Reece Thompson wheels away after opening the scoring in the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup final
Frickley Athletic reclaimed the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup after a 4-1 victory over lower league Nostell Miners Welfare at the New York Stadium last night.
Frickley had the clinical edge on Nostell, who put in a good display, but were unable to repeat the heroics of Athersley Recreation.
Karl Rose’s side’s win firmly rests the demons from last season’s shock defeat and completes an excellent week which has also seen them secure their Evo Stik Premier Division status.
Reece Thompson was their star man with goals at the start and end of the final.
A Max Elliott own goal increased Frickley’s lead before Nostell’s talisman Rob Bordman scored the goal of the night with an unbelievable 30-yard free kick.
Gavin Allott was able to score from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time to give Frickley to restore the two-goal advantage
The striker got another chance late-on to add another penalty, but he was left red-faced after doing an ‘Ash Flynn’.
Thompson saved his blushes by killing Toolstation NCEL Premier Division Nostell off in the closing stages to ensure that the historic trophy was going back to South Elmsall for the fourteen time.
Nostell gave everything they had, but mistakes cost them and a collision between Jack Fisher and Wayne Ball was the main reason for the opening goal.
Thompson, who started the season at Retford United, broke through and rolled the ball past goalkeeper Ben Saynor.
More confusion followed as centre-back Elliott misjudged Saynor’s position and accidentally lobbed his own goalkeeper for Frickley’s second goal.
Thompson slots the ball past Ben Saynor
Nostell talisman Rob Bordman scored a sensational free kick
Nostell looked dead and buried until their usual hero popped up with a bolt out of the blue. Bordman’s place in the team was subject to speculation due to injury-problems, but his presence gave Nostell hope.
Bordman won the free kick himself and he left Frickley goalkeeper Ben Simpson catching air with a rocket of a strike which flew into the top corner at speed.
A harsh penalty awarded by assistant referee Luke Watson gave Frickley back their control of the match. Elliott was deemed to have won the ball, but tugged Thompson’s shirt in a challenge. This allowed Allott to send Saynor the wrong way from the spot.
Nostell got a let-off at the start of the second half as Thompson’s tap-in was ruled out for offside.
The Crofton-based side had a lot of pressure without really properly testing Simpson. Apart from a Fisher header which flashed just wide, Frickley coped well.
Frickley weathered the storm and Allott should have ended the contest when Thompson was taken down again. However, Allott cannot have seen AFC Emley striker Ash Flynn’s penalty – watched by over a million viewers on Youtube – as he chipped his second penalty, allowing Saynor to easily catch it.
Thompson made sure the embarrassing moment did not come back to haunt Allott by completing the victory in the dying seconds.
He even also had to time to nearly grab a hat-trick as a well-hit effort came back off the crossbar.
Frickley deserved to win. For Nostell, the defeat does the take the shine off a superb second half of the season.
Nostell Miners Welfare: Saynor, Johnson, Ball (Mole 76), Thompson (Davies 89), Fisher, Elliott, Wales, Poole (Kitson 63), Kelly (captain), Bordman, Doran. Subs unused: Allsop, Rhodes.
Frickley Athletic: Simpson (Leigh 90), Parkinson, Stratford, Stannard, Cyrus (Jeffs 50), Ible, Hinsley, Bloor (captain) (Riley 31), Thompson, Allott, Hornsey. Subs unused: Rose, Cable.
Referee: Anthony Tankard
Ref Rating: 8/10
Attendance: 450
Man of the match: Reece Thompson (Frickley Athletic)