North Gawber Colliery 4 v Oughtibridge War Memorial 0 - Sheff County Senior League Prem

Wednesday 1st May 2019

Sheffield County Senior League Premier Division

at Woolley Miners Welfare

North Gawber Colliery (2) 4
Carl Woodhead 3
Carey Welford 23
Matt Thornton 59, 64 

Oughtibridge War Memorial (0) 0
Attendance 55

North Gawber Colliery play at the former home of Woolley Miners Welfare FC, a side who folded at the end of the 1989/90 season, after finishing fourth in their final NCEL First Division campaign, that had been preceded by a third place finish the previous year. Woolley's reserves side also used the facility, and they too competed in the old NCEL reserves division for two years, namely: the 1982/83 and 1983/84 campaigns.

A timeline of the ups, downs and ultimate demise of Woolley Miners Welfare reads thus:
At the outset of the 1971-72 season, they entered the third division of the Yorkshire League, from where they were promoted to division two at the end of that first season, before climbing to the first division at the end of just their second season, by virtue of finishing runners up.

However, after suffering relegation in both 1974 and 1977, the Welfare found themselves back in third tier of the Yorkshire League.
The club were amongst the founder members of the NCEL, when the Midland League and Yorkshire League merged in 1982... and took well, initially, to the new league structure, winning the Northern Counties East League Division Two South championship at the end of that inaugural term.

Which subsequently paved the way for promotion to Division One South.
A league re-organisation saw Woolley entered into a short-lived Division One Central Division for a solitary season (1984-85), before seeing out the final five years of their existence in the newly named NCEL Division One.
The ground, which has a decent sized main stand and a smaller structure on the opposite touchline, stands on Woolley Colliery Road, just up t'hill from Darton railway station, and is shared with both: Barnsley Woolley Cricket Club and Woolley Miners Welfare Cricket Club, who play on the adjacent field.

Alas, while delving into the darkest recesses of that there t'internet, seeking out information about the history of North Gawber Colliery FC, I merely unearthed several tenuous leads, that ended up going off down all manner of blind allies... and a few crumbs of information, that hardly offered even the slightest of clues pertaining to any of the relevant details about the roots, origins and track record of this evenings host club. In actual fact, a fair bit of research, barely even provided me with any questions, let alone answers.

So moving swiftly on to the present day, North Gawber Colliery won the League Cup last Thursday night, when they beat Grimethorpe Sports 2-1 at Stocksbridge Park Steels' Look Local Stadium, with Joe and Matt Thornton netting a goal apiece... and they are also still in the running to claim more silverware this month, as they went into this evening's game in second place in the Premier Division title race, two points behind league leaders Dodworth Miners Welfare, but with two games in hand over them.

Which means that after tonight's convincing win over Oughtibridge, David Simms side have now claimed the top spot for themselves... and will be looking to claim the title next Wednesday night at Wombwell Main, or failing that, at home against Grimethorpe Sports a week later. Meanwhile, Dodworth, who thrashed Denaby United 7-0 at the weekend, still have a home game against tonight's visitors to play, on Wednesday week.

However, having reached the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA Senior Cup final, against Frickley Athletic, with an impressive run of results against: Shaw Lane, Athersley Recreation, Parkgate and Maltby Main, their Evo-Stik League opponents, from South Elmsall, who only yesterday relieved their first team manager Martin McIntosh of his duties, won't be fulfilling their obligation to appear in the final, because they feel that it is scheduled on a date that is far too late for them, given that their Evo-Stik League campaign was concluded at the weekend.

Apparently there is even more news forthcoming imminently, as regards the set up at Frickley Athletic, but that is their business, to make whatever public announcements about, that they see fit, in due course, not mine.
However, whatever the nuts and bolts of the matter are, withdrawing from the final, constitutes a massive kick in the teeth for everyone connected with North Gawber Colliery FC, and it is massively unfair on the County Senior League champions elect, that they will miss out on what could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to deservedly appear in the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA's showpiece final, at Bramall Lane.

The County FA really need to be looking into the way that their flagship competition is structured in future seasons, given that this isn't the first instance, in recent times, that their cup final hasn't gone ahead because of issues pertaining to their inflexible and set in stone calendar.
But tweak my nuts for an honest answer to what I think the outcome of all this season's shenanigans should be... and, with all due respect to my many friends at Westfield Lane, I reckon the show must go on. And then afterwards, all member clubs should apply pressure on the governing body, in advance of next season's competition commencing, in a concerted, joint effort to have some long overdue changes implemented. Because as things stand, Frickley are in danger of looking like the bad guys in all of this, even if they aren't... and unfortunately mud sticks.

This seasons final should be played, there is no doubt about that. And then the Sheffield & Hallamshire FA, need to get their act together, to avoid any further unsavoury repetitions. The competition is a big money spinner for the FA, who take a large percentage of the home team's gate money throughout the competition, so they're hardly going to consider scrapping the Senior Cup, but they need to start treating the clubs, who perpetually pour funds into what is already a well fed cash cow; with a little more respect, understanding and flexibility. The County FA exists for the benefit of the teams, not the other way round. And as things stand, the credibility of a long-standing and prestigious competition, is being stretched to the very limits.

