Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Garforth Town 4-1 Bottesford Town
Lee Turner’s double helped Garforth Town secure a victory in the only Premier Division game to take place.
Turner’s brace plus goals from Mitch Hamilton and record-breaker Mark Simpson ensured that the Miners continued their superb recent form of five victories, one draw and one defeat since the Boxing Day defeat to Parkgate.
The main plaudits though were Garforth chairman and groundsman Brian Close and his assistants who worked tirelessly to get game on, despite the poor weather.
After a referee cost them any chance of winning at Pickering seven days earlier, this weekend’s game went totally to plan for the Miners.
Garforth went ahead just after the half-hour mark when Sam Leach’s magnificent deep cross from his right-back position was slid home by Turner at the back-post.
The only blip in the proceeding was a well-taken penalty from veteran Paul Grimes after a rash challenge by Garforth defender Luke McCrum.
Normal service was resumed straight after half-time as Turner finished off a well-worked move.
Although Bottesford did have a few chances, Garforth looked capable of scoring every-time they ventured forward.
Mitch Hamilton effectively put the game beyond Bottesford. The exciting forward latched onto Jack McMurrough’s well-flighted ball before scoring from the edge of the penalty area.
The icing on the cake was reserved for Simpson. The Crawford HR January Player of the Month was brought down in the penalty area with seven minutes to go. He then stepped up to score for the eighth successive game – equalling a record set by Richard Ramsden in 1997.
Sean Hunter could have hit a hat-trick in the final few minutes, but it did not matter as Garforth were home and horsed against a side they controversially lost to in a referee-inspired defeat back in September.
The Team
Garforth Town: Hagreen, Leach, Allsop, Beaston (captain), McCrum, Donoghue, Rose, Hamilton, Turner, Simpson, McMurrough. Subs: Dhesi, Poole, Kitson, Hunter, Donaldson.