Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Pickering Town 2-2 Retford United
New Pickering star Joe Dale (left) scored his side’s equaliser
A late Joe Dale equaliser preserved an undeserved point for Pickering Town in their draw with struggling Retford United.
Pickering were woeful, in a word. None of the assurance that has seen them climb to second in NCEL Premier Division was in evidence at Mill Lane as they scratched around for chances.
Retford were wonderful, on the other hand. They won the ball back tigerishly- although it was often given to them by the hosts- and did not resemble a failing team staving off relegation.
One of the beauties of this level playing field is that such a gulf in performance levels can exist, completely belying the league table, producing the same reward for both sides.
It’s an NCEL truism that anyone can beat anyone, but it’s true. Retford deserved to have done so at the foot of the North York Moors yesterday.
Town’s strained attempts to play the ball around their back through dominated the opening stages of the game and the first two chances came from misplaced passes.
Deep in Pickering territory, Retford player-manager Mark Wilson intercepted a ball and nearly chipped Toby Wells but the finger the keeper got to it proved enough to divert wide.
The opening goal came when Jack Carter picked off a Niall Tilsley pass and clipped a ball through for Cameron Dear, who beat Wells to the ball and drove it into the ground and in from seven yards.
The Badgers retreated from here, continuing to win possession in the middle of the park and cycle it out to the left-hand side to build tentative attacks.
Wilson’s managerial determination to keep his side in the league came across in his every act on the field. He engaged the gaggle of travelling fans in almost constant repartee, but this belied his commitment a fading cause.
RAF captain Tom Claisse was the player on the home side with the best understanding of how to switch the play but he couldn’t instil rhythm into his team’s passing on his own.
Sam Denton dragged a free-kick wide and planted a header straight at the keeper before half-time, while wing-back Joe Dunnett really should have done better than send a headed effort over the bar when superbly placed in the box.
Paul Marshall and Denny Ingram were exasperated by their side’s first-half display and wasted no time in making their first change five minutes after the restart with Ryan Cooper coming on.
Goalscoring midfielder Cooper immediately broke down the right and cut back well, only for Ryan Blott to unwittingly block a team-mate’s shot and Nick Thompson see his drive rebutted by Derek Ubah.
Ubah was exceptional in the heart of the Retford defence. Admittedly much of Pickering’s play proved meat and drink to the defender, but the contact he got on every header and every clearance was consistently outstanding.
Moments after this chance, Retford doubled their lead from a corner as Brad Kilner headed home.
With little to lose by making his complement of substitutions, Marshall brought Ged Dalton into the fray and a corner was earned that Dunnett sent wide.
A similarly instantaneous impact came from the introduction of Joe Dale. A quick Blott throw-in found Dale, who flicked around the corner for Dalton to run onto.
The flying winger was too quick for the bundling challenge of Reece Farnhill, who sent him over in the box and the referee pointed to the spot.
Blott converted, sending Josh Perryman the wrong way with a powerful strike into the bottom left from twelve yards.
Perryman pulled out a quite stupendous save to once again deny Dunnett, but the keeper would finally be beaten with five minutes to play.
Russell Parker sent a hopeful ball into the box which Denton helped on to find Dale, who adjusted and fired home into the top right.
Cooper nearly got a defining touch in injury-time but was in an offside position anyway, before Perryman plucked a Blott header out of the top corner on the last play of the game.
Pickering are enjoying one of their best-ever seasons and, with significant improvement on this display, could seal a second-place finish in the ninth tier for the second time in their history.
Retford, meanwhile, are nine points from safety and staring down their first relegation in five years since returning to the NCEL.
My goodness me, you wouldn’t know it.
The Teams
Pickering Town: Wells; Parker, Denton, Tilsley, Danby, Dunnett; Birch, Claisse, Thompson; Kamara, Blott. Subs: Cooper, Dalton, Dale. Subs unused: Chipps, Taylor.
Retford United: Perryman; Kaye, Laight, Ubah, Williams; Wilson, Knox, Farnhill, Carter; Kilner, Dear. Subs: Cocking, Barker, Perry, Ashton