donnelly, Sam Cook, Greg Kidd; Conor Donoghue, Ben Parkes, Tom Hesketh (C), Harry Brown, Paul Atkinson (Ben Cohen), Brad Walker (Steve Bromley), Blaine Hobson (Colin Heath).

Subs - Ben Cohen,Colin Heath, Steve Bromley

Pitchside conversation with twenty minutes of the game still remaining:

"What's this ref called Rob?"

"Ah, just let me check on the team sheet... it's Rob Woodburn. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I thought his name was 'Fuck Off!' Because that is all everyone on the pitch has been shouting at him all afternoon!"

A good point, well made. 

Yet Mr Woodburn did eventually brandish a yellow card for a 'foul and abusive language' offence, in the eighty sixth minute. 

Might I suggest that by then, the horse had already bolted into the distance, dragging the whole effing stable and it's door behind him.

Boys will be boys... and I'm afraid that you have to nip any early signs of dissent and naughtiness in the bud, because; if you treat footballers ( breed apart who have impaired a large percentage of their common sense and brain cells, by heading far too many balls over the years) the same as normal people, you're in danger of stirring up a recipe for anarchy, chaos and destruction percolating to boiling point in no time whatsoever.

Of course, that is easy to say with the benefit of hindsight, but generally, ninety nine point nine times out of a hundred, if you give testosterone charged alpha males, competing on the field of play against others of a similar bent ,a single inch, then in applying the laws of human nature, they are going to try and take a mile; instead of respecting the fact that you are treating them like grown ups and allowing the game to flow, in the vainglorious hope that they will behave in an appropriate manner. 

Sometimes they will, but more often than not, you'll end up regretting implementing a Laissez-faire approach.

We are all guilty of indulging in this kind of edict from time to time, aren't we?

You know the sort of thing: the boss is away this week, so let's sneak off home early, in fact let's sneak off even earlier every day because we keep getting away with it. 

Those roadside signs say 50, but you know that there aren't any speed cameras around, so get that right foot down.

Everybody is one the make and looking for a bigger slice.

But, back on topic, what the referee ought to have done, the very first time somebody swore at him, was brandish a yellow card and leave the perpetrator walking on a tight rope for the next eighty seven minutes, then call the captain's together and insist: "These shower of bastards had better start respecting my authority and moderating their fucking language a bit, or my book is going to be full of names before very long".... that would've avoided a few problems later on in the game.

Bespoke advertising in Swallownest's superb programme.

I'm not particularly aiming any of the above at the players, match officials, club officials or the respective benches, of either (or both) of the clubs who were involved in this very tight game, because it is all pretty much of a muchness and commonplace at most levels of football anyway.
But... if the cap fits, then the reason that it is up there as a prelude to today's match reportage, isn't entirely by way of what you might call a coincidence.
Any road, moving very swiftly on... just before kick off, I was enthusing about Leon Loftus, Swallownest's young recent signing from Worksop Town and when my pal enquired of me which one Leon was I replied: "Y'know him! Played for the Worksop Under 19 team last season. He had a row with Danny Patterson when Maltby played the Worksop first team at the the back of of last season (to be fair that could probably have been just about any Tigers player on that particular afternoon, given the way that they responded to Mr Patterson's approach to the game)"

Still I needed to provide more clues as to the identity of the player in question: "You must remember him, good touch, excellent passer, hair like Sideshow Bob off the Simpsons!"
That did the trick and as the teams took to the field of play I cleared off on my own to take a few photos, but not until after I was accosted by two ladies: "Excuse me. Just for the record, I'm Sideshow Bob's grandma and this is his auntie!"
Phew! Thank goodness I had been complimentary about the player... and for the record, you don't look anywhere near old enough to be anyone's grandparent.
For what it's worth, Loftus is a great capture for 'Swall' and I'm sure that anybody who has seen him playing for the Under 19 (and first) team at Sandy Lane, will be surprised that he has had to move on to get regular football.

