Toolstation NCEL Division One
Nostell Miners Welfare 3-1 Swallownest
Scintillating Nostell Miners Welfare celebrated back-to-back wins after butchering previously unbeaten Swallownest in torrential rain.
Ash Austin’s close range goal and Brett Smith’s penalty created a dream first half lead to set up the headline grabbing victory which arguably should have been by far a greater score-line. Smith even had a second first half penalty saved. The only blot on the Nostell copybook was Callum Greaves’ hour mark goal.
On other days that could have sparked a Swallownest comeback. It did not and Amir Berchill finished the visitors off in the closing minutes.
The only complaints Swallownest can have is the two controversial moments of the first half. One was the first penalty and the other was in the third minute.
Nostell had lost their top goalkeeper Lee Kelsey in the warm-up to injury and his replacement Chris Carter was almost sent off. Nostell were all at sea just outside their own penalty area after a back-pass had gone awol and after Rich Williams had got past him, Carter carelessly brought him down. There were defenders around, but Carter was very lucky to escape with a yellow card as Williams clearly had an obviously goal-scoring opportunity.
On paper, beating Swallownest was a mammoth ask, given their recent wins over Selby Town and Dronfield Town. Nostell might be a team with only a few experienced NCEL players, but because they play without fear and in such a powerful and entertaining way going forward, they will cause sides problems. If they hang onto their players over the next 18 months to two years they will become a force to be reckoned with.
Joe Wood and Berchill absolutely ripped Swallownest’s back three to shreds once as they got out of the traps. They couldn’t get near them. Harvey Walker split the away defence open for the opener. That was picked up by Wood down the left and his low cross was turned in by Austin who claimed his first competitive goal for the club.
Swallownest were still picking themselves up from the first goal when Alfie Smith was adjudged to have handled. It was too hard to judge from the main stand, but Swallownest made their feelings known by claiming the ball had hit ’s chest. Ex-Sherburn White Rose man Smith kept his nerve during the delay and smashed the high and out of the reach of Swallownest goalkeeper Owen Evans.
Nostell have had a lot of penalties awarded to them in the past few weeks and it is easy to see why with the power and pace they possess. Literally within 60 seconds after the first spot kick, Nostell won another as Tyler Bradley’s wild challenge put Wood on the deck. That could have finished the visitors off by the 24th minute. Instead Smith placed his penalty to the low left of Evans who palmed it out for a corner.
Further chances followed and Austin blew the best one by firing straight at Evans from close range.
Those hoping Swallownest boss Jordan Stocks would conduct his half-time talk (or possibly rant) in the set out team area in the stand were left disappointed. But he must have made his feelings known as his side were a bit more livelier.
Nostell had a flurry of opportunity before the visitors suddenly found a route back. An outstanding cross from the right by Charlie Myers was met by Greaves, who turned it home from point blank range.
The nerves must have been jangling in the Nostell camp, especially given the conditions meant they had to go more direct.
But for all their pre-match billing, the Swallownest onslaught never really came. Nostell slowed the game down and were in control as the game winded down.
Berchill should have finished the visitors off minutes before he actually did. The attacker literally went through one-on-one with Evans, but somehow, and that’s putting it mildly he blazed it high and wide. Nostell chief Ian Walker was literally on his knees with his hands on his head.
Fortunately for the home side, the killer third goal was around the corner. Berchill made the break forward. The Swallownest defence could not get near him again and some smart interchanges led to a pass to Harvey Booth, whose audacious flick was a thing of beauty. That put Berchill through on Evans and on the second occasion he made no mistake.
Two wins in two – the Walker era is up and running.
What Did They Say
Nostell Miners Welfare manager Ian Walker
“It was an excellent win. It was difficult today as Lee Kelsey just before kick off pulled up injured so we had to bring in a young lad to play and he started very nervy. But I thought first half we could have been four or five in front. When we look at the video back we’ll see the chances missed.
“I thought they tried to bully us a little, but on the break I thought Joe Wood was exceptional and the lads worked hard behind him.
“It was a big test for us today and we were asking the lads a different question to what they have been used to. It is probably the hardest question because we were against a side who are bigger and more physical than us and they’ve stood up to it which is pleasing.
“I mean the second half. We play out from the back and we play like whoever it may be, but we like to get it down and play and control the ball. Today because of the conditions and the ‘keeper who had just stepped in, we said to play more direct than we usually are.”
Swallownest manager Jordan Stocks
“We had some good spells and moments where we could have capitalised because I do think they were naive at the back and we could have got at them.
“But we let them out because we didn’t think hard enough and as soon as they got it to their forward three…I thought their ten, 17 and 11 were brilliant and ran us ragged because we got nowhere near them.
“(When it went 2-1) we were getting free kicks in their half and on halfway line and instead of loading the box up we were playing two touches and then losing possession. The decision-making went out of the window and it was completely atrocious.”
On the first half controversy: “In respect of the referee it (the first half) was massively controversial
“He conducted the game himself shockingly and everyone can clearly see it should have been a sending-off as Richie (Williams) was clearly going to put it into an empty net.
“But you still can’t condone how bad we were from there onwards though.
“But the first penalty clearly wasn’t handball, purely on the basis that he (Alfie Smith) has a muddy ball mark on his chest. The second one is a stonewall penalty and I think the ref messed up again as I think he should have sent our player off.”
The Teams
Nostell Miners Welfare: Carter, Ford, Allsop, Smith, Wood (Booth HT), Haigh, Walker, Berchill, Penny-Larter (Hawkhead 45), Atkinson, Austin (Kemp 68). Subs unused: Hughes-Miller, Thompson.
Swallownest: Evans, Myers, Cropper, Bradley (Barnsley 57), Statham, Smith, Evison (Greaves HT), Grady (captain) (Pearson 78), Squires, Morritt, Williams. Subs unused: Turner, Gamble.
Who Was In Charge
Piotr Zak (6/10)
How Many Were There
60
Man of the Match
Brett Smith (Nostell Miners Welfare)