Pleasants nets two as Meynell’s men win

Toolstation NCEL Division One

Armthorpe Welfare 2-4 Worsbrough Bridge

Ryan Pleasants got two goals as Worsbrough Bridge picked up an impressive win at Armthorpe Welfare under interim boss Rhys Meynell.

Bridge had to come from behind to pick up their first win in five league matches.

Welfare started the game brightly with Josh Dodd seeing his shot on the turn from the edge of the box deflected onto the top of the bar in the 3rd minute. Then Preston went close when his header from a Chris Gowen corner was tipped over the bar by Richard Watson in the 9th minute.

Worsbrough’s Pleasants saw his low 25 yard free-kick curl just wide of the right hand post on 14 minutes, but Darren Mansaram had a good chance for Welfare four minutes later when he was sent clear, but Watson denied him.

A good run from Steve Garner on 23 minutes saw him pick out Burke with a cross-field ball but Watson was off his line smartly to block the shot.

Welfare finally broke the deadlock on 34 minutes when a cross from the left was inadvertently put into his own net from close range by Kieran Thompson with Mansaram lurking behind him.

Just before half time Chris Simpkins had a good run down the left and sent over a cross to the far post for Burke but again Watson denied him.

Worsbrough replaced Thompson with Ashden Morley at half time and within ninety seconds of the restart they had drawn level. Welfare’s defence gave Chris Walton far too much time and space inside the box for the striker to turn and send in a close range shot.

The visitors took the lead on 56 minutes when Pleasants was sent clear to fire past the stranded Montgomery.  

Montgomery tipped over a header from Josh McKeegan on 70 minutes, but on 71 minutes Bridge extended their lead when a well struck shot from outside the box by Pleasants flew just inside the post.

However, Welfare responded immediately when Handley turned well inside the box to steer his shot past Watson from 12 yards.

With four minutes of normal time remaining Dodd played in Waldron who placed his angled shot past the advancing Watson but the ball was cleared off the line.

In the 8th minute of added time when Montgomery inexplicably gifted a fourth goal to Worsbrough when he made a mess of trying to clear from mid-way inside the Welfare half and instead presented McKeegan with an easy opportunity to score.

The Teams

Armthorpe Welfare: Montgomery, Selassie, Gowen, Crisp (Kitt-Geraghty 86), Gibbons (Waldron 57), Garner, Burke, Dodd, Mansaram, Preston (Handley 57), Simpkins .

Worsbrough Bridge: Watson, Hammond (Meynell  64), Black, Severn, Singleton, Thompson (Morley 45), McKegean, Grech-Brookesbank, Walton, Crouch, Pleasants.

Thanks to Steve Pennock for this report.