Mick Norbury’s Glasshoughton Welfare drew 2-2 with Houghton Main
Glasshoughton Welfare were made to rue several missed goal opportunities last night when they visited Sheffield County Senior League side Houghton Main last night.
After Houghton took an early lead, Josh Barratt (2) looked to have eased Welfare to a win but a late Jack Kirk own goal saw the hosts snatch a 2-2 draw.
On a lovely playing surface each side had good chances in the early stages and Main’s Ashley Emmott opened the scoring after 15 minutes when his sweetly struck 30 yard drive whistled into the roof of the net giving new Welfare keeper Paddy Shaw no chance.
A few minutes later Shaw had to leap across his goal to keep a goal-bound header out.
After 30 minutes welfare equalised. A Ross Haywood free kick on the right edge of the penalty was aimed towards the far post. The ball deceived the home defenders, and keeper Jordan Watson. It struck the post and was tapped in by Barratt.
Eleven minutes later welfare took the lead when hesitation between defenders and Watson saw Barratt nip in and stroke the ball home.
Just after this Barratt could have had a third but shot wide of the post.
The second half opened with Welfare on the attack and Josh Prudhoe shot wide. Back came Main however and Welfare defender Joe Bedford was turned by an attacker who fired just over.
Welfare then had a 20 minute period when they should have ran away with the game. Good build up play saw Del Pollock shoot into the keepers hands from 10 yards. Regan fish was put through on the right of the six pard area and shot wide.
Danny Cawley had a shot deflected for a corner. Pollock ran onto a through ball. His delightful chip beat the onrushing keeper, and a post. Fish then beat three defenders in the area and his pass to Cawley saw the striker bring out the best in Watson. Pollock then brought the ball down, turned and fired over.
In between this Shaw had to parry away a low freekick.
Welfare were made to pay for the missed chances on 78. The referee awarded a dubious freekick to Main when he deemed that substitute Mark Wilson had handled the ball even though it was struck at him from no more than a yard.
The resultant free kick was floated into the far post and the unlucky Jack Kirk headed past Shaw for an own goal.
Welfare could have conceded a third a minute later when a Main player attacked down the right. He cut in and fired a shot just wide.
The visitors had an even luckier escape on 85 minutes when a headed back pass to Shaw from Jimmy Williams failed to reach the keeper.
A Main forward pounced and with the open goal at his mercy he hit a post and the ball was cleared.
Welfare had another chance in the final minute when Wilson, from 20 yards controlled the ball with his head but then volleyed it into the the goalkeepers hands. The game ended just as Shaw made a brave save at the feet of a Main attacker.
Glasshoughton Welfare squad: Shaw, Bedford, Morley, Snaith, Forsyth, Williams, Pollock, Cawley, Barratt, Haywood, Blackburn, Prudhoe, Fish, Walsh, Wilson, Woodger, Kirk.
Referee: Neil Fletcher
Attendance: 75
Thanks to Garry Mollon from Glasshoughton for this report. You can submit your club’s reports and team-lists to Non League Yorkshire by email at info@nonleagueyorkshire.com.