Retford United U19 0 v Sheffield United U19 5 - WVH NMU19L

Thursday 14th February 2019
Worksop Van Hire North Midland Under 19 League
at Cannon Park
Retford United  (0) 0
Sheffield United (2) 5
Gomis Nickeson 40, 62,
Kevin Tunde 43,
Hassan Ayari 63,
Angelo Cappello 85

This Thursday night contest under the Cannon Park floodlights, was, for the most part, as one sided as the final score suggests, as the young Badgers were gunned down by an impressive looking Blades side, who staged a modern version of the St. Valentines Day massacre
Retford started the game well enough, but once the visitors started imposing themselves, with an impressively high standard of passing and moving quickly off the ball, there was only going to be one winner tonight, even though it did take until the fortieth minute for them to open the scoring in this cup tie.

Tonight's encounter was scheduled league game, even though there is still the small matter of an outstanding 'rescheduled/replayed' cup game to be settled between these sides, after both teams had broken competition rules when they initially met, with the Blades fielding two ineligible players on the night, while Retford played one in their side too.
That game will be played at Cannon Park on Thursday 28th February.

Nickeson Gomis, who scored the only goal of the game when I saw him in action a few weeks ago, for the Blades U23 team in a Premier Development League clash against Birmingham City U23 at Bramall Lane, claimed two goals for himself tonight, including the visitors first after forty minutes, when he cut into the right hand side of the Retford area and drilled a diagonal shot across the face of  Georger Atkinson's goal, that nestled just inside the left hand upright. This was after both Ollie Ashwell and Alex Wonham had gone close to scoring for the Badgers.
The Blades took a two goal advantage in at half time, after Kevin Tunde 'dinked' a dipping free kick from twenty yards out, that squeaked in just underneath the crossbar.
HT: Badgers 0 v Blades 2

Leo Ghaxa and Jean Leroy-Belehouan, both went close to extending the visitors lead, while Gomis missed an absolute sitter from just four yards.
The Blades number three Darnell Joseph, took time out from motoring up and down the left flank, to block a well struck shot from Wonham, but the otherwise dominant visitors put the game beyond reach just after the hour mark, with two goals within a minute of each other, when Angelo Cappello's shot was saved by Atkinson, but Gomis was on hand to score off the rebound... and straight from the restart, Retford conceded possession and Hassan Ayari dribbled his way into the left hand side of the Badgers area and rolled a well weighted angled knock inside the far post.

The Blades were stretching their hosts to the limit and all that Retford could offer in response was to defend deeply and try to make a fist of implementing some kind of damage limitation approach.

Wonham was fouled some twenty yards out from the visitors goal as  the Badgers made a rare push into the opposition half, but having got back to his feet to take the free kick himself, the Retford number nine drilled the ball straight at the Blades defensive wall... and before long it was 0-5 as Jacob Mattock's long range strike was blocked but Cappello was on hand to pounce on the loose ball before finding the net with just five minutes left to go. 

Ashwell went to ground as he got into a tangle with a Blades defender, just inside the visitors area... and though there were some fairly vociferous calls for a penalty, the match officials were well placed to make a decision and were unmoved. To be fair, I thought it was a six and two thirds type tangle, much as the home supporters might disagree with me.

Wonham was unlucky to see his curling free kick crash back off of the top of the left hand upright, and the last action of the night saw Cappello cut into the Retford area from the left and nudge the ball just inches past the far post.

FT: Retford United 0 v Sheffield United 5