Toolstation NCEL Division One
Armthorpe Welfare 7-2 Retford United
Luke Williams scored a hat-trick for Armthorpe
Luke Williams’ hat trick helped Welfare on their way to an easy win against Retford United in what was a feisty affair.
It took ten minutes for Luke Williams to get his first of three goals as he raced through on goal to comfortably slot the ball past the Retford number one.
Five minutes after making it 1-0, Retford almost levelled. Matt Parkin played a chipped ball through to Lee Betts who waited for the ball to bounce before striking it, which produced a magnificent save from Liam Copley in the Welfare goal.
Seventeen minutes in Williams struck again, he went on a little run, beating one player before slotting the ball into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
Seven minutes after Williams made it 2-0, Retford halved the deficit. Leon Loftus-Larcombe played a great ball over the top of the defence and found Reece Treasure who took it down and slotted it past Copley.
Forty minutes in saw the first yellow card of the game as Lee Betts found himself in the referee’s book for a push on Micky Collins.
Four minutes after the restart it was 3-1 to Welfare. Josh Bucknall played a ball down the line for Gary Collier to run on to and his first time left footed shot ended up in the back of the net.
Fifty-three minutes in Armthorpe found themselves comfortably in the lead. It was Craig Aspinall with a lofted pass over the top of the defence and Chris Simpkins was there to cushion home a left footed volley into the bottom corner of the goal to make it 4-1 to Welfare.
Just after the hour mark it was 5-1. Mo Sellassie had a shot from the edge of the box saved by Adam Martin in the Retford goal but he couldn’t keep hold of the ball and Luke Williams was there to slot it in from two yards out to get his third and Welfare’s fifth.
Seventy-six minutes played, and Retford got one back as Curtis Birchall played in Callum Littlejohn who struck the ball into the bottom corner.
Three minutes after scoring Retford found themselves picking the ball out of the back of the net again. Mo Selassie with the goal his performance deserved, he went on a solo run taking on a few players in the process before smashing the ball into the back of the net.
Welfare still had time to score another, with two minutes of the ninety left, Alan Jackson played in Morgan Brough who took a touch before easily slotting it past the keeper.
The Teams
Armthorpe Welfare: Copley, Lumley, Bucknall, O’Neill, Garner, Collins, Selassie, Aspinall, Williams (Brough 64), Collier (Jackson 71), Simpkins (Arnold 77). Subs unused: Joe Smith, Steve Lyon.
Retford United: Martin, Loftus-Larcombe, Betts (Bennett 70), Hall, Smith, Aitkin, Littlejohn, Parkin (Eagle 56), Walters, Scully, Treasure. Subs unused: Curtis Birchall, Sam Bartram.