Knaresborough arrived in South Yorkshire on the back of a great start to the season, having won all seven of the games that they have played thus far, and as a consequence the home side adjusted their line up accordingly, playing what appeared to be a 4-5-1 formation, which effectively nullified the attacking intentions of North Yorkshire side and prevented them from asserting themselves on the game and making the kind of dominant impression that the 150 people who had turned up to watch this NCEL Division 1 game might have been anticipating.
The tactics worked a treat and though some were of the opinion that the visitors looked very ordinary and 'nowt special at times, credit must be given to 'Swall' for not allowing the league leaders to take the game by the scruff of it's neck and strut their stuff. But by the same token, Paul Stansfield and Paul Clayton can be proud of they way that their side dug in and finally ground out the result that kept their winning start to the season intact.

The away side looked full of beans, whatever that means, during the opening exchanges of the game and Blaine Hobson spanked the first shot of the game wide of the target from twelve yards out.

Swallownest were on the attack a few minutes later, but when Alex Nightingale showed a good turn of pace to power through the left hand side of the 'Borough' area, he was crowded out by a gnat's chuff-piecesque tightly packed defence, and also looked to be muscled off of the ball from my vantage point. However the referee saw things differently and awarded a free kick against the home side's number eleven. 

Mr Woodburn was nearer to the action than me, so being of a generous disposition, I will have to give him the benefit of my doubt regarding the matter.

When a referee seems to be favouring the host side, he is called a 'homer', so I pondered if one who is seemingly giving the bulk of 50/50 decisions to the visitors is, by the same token, called an 'awayer'?

I am generalising of course and should make it clear that I am not referring in any way, shape or form to this afternoon's man in the middle. Who right on cue awarded the away side a free kick ten yards from James Pollards goal, that Matt Donnelly delivered to Ben Parkes, who flicked the ball over the bar when he probably didn't realise that he had more time to do better from a free header.

Captain Haddock,,, whoops! I meant Lloyd Gelsthorpe, sorry I couldn't read my own writing there for a second, was getting forward to good effect on the right flank from full back berth, combining well with Jordan Stocks and the home side forced a couple of corners, which the league leaders fielded well, but they rode their luck a bit when Gelsthorpre let fly with a low shot from twenty yards out, that bounced fractionally wide of the right hand upright. "Billions of bilious blue blistering barnacles", that was close!

Ash Burbeary, a mainstay of the local non league circuit in recent seasons, can be considered a bit of coup signing for Swallownest, and he justified that star billing on seventeen minutes, when  he attacked the visitors goal from the left flank, skipped past three challenges and picked his spot, beating Jack Rushworth with a well paced shot.

Bear with me one moment while I do a quick sum in the margin. Wow! That is the first time in six hundred and forty seven minutes (plus stoppages) of play, that Knaresborough have been behind in a game all season. So now you know why they are top of the league (but not quite runaway leaders because Yorkshire Amateur are still tucked in just behind them in the table).

Did anyone see where did I dropped my pipe?

The home side weren't about to give up their one goal advantage in a hurry and Parkes and Hobson were both denied by last ditch blocks, before Pollard gathered an angled drive from Hobson. 

The South Yorkshire side's keeper looked unfazed and focused throughout the game and was reading the game well whenever the opposition mounted any sort of attack, dealing well with set piece crosses and confidently handling any sort of ball that was delivered into his domain. 

Stocks and Nightingale were providing a steady supply of crosses into the visitors area, but it was apparent that although it is ultimately goals that win games, Knaresborough's current run of form is built on thee foundations of a solid defence.

Loftus stroked a pass forward to Burbeary whose sideways knock gave Gelsthorpe the opportunity to test Rushworth with a dipping shot.

On the stroke of half time, 'Swall' cleared a Tom Hesketh free kick away at the expense of a corner, which Hesketh took himself, but Pollard had no problem in claiming.

HT: Swallownest 1 v Knaresborough Town 0

The home side were probably expecting to have to defend a lot of pressure after the restart, but although Town had definitely upped their ante after the break, it was more akin to a series of frequent heavy downpours than an actual storm, or even an eventful episode of Bonanza when everyone was anticipating a re-enactment of the Alamo.

Pollard saved well from Hobson who had timed his run well to meet Hesketh's forward knock.

Swallownest rallied and Stocks cross from the right only needed the slightest of touches as it flew across the face of the visitors goal and eventually went out for a throw in on the far touchline and moments later Nightingale nearly made it two nil, but he was denied by a great reflex save by Rushworth... effectively, that could have been game over and the visitors can thank their keeper for keeping them in the game later.

