Maltby Main 3 v Thackley 2 - NCEL LC R3

Wednesday 31st October 2018
Toolstation NCEL League Cup 3rd Round
at Muglet Lane
Maltby Main (2) 3
Steve Hopewell 31
Alfie Dodsworth 34
Jonathan Hill 82
Thackley AFC (2) 2
Jordan Hines 9
Raymond Sibanda 45
Admission £5. Programme £1.50
Attendance 62

I did offer to take my missus for a night out at Muglet Lane, but what with this being Halloween n' all that, she was too busy whizzing around with her mother on their broomsticks, scaring the shit out of kids and stuff.
On arrival at the ground, we ventured into the well stocked club shop, a premises that I would advise any programme collectors out there, to pay a visit to to rather hastily, before the bespoke items in their ever growing stock get snaffled up by bargain hunters.

You'll be served in the shop by the club's popular and ruggedly handsome CEO, a giant of a man called Darrell Johnson, who was such a good goalkeeper in his youth, that he kept David Seaman (yes, that David Seaman!) out of their school team in Rotherham.
But it's an accomplishment that he is ever so modest about, in fact, I heard that he once went a whole twelve minutes without actually mentioning it.

Maltby were the better side all, told and possibly their margin of victory would've been greater, if Luke Wilson, the visitors goalkeeper, hadn't performed so admirably on the night.
Thackley's two goals were as different as chalk and cheese, with Jordan Hines nudging home a close range loose ball, after James Pollard had saved James Rothel's effort from Adam Simpson's right wing cross but couldn't hold on to the ball, while their second was a sublime long distance strike by Ray Sibanda. In between times the Miners had come from behind and actually gone in front, when their captain Joe Austin (who had struck a shot against the left hand upright inside the opening two minutes), stroked the ball forward from inside the centre circle for Steve Hopewell to run onto and he took it round the advancing (and woefully exposed) Wilson before rolling it into the empty net.

And three minutes later, the home side went ahead, when Alfie Dodsworth shimmied his hips like Babs from Pans People in her prime, until in saw the slightest of chinks in the Dennyboys armour and slipped a precision knock through it, to give the hosts the lead.
Both sides had plenty of chances to add to the score, with Maltby shading things in that regard, as aproper end to end slog of a game unfolded, with a few challenges befitting of All Hallows' Eve flying in, but though it was a physical encounter, with no quarter given, it wasn't actually a dirty one, even though the linesman in front of the 'Maltby Kop' got a bit squeamish and kept closing his eyes... at least I hope he did, or some of his decision making was curious to say the least.

If you want to read a full blow by blow account of the game, here are some click on links to the match reports on the Maltby Main website and the Thackley AFC website, both of which cover the night's events in more detail than this lazy arsed blogger has done.
Sam Forster delivered a right wing corner into the mix with eight minutes remaining, and Jonathan Hill rose majestically above everyone else in the area and looped a dipping header over Wilson and into the top right hand corner.
All, told I had Wilson down as my man of the match, but there wasn't very much he could've done to keep that one out; David Seaman himself and possibly even the legendary Darrell Johnson would've struggled to get anywhere near such a well executed header.
FT: Maltby Main 3 v Thackley 2

I thought that Joe Austin had been wearing a mask for Halloween during the game, but it transpired that he'd been to hospital and had his broken nose clicked back into place, so ouch! Well played and have some plus marks for your bravery Joe.
Maltby travel up to bottom placed Harrogate Railway Athletic at the weekend, hoping that tonight's League Cup result can act as a springboard as they look to regain some form in the league. While Thackley have a 'big game' at home in the FA Vase Second Round, against West Auckland Town on Saturday.
Good luck to the Miners and the Dennyboys in those games.

Ta very much to everyone involved at Maltby Main for the very warm welcome tonight, 'tis greatly appreciated.