Toolstation NCEL Division One
Knaresborough Town 7-0 Shirebrook Town
Knaresborough Town celebrate during their 7-0 demolition of Shirebrook Town. Picture: Craig Dinsdale
Knaresborough got off the mark in the spectacular style by smashing struggling Shirebrook Town at Manse Lane.
Shirebrook were a shadow of the side which ended last season a place over Knaresborough in the final table, but held the home side to only 1-0 at the break.
Brad Walker had an early run which ended with a shot wide of the mark, but he then forced a save from Richard Spink with his next effort before breaking clear of the Shirebrook defence only to pull his shot against the left upright.
Colin Heath then took over the chances, firstly knocking the ball wide from a long ball from Seb Carole and then playing a Walker pass wide.
Will Lenehan then headed wide from a Tom Hesketh corner before a free kick was awarded some twenty five yards from goal in a central position after 34 minutes.
Three players lined up the kick, but it was Hesketh who fired low into goal for his first strike for the club.
Heath was wide again from Walker’s pass before Matthew Langley was stupidly sent off for Shirebrook for kicking out at Ben Parkes before the first half concluded with both Sam Cook and Walker were too high with late chances.
The vital second goal arrived in the 53rd minute when Tom Woollard’s centre was fired past Spink by Heath, but Walker made sure into an empty net.
Walker was wide following a Cook run, Heath from a Walker cross and Woollard as a result of a massive deflection.
Another Walker pass sent Heath away in the 61st minute and he kept his cool to slot home the third goal before allowing Gary Collier to take over.
Five minutes later, pressure from Walker forced defender Oliver Beaumont to slide the ball into his own goal and soon afterwards, Calum Rodgers forced a good stop from Spink.
Walker’s shot towards goal struck Collier to deflect wide of Spink in the 75th minute to make it 5-0 and more Walker work was rewarded when Woollard kept his cool to make it six ten minutes from time.
Six minutes later, Seb Carole produced the goal of the game with a superb lob over the goalkeeper and a late shot from distance from Ben Parkes struck the top of the bar as Knaresborough held on to the victory against a disappointing visiting side.
The Team
Knaresborough Town: Rushworth; Cook (Maullin), Morris (Lees), Lenehan, Rodgers, Woolard, Hesketh, Parkes, Carole, Walker, Heath (Collier). Sub unused: Cohen, King.