Toolstation NCEL Division One
Glasshoughton Welfare 0-2 Parkgate
Glasshoughton goalkeeper Mat Zaniewski
Two late goals returned Parkgate to winning ways and consigned Glasshoughton Welfare to a fourth defeat in five games.
Despite having to defend well at times Welfare could have gone ahead early on, but second half goals from Haydn Ward and Bruno Holden was the difference between the sides.
Welfare started well and goalkeeper Chis Butt just beat Matthew Semley to the ball after being put through by the recalled Gracyan Klimczak.. Gareth Hunter then played a great ball in which found Klimczak at the far post but he dithered with the ball and it was hacked away.
At the other end Matt Zaniewski did well to tip the ball off the head of Holden and then more good interlinking by Welfare saw Matty Bowman chip the ball towards the far post where Klimczak should have scored but side footed wide.
Parkgate then put the Welfare defence under pressure. Lewis Witham blasted just wide as the target opened up for him and then only a diving Zaniewski save denied the same player. Holden struck an effort against the Welfare bar and a number of other efforts were blocked as the pressure increased. Just before the break Zaniewski did well to punch a dangerously whipped in free kick away and a headed chance went inches over the bar.
Parkgate continued their attack on the Welfare goal at the start of the second half and Zaniewski did well to hold onto another free kick. He then blocked a thunderous effort hit from the edge of the penalty area.
Butt was then the saviour for Parkgate with a great instinctive save from a Gary Collier snap shot and then Klimczak burst through on the right but his final pass in could only find the feet of a defender.
Parkgate took the lead on 76 minutes when a corner from the right was headed home by Ward and minutes later Holden sealed the points with a shot from 15 yards.
Welfare did not give up and substitute Lewis Pickering headed wide from a Ryan Ferguson free kick. As the game entered the dying seconds Pickering saw a shot drift wide of a post.
What They Said
Glasshoughton Welfare joint manager Darren Holmes
“Other than the first 15 minutes where we were very good and I thought we were back to our usual selves, the game gradually drifted away from us.
“I am not going to be dragged into slating the lads on social media as we are all in this together, and we will get back on track together. One thing is for sure, it has to be better from 1 to 11 and some hard work is required on and off the pitch.
“There will be changes next week, and next Saturday can’t come soon enough to put things right.”
The Teams
Glasshoughton Welfare: Zaniewski, Knight, Sokol, Hunter, Walsh, Pashley, Ferguson, Collier, Klimczak (Willis), Semley (Pickering). Subs unused: Horn, Cunliffe.
Parkgate: Butt, Simpson, Russell, Crooks, Ward, Hobson, Bagley, Harrison, Holden, Witham, Khalifa. Subs: Davies, Fieldsend, Pugh, McMichael.
Thanks to Garry Mollon for this report.