Parkgate 0 v Liversedge 1 - NCEL Prem

Wednesday 28th March 2018
NCEL Premier Division
at Roundwood Pavilion, Green Lane, Rawmarsh
Parkgate (0) 0
Liversedge (0) 1
Brandon Kane 51
Admission £5 Programme £1.50
Attendance 70
Half time draw winner... me!

Following tonight's narrow defeat, Parkgate's next two games (weather permitting, OMG have you seen the forecast!?): at home to Worksop Town on Saturday and away against Bottesford Town next Wednesday, have become even more significant for the South Yorkshire based club, as they look to make in-roads into the seven point lead that Harrogate Railway Athletic currently have over them, just outside the bottom three (relegation) places in the NCEL Premier Division.

Elsewhere, Clipstone's inevitable relegation was mathematically confirmed tonight, while fellow strugglers Hall Road Rangers, who are one place and two points above Parkgate (with two games in hand over them) lost 2-3 at home against one of this season's success stories, Maltby Main, last night. 

Although a couple of other clubs are hovering precariously just above the fight against relegation, it does seem to have become a three way scrap, to see who will finish the season above the drop zone, although it is worth remembering that Hall Road Rangers are only in the mire because of a points deduction and are probably expected to climb back up the table any time soon.

Parkgate started tonight's game on the front foot, but couldn't turn their early pressure into goals, as Danny Critchlow forced a great save out of Harry Stead, Nathan Joynes teed up Danny Flynn with a sideways knock, but the Steelmen's number seven fizzed his shot narrowly over shortly before repeating the trick after Critchlow had rolled a pass into his path.
Liversedge appeared to have taken the lead when Joe Walton got onto the end of Marc Lumb's long free kick from out on the left and headed the ball just inside the right hand post, but the goal was ruled out. And might I just say, there was never a more adequate and talented trio of match officials on duty at the same game in the entire history of association football than there was at the Roundwood Sports Complex tonight.

You buy as many as you want pal,
there'll only be one winner ;-)

But, while some people thought that Walton had been climbing all over his marker, others were of the opinion that it only looked that way because the Liversedge striker was the only player to jump for the ball.
My take on it, was that it's probably difficult to get airborne, when a strapping great big centre forward has his hands on your shoulders, pinning you down and gaining an unfair aerial advantage. Just saying.
Elliott Simpson delivered a dipping free kick from out on the right flank, that almost deceived Liversedge at the back post, but Walton had got back to help out his defence for the set piece and headed the ball away.

There is no such place as Worksop Vale. But nobody's heard of Warsop Vale.

Chris Wood's left wing cross picked out Flynn, but his header lacked the power to trouble Stead.
Right on the stroke of half time, there was a tangle of feet and Rhys Davies went to ground in the home side's penalty area, as he got goal side of the Parkgate defence, but Ian Jackson had a far better view of the incident than me and he waved play on, while the visitors manager shouted: "I've seen them given ref, but I reckon you've just called that one spot on, keep up the sterling work my good man!" Although I might have slightly misheard what that nice Mr Rimmington actually said.
HT: Parkgate 0 v Liversedge 0

Liversedge, who'd already played a County Cup game at 11AM this morning, a re-scheduled NCEL home fixture at 2.30PM this afternoon, and who are heading to the 3G pitch at Newton Stickleback on the Wold straight from Parkgate, to fulfil an outstanding League Cup game that kicks off at 11.15PM (sometimes the truth is actually stranger than fiction), are starting to look a bit jaded as they tackle an overwhelming fixtures backlog, but they still had enough in their tank to just about see off tonight's opponents.
Walton shot on the turn, but cleared the Parkgate bar with his effort.
But in the fifty first minute, Walton set up the goal that broke the deadlock and ultimately won the three points for the visitors, when he finished a decent passing move with a ball across the face of Levi Owen, that Brandon Kane finished emphatically from ten yards out.

David Bordman almost doubled the visitors advantage, but Owen got down well to block his shot and Walton was too honest for his own good when he ran onto a through ball from Davies, but stayed upright after being tripped inside the area, before running on and seeing his shot saved.
Gamesmanship is all the rage, and Bordman should definitely go down like a sniper has taken him out, if he ever finds himself in a similar situation again.
Sam Gibson combined well with Lumb out on the right hand edge of the Parkgate area, but his shot found the side netting.

Parkgate finished with a flurry, as Zak Khalifa's curling delivery across the face of the Liversedge goal flew narrowly wide of the upright, while right at the death, Parkgate went agonisingly close to grabbing a late equaliser, when Joynes fed the ball through to Critchlow who left Stead for dead with a burst of pace but drilled his shot from a difficult angle inches over the bar. I'm afraid to sat that is the way that Lady Luck turns her back on teams who are fighting for survival at the the wrong end of the table.

FT: Parkgate 0 v Liversedge 1

Oh, did I mention that I won the half time raffle, as per bleedin' usual. Fix! Fix! Fix! 

A decent game all told, watched in the good company of some fine gentlemen from AFC Mansfield, Maltby Main and Worksop Town.