Toolstation NCEL League Cup Quarter Final
at The Yorkshire NuBuilds Stadium, Fitzwilliam
Hemsworth Miners Welfare (0) 1
Sam Jones 48
AFC Mansfield (1) 4
Nick Guest 1, 71, 89
Ellis Wall 65
Admission £6 Programme £1.50 Attendance 96
On his return from injury, Nick Guest helped himself to a hat trick, to see the Bulls through to the semi final of the NCEL League Cup, on a night that Hemsworth will probably feel that they should have made a better fist of things, against a make do and mend visitors line up, that included their assistant manager, Mark Ward, standing in as goalkeeper, wearing a pair of rather stylish borrowed gloves that Graeme Rodger, the Mansfield goalkeeping coach, had loaned to him, that bore commemorative stitching pertaining to the greatest ever Scottish Cup Final of all time.
Wells were forced to make a late change to their starting line up, when Richard Collier picked up an injury during the warm up and was replaced by Chris Ovington.
Guest grabbed his first goal inside the opening twenty seconds as Rudy Funk's side hit the ground running like an unexpected invasion from a platoon of shock troops.
And as Hemsworth restarted the game, Connor Smythe won the ball back off of them, deep in his own half and motored forward, before knocking the ball wide to Lynton Karkach, whose left wing delivery was tipped away by Danny Rusling in the home side's goal.
As the first half moved on, Hemsworth began to play themselves more into this cup tie, with Sam Leach knocking a decent diagonal ball from the right wing towards Ovington, who glanced a header just wide of the upright, while moments later Brad Dockerty set up a chance for Lloyd Henderson, who made himself room to get his shot away, but drilled the ball off target.
Nash Connolly and Adam Hayton combined well as Wayne Benn's side continued to take the game to their visitors, but Jordan Annable did well to get the ball away, albeit temporarily, because Wells were soon on the attack again and won a free kick a few yards outside Mansfield's area, that Dockerty crashed into the defensive wall before launching the ball over the bar as it rebounded back to him.
While the Bulls were absorbing a spell of pressure, Hemsworth were always susceptible to being hit on the counter, especially down the left, where Smythe and Karkach looked to have been developing a virtually telepathic understanding of where each other will be moving to.
Ward parried Dockerty's stinging effort and when Connolly reached the rebound first, he stabbed the ball wide.
Karkach tried to send Cameron Dear through on a run towards Rusling's goal, but Leach read the situation well and scurried across to snaffle the ball away. Right on the stroke of half time, Ward punched Hayton's right wing cross away, before chasing after it and punching it even further away at the second attempt. Unorthodox, but effective and the Bulls stand in keeper reached half time with his clean sheet intact, despite having had a few close scares.
HT: Wells 0 v Bulls 1
The officials were having a decent game, despite certain parties appealing for everything and anything... and the referee himself, Jamie O'Connor seemed to be in remarkably good spirits to say that the crap Derbyshire football club he supports are getting relegated out of the Football League, any moment now.
Three minutes into the second half, Sam Jones nudged the ball forwards forty yards out from Mansfield's goal, stumbled forward a few steps, but regained his footing after Ellis Wall had tried to tackle him and took aim into the bottom left hand corner, while Ward was only alerted to the fact that there was any kind of danger imminent, when he heard the swishing sound of the ball nestling into the back of his net.
The visitors evidently didn't want extra time and set about pegging their lead back, but Karkach had his shot blocked after Dear had set him up with a sideways knock, while Danny Naylor and Tim Gregory were being crowded out as they tried battering their way through the hosts defence.
Smythe forced Rusling into making a great save, down to his right, where he pushed the Bulls Number three's long range strike around the post at full stretch.
Joe Taylor, on from the bench for Hemsworth, set an attack in motion through the left channel and almost played Dockerty in at the back post, but Matt Plummer made a timely clearance from virtually off of the Bulls goal-line.
The visitors had two lucky escapes in quick succession, with Dockerty crashing the ball against the crossbar and Connolly scuffing a shot wide from ten yards, though I am sure that 'England's number one' (cough), had both chances covered!
Meanwhile at the other end, Brad McDonald's long throw in was flicked on by Guest and Ollie Fearon was a matter of inches away from connecting inside the six yard box.
