Toolstation NCEL Division One
Hall Road Rangers 1-2 Glasshoughton Welfare
Glasshoughton captain Jimmy Williams was sent off in midweek, but he scored the important second goal at Hall Road Rangers
Glasshoughton Welfare secured their fourth successive league win with a narrow victory at Hull side Hall Road Rangers, continuing their remarkable turnaround.
With the Welfare side having to play their last 145 minutes with only ten players after two dismissals, joint managers Simon Houghton and Craig Wilkinson rotated their squad giving Del Pollock, Gareth Hunter, and Mike Brearley a rest. Ash Scothern came back into the side along with Tom Carr, and James Popplewell made his first start for the side.
On a heavy and uneven Haworth Park pitch, Welfare were unlucky not to gain a penalty after only two minutes when striker Jack Owen appeared to be tripped as he broke into the home penalty area but the referee waved away the pleas.
Not to be outdone Welfare took the lead on twelve minutes when a Josh Morley corner was headed towards goal and Owen nodded in at the far post for his third goal in three games.
Rangers came back and Danny Walker headed just wide before Adam Foster missed with a shot.
On 26 minutes a Morley free kick was charged down and the rebound saw the same Welfare player shoot wide.
At the other end substitute Chris Garth hit a shot just over the bar, but Welfare were the more dominant side going towards the interval with Ryan Poskitt having a shot saved by Jordan Douglas. The goalkeeper then saw Morley shoot just wide of his near post before he saved a Tom Carr free kick low at the other post.
Welfare opened the second half well with Popplewell at the far post just failing to connect with a pass across goal by Poskitt.
Welfare increased their lead on 48 minutes when another Morley corner into the area saw Jimmy Williams poke the ball home.
The goal seemed to put some life into the home side and Adam Foster tested Welfare keeper Jordan Watson from 30 yards. The Welfare keeper made a great block on 64 minutes with a one-on-one challenge, but he was disappointed a minute later when he missed a high ball into the six yard area and the ball was bundled home by debutant Martin Jones.
Minutes later Scothern forced a great block from Douglas and just after this Watson redeemed himself with a great save from a point blank Mike Walsh header.
The Welfare defence seemed to be getting stretched in the final few minutes and they were lucky when, from a cross Mike Thompson headed just wide of the target. However as the home side pressed for an equaliser, Welfare had chances in the final minute when Owen was foiled by the hand of Douglas and just on the final whistle Scothern, through on goal, could not quite control the ball and finish on the uneven surface.
Glasshoughton Welfare joint manager Craig Wilkinson: “I think we did well to grind out a result today in poor conditions. We were not as good today as we have been in recent games, but we take the three points and move onto the next game on Tuesday.”
Hall Road Rangers: Douglas, D. Thompson, Tate, Harrison, Blount, Walsh, Kinsley, Borman, Walker, M. Thompson, Foster. Subs: Mountain, Harrison, Garth, Jones, Miller.
Glasshoughton Welfare: Watson, Rollinson, Morley, Williams, Walsh, Seed, Poskitt (Brearley) Carr (Hunter), Popplewell (Durham). Sub unused: Myers.
Referee: J Banasik.
Attendance: 66