Wednesday 24th April 2019
WVH North Midland U21 League North
at the Rail Ground
Retford FC (0) 1
Shay Evans-Booth 68
Frickley Athletic (3) 5
Jordan Buckham 3
Paul Sherburn 22, 30, 56
Matty Greaves 79
Attendance 27
Frickley took the lead inside the third minute, when Jordan Buckham stole a lead on the Choughs defence from a long knock forward into the hosts area and 'plopped' the ball past Adam Hicks. Buckham slotted his shot away calmly... and never let the fact that he was at least a yard (or possibly two) offside when the ball was played faze him in the slightest.
Toby Rutherford hooked a shot over the bar, as the hosts went in search of an immediate response, while Lewis Bowring did well to smother an angled shot from Shay Evans-Booth down by his right hand post.
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| One of the two stands at the rail ground... a third one is imminent. |
Retford lost Lewis Colley who limped out of the game early on and their Under 18 side's Will Lyon came on from the bench to replace him, sadly for the young substitute, his first touch was also his worst touch, and an under-hit back-pass gave Paul Sherburn the chance to nip in and steal the ball, before taking it around Hicks (who had been left stranded in no-man's land) and side-footing a tap-in into the open goal.
Brandon Lee went close from Charlie Parker's right wing cross, but Lady Luck had definitely turned her back on Retford tonight... as was demonstrated on the half hour, when Hicks, having acquitted himself well with saves from Sherburn, Buckham and Matty Greaves, also joined the ranks of the Paul Sherburn benevolent society, by miss-hitting a free kick from the edge his six yard box, straight to the visitors number eleven, who gratefully received his gift of a free shot at goal... and gleefully spanked it beyond the reach of the despairing Choughs keeper.
The local Retfordian football legend that is Kev Swannack, came around with the raffle prizes, that had been won by yours truly (this is a mandatory occurrence on the local non-league circuit) and the Frickley media guru: Michael Johnson, but both of us told 'Swanny' to put the bottles of plonk back into the wine rack... and use them again at the next home game; because despite our respective and deceptive demeanour, we're both actually genuinely nice people.
Rutherford, Evans-Booth and Callum Amendola combined well to set up Lee with a half chance just before half time, but Buckham, that constant pest wearing the visitors number three shirt, intercepted the threat.
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| Jeez! They'll let absolutely anyone in here. |
Sherburn created the first chance of the second half for himself, but drilled the ball across the face of Retford's goal and wide of the left hand upright.
Liam Carrick laid the ball inside to Lewis Szanto, just outside the area, but Hicks had read the situation in advance and was well placed to make a comfortable save.
Sherburn claimed his hat-trick, when he shot on the turn, from the right hand edge of the D and the ball bulged the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Dec Heath had a good chance of reducing the arrears, but rushed his shot and the ball ended up nearer the corner flag the visitors goal, but Evans-Booth didn't miss when Haydn Goddard, the Choughs captain had picked him out, with a well weighted knock forward.
Hicks denied Greaves twice at one end, while Evans-Booth rattled a shot from close range against the inside of the post at the other, before Bowring saved well as a one against one shoot-out with the home sides big striker ensued.
Edrisa Koneton (or Konateh, depending on which version of the team list you are referring to), a second half substitute for the visitors, advanced forward, and dribbled the ball deep into Choughs territory, but having impressed during the build up, he blazed his shot wide.
And right at the death, Koneton linked up with Ben Bool, to set up a great chance for Joel Fiern, but he couldn't quite keep his effort on target.
FT: Retford FC U21 1 v Frickley Athletic U21 5
Losing is never nice, but results aren't the be all and end all in development football... and Retford U21's have provided players for the Central Midlands League (North) champions this season and offered a pathway for lads stepping up from the U18, so the whole set up across the board at the Rail Ground is obviously working... just saying!