Burbeary picked out Scott Mullooly with a weighted pass but Donnelly whacked the ball out of harm's way with a timely interception.

Thus far, Swallownest had done a great job of containing and frustrating their visitors and when Brown and Brad Walker both put chances wide of Pollard's goal, a home win began to look increasingly on the cards.

Colin Heath, along with Brown, were both crowded out as they tried to put the finishing touches onto the end of a spell of pressure and Hesketh launched a free kick from just outside the goal area over the bar, but with an unlucky thirteen minutes left to hold on, the wheels came off for the home side, in a quite spectacular manner.

Pollard dropped to gather the ball in front of Parkes, who was jostling for space with Ash Cooper, in a six of one and half a dozen of the other wrestle, that saw the Knaresborough number eight hit the deck as the 'Swall' left back pushed him. 

The referee blew up and pointed to the spot.

It was a foul, but it wasn't the only offence being committed by both teams in the area at that time. 

However, if you take the risk of putting your hands on an opponent inside the penalty area, you have to live with the consequences.

Pollard dived to his left but Hesketh drove the spot kick straight down the middle to level the game up.

The home side had worked bloody hard to hold onto their lead for so long and their disappointment was clear for all to see and as Heath grabbed the ball from the back of the net to get the game back in progress as quickly as possible, while Swallownest were obviously rattled, at a time when they really needed to be keeping their composure and remain focused. 

Greg Kidd headed over Pollard's bar from Hesketh's free kick and in the ensuing bickering that developed on the edge of the Swallownest area, the referee spotted Dan White raising his arm to to Heath and showed the home side's centre half a red card.

It was understandable that a certain amount of frustration was spilling over as the three points were slipping away from the home side's grasp after such a concerted effort, but with the greatest of respect to my good pals at Rotherham Road, after a cooling off period and some time for reflection, you would have to surmise, that the NCEL newcomers gave the league leaders a bloody big scare today and aren't too far away from accomplishing themselves as a really useful side at this level, after a couple of seasons of banging on the entrance door; but if I could be so bold as to make a polite suggestion at this point... when the home side next train, they should do so with their players arms strapped to their sides. 

That, by the way, is not a criticism of anybody (or everybody), but a tongue in cheek (but 100% serious and honest) observation as to where the game was lost today.

Martin from the WE ALL STAND TOGETHER blog shows his
Tommy Cooper impersonation to an unimpressed audience.

With the home side still in disarray from the blow of Hesketh's equaliser and White's untimely dismissal, Hesketh delivered a left wing free kick into the Swallownest area, that Heath flicked on for Steve Bromley to score with a diving header with just five minutes left to play.

The relieved visiting club officials stood to our left loudly celebrated turning over a 'Get out of Jail' free card late in the day, but magnanimously alluded to the fact that their opponents deserved something out of the game and that they had just performed a late smash and grab raid.

A win is a win, innit!? And over the course of a season, most team's at the business end of the table will snatch all three points at the end of a games, that they were possibly made to look ordinary in by well organised and spirited opponents.

Swallownest will have learned some very valuable lessons from this defeat and will be pleased to have the opportunity to dust themselves down and get straight back in the saddle on Tuesday night when Dronfield Town visit the 'Swall-Siro'

There was still a sting in this tale to compound Swallownest's misery still further.

Right in front of the Knaresborough dug out, a stand off developed between the two sides following a clumsy challenge by Hesketh, and amidst all the pushing, shoving, squaring up and angry gesticulating, the home side were reduced to nine men, when Mitch Ward was red carded as Ben Cohen appeared to be knocked to the ground.

Just thirteen minutes earlier, the home side had been on the cusp of a very satisfying, hard won victory over their illustrious visitors, in front of a decent crowd on a glorious afternoon in the people's republic of South Yorkshire.

But the roof caved in and Knaresborough pounced to salvage the winning pieces from the wreckage.

FT: Swallownest 1 v Knaresborough Town 2

Swallownest did very well today, to a point, taking the best team in the division (the league table and eight wins out of eight games statistic doesn't lie) right to the wire.
But sadly, upon reaching said wire, they effectively tripped over it. Hopefully 'Swall' will take a few things on board today and can turn this reversal into a valuable part of the steep learning curve that they are now on, having taken the big step up from County Senior League football to the NCEL.