Regan Fish scored for Glasshoughton during the 5-0 win over Rossington
Mick Norbury’s Glasshoughton Welfare pulled off a stunning 5-0 victory over a hard-working Rossington Main to secure their first win of the Toolstation NCEL Division One season.
It was by far Welfare’s best performance for well over a year and also their first clean sheet since 22nd April 2014.
Thunderous first half shots from Steve Palfrey (2) and Danny Cawley gave Welfare a three goal lead before Regan Fish and Tom Carr completed the scoring.
Welfare were indebted to goalkeeper Matt Stables for two excellent first half saves and there was an excellent debut from new signing Alex Booth at centre back.
Welfare came under immediate pressure conceding two corners in the first thirty seconds of the game but they took the lead on four minutes when a great ball out of defence by Danny Middleton saw Palfrey collect the ball before fending of a defender and lashing the ball into the roof of the net from 15 yards.
The visitors came back at Welfare with player/manager Lee Holmes poking the ball just wide of a post and Callum Wiffen heading just over. Then Stables parried a header from Jonathan Baird and Marcel Chipamanga curled a shot wide. Holmes also hit one over the bar.
The Welfare defence had a lucky escape after 22 minutes. Appeals were made for offside but they fell on deaf ears and Holmes looked odds on to score until his shot was brilliantly blocked by the onrushing Stables. Welfare increased their lead on 29 minutes when Iain Blackburn took the ball down the left.
He passed the ball into the edge of the penalty area where it bounced up to Cawley who volleyed past keeper Simon Dye. Once again Rossington came back and a long range effort clipped the welfare bar before Stables once again excelled blocking an effort by Wiffen at point blank range. A minute before half-time welfare got a third.
Good work from Ryan Smith on the left saw him put Palfrey in and once again the striker thundered a shot into the far corner from 15 yards.
The second half saw Welfare busy in the visitors half with little response from the tiring Rossington players. Middleton shot just wide and Dye saved with his legs from Palfrey. Booth, who had been a commanding figure in the Welfare defence, headed a corner just over and Fish could not capitalise after good work again by Smith.
Blackburn was replaced by Carr on 59 minutes and 15 minutes later he held the ball up well in the penalty area allowing Fish to steal in and tap home. Palfrey and Cawley were replaced by Callum Pilkington and Josh Prudhoe.
Phil Lindley should have made it five on 80 minutes when heading wide with only Dye to beat. However it was five in the 90th minute when once again Smith showed great work in bringing the ball forward before sliding it to Carr who made no mistake from ten yards.
Glasshoughton Welfare: Stables, Snaith, Lindley, Booth, Morley (captain) Fish, Middleton, Cawley,(Prudhoe), Smith, Palfrey (Pilkington), Blackburn (Carr). Unused sub. Walsh.
Rossington Main: Dye, Baird (Harte), Billam, Johnson, Bucknall, Cooper, Chipamanga, Pendleton, Holmes, Wiffen, Stokes, Unused subs. Woodhall, Wildey, Blunt, Glover.
Referee: Gareth Thomas
Attendance: 75
Thanks to Garry Mollon from Glasshoughton Welfare for this report.