The game was finely poised, but a moment of sheer quality separated the sides on sixty five minutes, when Ellis Wall picked the ball up just inside the Hemsworth half, strode forward comfortably and beat Rusling all ends up, with a sublime dipping long range shot, that made light work of the swirling wind and fizzed into the top corner.
Six minutes later, Smythe picked Guest out with a curling flag kick and the Bulls centre forward netted a third goal for the visitors, heading the ball downwards and firmly over the line.
Guest almost struck again moments later, from Naylor's precision through ball, but Rusling did well to make a save with his outstretched leg. Wall broke into the Wells area on the right hand side, saw off two challenges and fed the ball across the six yard box to Fearon, whose close range knock was blocked by Rusling.
The home side's keeper did well again, holding onto Smythe's shot that was otherwise destined for the top left hand corner.
Hemsworth did manage another attempt on goal, when Adam Wilson's crossed moved all over in the stiff wind that was picking up and Jones could only divert the ball past the post.
Nick Guest claimed his hat trick, when he turned Smythe's right wing corner just inside the post, with just a minute left on the clock... and in stoppage time, Guest combined with Craig Mitchell inside the hosts goalmouth, but Rusling moved out quickly and smothered the ball.
FT: Hemsworth Miners Welfare 1 v AFC Mansfield 4
Wells were forced to make a late change to their starting line up, when Richard Collier picked up an injury during the warm up and was replaced by Chris Ovington.
And as Hemsworth restarted the game, Connor Smythe won the ball back off of them, deep in his own half and motored forward, before knocking the ball wide to Lynton Karkach, whose left wing delivery was tipped away by Danny Rusling in the home side's goal.
As the first half moved on, Hemsworth began to play themselves more into this cup tie, with Sam Leach knocking a decent diagonal ball from the right wing towards Ovington, who glanced a header just wide of the upright, while moments later Brad Dockerty set up a chance for Lloyd Henderson, who made himself room to get his shot away, but drilled the ball off target.
While the Bulls were absorbing a spell of pressure, Hemsworth were always susceptible to being hit on the counter, especially down the left, where Smythe and Karkach looked to have been developing a virtually telepathic understanding of where each other will be moving to.
Ward parried Dockerty's stinging effort and when Connolly reached the rebound first, he stabbed the ball wide.
HT: Wells 0 v Bulls 1
The officials were having a decent game, despite certain parties appealing for everything and anything... and the referee himself, Jamie O'Connor seemed to be in remarkably good spirits to say that the crap Derbyshire football club he supports are getting relegated out of the Football League, any moment now.
The visitors evidently didn't want extra time and set about pegging their lead back, but Karkach had his shot blocked after Dear had set him up with a sideways knock, while Danny Naylor and Tim Gregory were being crowded out as they tried battering their way through the hosts defence.
Smythe forced Rusling into making a great save, down to his right, where he pushed the Bulls Number three's long range strike around the post at full stretch.
The visitors had two lucky escapes in quick succession, with Dockerty crashing the ball against the crossbar and Connolly scuffing a shot wide from ten yards, though I am sure that 'England's number one' (cough), had both chances covered!
Meanwhile at the other end, Brad McDonald's long throw in was flicked on by Guest and Ollie Fearon was a matter of inches away from connecting inside the six yard box.
Six minutes later, Smythe picked Guest out with a curling flag kick and the Bulls centre forward netted a third goal for the visitors, heading the ball downwards and firmly over the line.
Guest almost struck again moments later, from Naylor's precision through ball, but Rusling did well to make a save with his outstretched leg. Wall broke into the Wells area on the right hand side, saw off two challenges and fed the ball across the six yard box to Fearon, whose close range knock was blocked by Rusling.
Hemsworth did manage another attempt on goal, when Adam Wilson's crossed moved all over in the stiff wind that was picking up and Jones could only divert the ball past the post.
Nick Guest claimed his hat trick, when he turned Smythe's right wing corner just inside the post, with just a minute left on the clock... and in stoppage time, Guest combined with Craig Mitchell inside the hosts goalmouth, but Rusling moved out quickly and smothered the ball.
FT: Hemsworth Miners Welfare 1 v AFC Mansfield 4
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| HMWFC Team sheet |
It was an absolute pleasure to meet up with so many good natured people tonight, including those connected with both teams in a number of ways, along with the sprinkling of fun seeking neutrals who were present... and a good time was had by all.
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| AFCM Team sheet |
