Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Garforth Town 0-2 Thackley
Goals from Will Jackson and Lewis Waddington secured Thackley a deserved victory at threadbare Garforth Town.
Garforth, who in a sign of the times could only name two substitutes, wasted countless chances and played the entire second half with ten men after Jamie Barkway’s controversial red card.
Thackley goalkeeper Luke Wilson, playing against his hometown club, was in brilliant form and made several crucial saves.
His display should not take anything away from Thackley’s all-round performance as Paddy McGuire’s men were excellent and managed the game effectively after the goals.
The home side will look back at the opening 15 minutes with regret.
They had numerous chances to take the lead – most notably when Dan Coupland went through and was denied by Wilson.
Thackley then seized control with Jackson hitting a magnificent curling effort from distance into Toby Wells’ right-hand bottom corner.
As the sunset on the first half was going down, Garforth’s cause headed towards mission impossible.
Defender Parkway brought down Owen Murphy outside the penalty area and referee Tom Lishman couldn’t wait to get his debatable red card out to leave Garforth with a man less.
The numerical advantage told as Thackley turned the screw and netted the killer second goal.
Great link-up play between Chris Lever and the attacking genius Ben Grech-Brooksbank set up young gun Waddington who smashed the ball into the top corner.
For a large period Garforth could not get out of their own half.
It wasn’t until the end when they threw caution to the wind and somehow didn’t score.
One chance was cleared off-the-line and Charlie Marshall’s goal-bound header was kept out by Wilson.
The Teams
Garforth Town: Wells, Zachariou, Silva, Smith, Denton (Leach 72), Barkway, Zanos, Coupland (captain), Marshall, Gorji, Colley. Sub unused: Fitzgerald.
Thackley: Wilson, T Marsh, Hunter; Whiteley (captain); Haigh, Hargreaves, Waddington (Sinfield 80), Jackson, Lever (Ibrahimi), Grech-Brooksbank (Rose 80), Murphy. Subs unused: Vinten, Poole.
Who Was In Charge
(6/10)
How Many Were There
275
Man of the Match
Luke Wilson (Thackley)