Ossett Town did everything John Reed asked of them in the stunning 3-1 win over Scarborough Athletic last night
John Reed delivered a tactical masterclass as his heroic Ossett Town team stunned Evo Stik Division One North giants Scarborough Athletic at Ingfield.
Ossett cantered to a 3-1 victory in front of a large crowd and in truth, the home side could have scored a few more having missed a penalty and forced a number of saves out of Seadogs stopper Jason White.
Reed, who was a coach at Scarborough last season under Rudy Funk, had to persuade defender Lee Connor to come out of retirement to help out because of player unavailability and the former Farsley centre-back incredibly headed his side ahead.
The usually reliable Steven Jeff, Ossett’s leader, hit the post from the penalty spot, but that didn’t stop Ossett from recording their first league win since the opening day.
Rob Bordman scored the second goal and the superb Nathan Curtis effectively wrapped up the victory on the hour.
Substitute Jordan Thewlis pulled a goal back for Scarborough late-on, but Ossett weren’t going to be denied a totally deserved victory and Reed paid tribute to his players.
“We hit the bar, missed a penalty and then in the second half after going 3-0 up, their goalkeeper has made three amazing saves,” Reed told Non League Yorkshire.
“They got a scrappy one with ten minutes to go, but I thought the lads were magnificent.
“We were really disciplined and we had a patten of play and they played it exactly how I wanted it.
“I knew them from last year so I knew how they played and knew their weaknesses and we exposed them.
“The plan was to pack the midfield, a bit like England last night.
“We had Woody (Chris Wood) down the middle and Rob Bordman and Nathan Curtis out wide.
“I knew their two full-backs, especially the right-back Paul Robson who loves to get forward and I wanted to nullify him.
“Rob Bordman did a magnificent job tonight (on Robson) and then to bring a lad in like Lee Connor, who is 36-years-old, was a gamble, but I knew his experience would help these young lads.
“With five 18-year-old lads in your ranks it is very difficult, but I thought they did a fantastic job from one to eleven.
“It’s great to beat one of these big teams because we have been unlucky recently.
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am with them. It was an all-round quality performance.”
Lee Connor, pictured right, during his final game before retirement in April 2012, ironically against Ossett Town for Farsley AFC. Connor put Ossett in front against Scarborough
Defensively Ossett were solid. Connor and new Bradford City loan star Niall Heaton were a rock in the centre-half positions.
Going forward, Curtis was a constant thorn in Scarborough’s side and even early on, Ossett were on top.
Scarborough have had a great start to life in Division One North, but this was an off-night and they weren’t helping themselves.
Kamikaze defending from goalkeeper White almost brought the first goal. The stopper raced 30 yards out of his goal and lost control of the ball which fell to Bordman – the worst player to lose the ball to.
Bordman went for the spectacular and was only denied by the quick-thinking of the experienced Paul Foot, who headed the ball over the crossbar for a Ossett corner.
Ossett were soon back at their visitors. Dave Merris’ in-swinging free kick met the head of Connor and he lifted the ball over the advancing White to cap a remarkable story in itself.
Scarborough were rocking and right-winger Curtis then cut inside his marker smashed the crossbar with a fine shot from the edge of the box.
The chance to go 2-0 up was initially spurned as Jeff hit the right post from the penalty spot after Richard Patterson had been hauled to the ground by Steve Burton.
At 1-0 and half-time approaching, Scarborough must have been content and hopeful of retrieving the deficit.
Ossett had other ideas though. White had saved a seemingly goal-bound attempt from Patterson and the Scarborough had managed to clear their lines.
However, Jeff sent the ball back down the left-wing which gave Bordman a free kick. The prolific striker teased his marker as he made his way into the six-yard and then drew White off-the-line.
The ‘keeper’s movements proved pivotal as the angle opened for Bordman to fire the ball into the roof of the net and hand the visitors a mountain to climb.
Rob Bordman scored Ossett Town’s second goal just before half-time
After failing to properly test Ossett goalkeeper Brad Dixon in the first ten minutes of the second half, Funk threw on all three allowed substitutes.
Thewlis, Danny Chambers and Jimmy Beadle, back from a ban for comments made on a social media site, were all sent on to rescue Scarborough.
The triple substitution seemed more in desperation rather than actually made with a plan in mind to retrieve something from the game.
Only Thewlis made a small difference as Ossett ignored the fanfare from their arrival on the pitch by scoring the decisive third goal.
White had only just made a treble of excellent saves from Patteson, Curtis and Wood before Foot’s poor clearance gave the chance for Calum Hepworth to make a great run from his right-back position.
Hepworth sent a low cross towards the back post and the Scarborough defence stood and watched as the ball sailed to Curtis, who had the simple task.
A goal-mouth scramble allowed Thewlis to score and set up a nail-biting finish.
Dixon made one excellent save from Thewlis soon after as Scarborough briefly sensed a way back, but that was the last of the visitors’ attacks.
Bordman should have even added a fourth deep into injury-time when he toyed with Scarborough’s poor defence inside the penalty area.
The chance went begging, but it did not take the shine off an exceptional performance from Ossett – arguably their best since Reed took charge in February.
Ossett Town: Dixon, Hepworth, Jeff (captain), Connor, Heaton, Armstrong, Curtis, Patterson, Bordman, Wood (O’Neill 90), Merris. Subs unused: Whiteley, Davies, Akeister, Jones.
Scarborough Athletic: White, Robson, Burton, Middleton, Foot, Davidson, Ghaichem (Chambers 57), Bolder (captain), Blott (Beadle 57), Williams (Thewlis 57).
Referee: P Thompson
Ref Rating: 8/10
Attendance: 272
Man of the match: Nathan Curtis (Ossett Town)