Maybe, alternative opposition could be offered the chance to fill the void left by Frickley's absence, such as, for example: this season's beaten semi-finalists: namely Staveley Miners Welfare or Maltby Main, on the proviso of course, that all of their players haven't already gone away on holiday now that their respective NCEL campaigns have finished, but however the S&HCFA decide to deal with this matter, it won't offer any kind of incentive for clubs playing in future competitions, to take the county cup seriously anymore, if they're going to be denied their moment of glory at the end of it all, in the same way that North Gawber Colliery are most probably going to be.

So, what of tonight's game?
Well, North Gawber wholly warranted their convincing win, but credit where it is due, to tonight's visitors Oughtibridge too, who even towards the end of the game, while trailing by four goals, didn't let their heads drop, but continued to plug away and actually kept the ball on the deck, while doing so... and played some eye-catching passing football at times, while Gary Cotton and Ollie Glaves did their level best to keep their dominant hosts at bay with strong performances in defence, against the Colliery side's live-wire attackers. Nathan Ryan, the visitors keeper deserves a special mention too, for making a string of saves, while displaying plenty of evidence that the old adage that: 'all goalkeepers are mad' by regularly throwing himself headlong and head first at the feet of the opposition attackers to claim the ball.

The home side started strongly... and even before they took the lead after just three minutes, they'd already had two really good chances, when Matt Thornton hooked the ball into the path of his well travelled brother Joe, who took it down well and motored past the last defender, before Ryan bravely spread himself across the path to goal. And Lee Elsworth's delivery from the resulting corner picked out Carey Welford, who's towering header was destined for the bottom right hand corner of the goal, until Murray Hill did well to scoop the ball off the line and turn it around the post, at the expense of another flag kick.
This time Lee Elsworth's dipping cross was met by Carl Woodhead, who directed a text book header into the top corner of the net, to open the scoring.
Moments later Jake Bedford got a clear run on the visitors goal, but Ryan charged off his line and took a knock as he collected the ball at the North Gawber number two's feet.

A last ditch clearance by Ollie Black denied (M) Thornton a goal, as he lobbed Ryan as the keeper advanced forward to limit the North Gawber striker's options and (J) Thornton went close from another right wing corner.

The (by now) league leaders were threatening to run riot when Lee Elsworth hooked another well aimed cross into the Oughtibridge area and Welford's header ended up in the back of the net via a deflection.

Anybody fancy putting their hand up and claiming an own goal? No, I thought not... so that one is all yours Mr Welford!

Countless chances went begging in front of Ryan's goal for the remainder of the first half, but North Gawber had to be content with a two goal half-time lead.

HT: North Gawber 2 v Oughtibridge 0

The home side started the second half on the front foot too, but though Welford's long range strike took an awkward bounce in front of Ryan, the visitors keeper continued to notch up an impressive total of saves.
After having withstood a lot of pressure during a virtually one way first half, Oughtibridge gave a much better account of themselves after the interval, with Ross Brown, Brad Fletcher, Billy Needham and Cal Simms combining to work their way deep into North Gawber territory. But as the away side stepped up the tempo of their game in a bid to get back into the game, it left them vulnerable in defence and they a touch were fortunate that (M) Thornton air-kicked and missed the ball altogether from a good position after Matt Blakey had played him in on goal with a long range header from inside his own half.

The home side regained their high tempo and were soon demonstrating why they are favourites to be league champions, with two quick-fire goals from (M) Thornton, the first after 'our kid' set up a great opportunity for him to rifle home, before he rolled in his second from eight yards out, despite the visitors defence looking to the referee's assistant in the vainglorious hope that he was going to raise his flag. In between his two strikes, (M) Thornton had a close range shot well saved and Welford skied the ball over Ryan's bar and into the distance, from from (J) Thornton's sideways pass, to a call of: "You'll have to pay for damaging that lamppost!" from his bench.

Sport hurts!

Brown had a good chance to reduce the deficit, but his effort was saved by Louis Butcher.

Oughtibridge suffered a double blow when Simms limped off of the pitch, after putting in a good shift out wide for them... and late in the game Gary Cotton was also limping heavily behind the goal he'd been defending up until then.

Woodhead and Welford both went close to increasing North Gawber's lead, while Brown clipped a twenty yard shot high and wide in the dying minutes of the game... and in stoppage time (M) Thornton looked odds on to claim his hat-trick after a mazy run towards the visitors goal, but his shot was blocked by the Oughtibridge captain, Glaves, and then Ryan emerged with the ball after the North Gawber striker had advanced on him with Callum Mackie in support right at the death.

FT: North Gawber Colliery 4 v Oughtibridge War Memorial 0

Fingers crossed that there is still time to find a solution, so that North Gawber can actually play in the Sheffield Senior Cup final that they've qualified for in such great style.