Toolstation NCEL Division One
Hallam 2-3 Glasshoughton Welfare
- Captain Jimmy Williams was sent off, but Glasshoughton managed to win with a goal from Ryan Poskitt.
- Hallam’s Steve Brammer hit the crossbar from the penalty spot late in the game as Ryan Hindley’s men searched for an equaliser.
Ten man Glasshoughton Welfare claimed their third successive league victory last night with a superb team performance at play-offs chasing Hallam.
Glasshoughton had to play the entire second half with ten men after captain Jimmy Williams was sent off.
Ryan Poskitt came into the side in place of Luke Durham for the only change to the team that had beaten Grimsby Borough at the weekend. New signing and former Welfare player Jack Nodder was on the substitutes’s bench.
Welfare made a dream start in the first minute with a contender for goal of the season. Del Pollock collected the ball some 35 yards from goal and unleashed a thunderbolt shot which fizzed over Jack Dennison in the home goal and into the net.
A minute later it could have been two but Josh Morley pushed a shot wide of the far post. Morley then crossed to Pollock who volleyed wide. Dennison could then only parry a long range effort.
At the other end Hallam came close when a deep cross dropped just past the far post. Welfare were causing problems for the home defence though with Jack Owen heading just over, before he fired in a 25 yard shot which just cleared the bar. Andy Seed and Poskitt both saw powerful efforts go just the wrong side of the posts.
Hallam levelled the scores on 41 minutes. A long ball caught the visiting defence out and Jordan Watson made a great block outside his area. However the ball fell to James Reed who chipped over the welfare defenders into the net.
Welfare regained the lead just before the interval from the penalty spot. Seed was brought down and Owen slotted the resultant penalty kick past Dennison.
The game boiled over in first half injury time when Seed fouled a Hallam player. This led to confrontations between numerous players and concluded with captain Williams being sent off and Seed being cautioned.
Hallam opened the second period strongly and Max Pemberton had a shot held by Watson before Michael Blythen headed a dangerous cross just wide. Pressure from the home side saw them equalise on 55 minutes. A long throw into the Welfare area by Pemberton was not cleared and the ball was hit home by Steve Brammer.
Welfare came back into the game with Poskitt being foiled by Dennison and then the same welfare player hit a cross to the far post but Morley fired wide.
Welfare regained the lead on 65 minutes when great persistence by Owen saw him cut along the bye line and he hit a pass into the home area that was smashed home by Poskitt.
Six minutes later Hallam had a great chance to equalise from the penalty spot when a welfare player handled in the area. Brammer fired his spot kick against the crossbar and the welfare defence survived.
After Dennison saved at the feet of Owen, and Welfare substitute Ricky Popplewell fired a shot wide, there were some anxious moments in the Welfare defence. Watson made a great one handed save and the clearance was completed by Mike Brearley. Hallam’s Curtis Modest had two good chances in injury time firing one effort over the bar and the other wide.
Glasshoughton Welfare joint manager Simon Houghton: “Obviously to come here on a Tuesday night and win is fantastic for us. It’s over an hour, two hours for some to get here.
“To battle again for forty five minutes. with only ten men and get that result is a credit to the players.
“After last Saturday I wondered how many would have the legs tonight but they proved me wrong. We have a strong bench now and the players know that they have to play well to keep the shirt.”
Hallam FC: Dennison, Cardwell (Modest) Pemberton, Mirfin, Cole, Whittaker, Reed, Knowles (Hall), Blythen, Brammer, Bishop (Barnsley).
Glasshoughton Welfare: Watson, Rollinson, Brearley, Williams, Walsh, Hunter, Poskitt, Seed (Popplewell), Owen (Scothern), Pollock (Nodder), Morley.
Referee: A Guest
Attendance: 82.
Thanks to Garry Mollon for this report.