Toolstation NCEL Division One
Glasshoughton Welfare 1-2 Hall Road Rangers
Losing is hard to swallow but when the winning goal is this good there’s not a lot you can do – cracking strike by @Srobbo99 (better than Saturday’s?) @Glassywelfare 1 @HRRFC 2 Sam Robinson 83 pic.twitter.com/HFg2ioKFQO
— Peter Fleming 🎗️ (@EastHullPete) September 29, 2020
Sam Robinson’s 35-yard Hollywood screamer won it as Hall Road Rangers mounted a late raid to snatch their first league victory of the season.
The unbelievable goal was one of the final acts of the clash which allowed Glasshoughton Welfare to honour their long-serving secretary Frank Maclachlan whose sudden death stunned the Non League world last week.
Hall Road brought a wreath and close friend and local referee Andy Smith read out a poignant tribute over the public address system prior to the minute’s silence which underlined just what a colossal figure he was around the local football scene.
A high percentage of the crowd came specially to pay their respects to Mr Maclachlan whose dedication to local football in the Castleford and Pontefract areas went back to the 1970s. Old friends attended, including former Glasshoughton chairman Phil Riding.
Glasshoughton did Mr Maclachlan proud with their first half performance. Welfare were the better side and Nick Lalousis and and Sam Nelson had half chances early doors.
Although it must be said their 39th minute opener was fairly fortunate. A superb cross from the left across the six-yard box put a sitter on a plate for Andy Horbury to head in. Horbury leapt like a salmon, but missed the ball entirely. Hall Road left-back James Whittingham, perhaps shocked by the striker failing to score, stood motionless as the ball hit him and trickled into his own net.
Star Hall Road goalkeeper Jody Barford kept the deficit at one goal with a magnificent stop from Josh Corbett’s long range thunderbolt just before the half-time whistle blew.
Welfare’s second half display far from matched the first’s. They did not deserve to lose, but Welfare created little.
Rangers began to mount pressure and the scores were level by the hour. Moyo Ajibade bustled his way through the midfield and hit a very speculative from distance. It was blocked and ricocheted to the unmarked Robinson who had time and space to compose himself before firing low and hard past Lewis French.
A draw was clearly a fair result and it was fizzling out that way until the 83rd minute. Out of absolutely nothing, a long ball was taken down by a team-mate, and Robinson ran onto it and leathered it and sent it hurtling into the top left-hand corner. A truly stunning goal and one worthy of winning any game and it certainly pleased Leon Sewell who ran ten yards onto the pitch and was celebrating by bouncing up and down like a 21-year-old at a rave.
Glasshoughton almost rescued a point in stoppage time as captain Adam Walsh, in Usain Bolt style, raced clear. He went one-on-one with Barford and narrowly placed his shot wide. For Glasshoughton, it was not to be.
The Teams
Glasshoughton Welfare: French, Mhlolo, Cunliffe, Nelson, Walsh (captain), Bell (Milner 80), Corbett, Horbury, Youel (Holbrook 66), Lalousis (Carter 66). Sub unused: Tonkinson.
Hall Road Rangers: Barford, Bullement, Whittingham, Piercy, Britton, Knaggs, Boyd (Murray 75), Harrison, Ajibade (Parker 74), Harman, Robinson. Subs unused: Marshall, Walker.
Who Was In Charge
Kieran Dawson (8/10)
Man of the Match
Sam Robinson (Hall Road Rangers)