Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Staveley Miners Welfare 2-6 Handsworth Parramore
Alex Rippon scored a hat-trick along with Jon Froggatt
A much-changed Handsworth Parramore charged to the top of the table after an unbelievable victory at Staveley.
Jon Froggatt and Alex Rippon both scored hat-tricks for Parramore.
Injuries and player unavailability led to nine players missing from the squad. 16 year old Tyler Bates was handed his debut alongside new signing Connor Smythe, with Mitch Ward-Cupitt also making his first start in midfield.
A nervous start by The Ambers gave the early advantage to the home side who duly took the lead with a front post header by Brown as Handsworth failed to defend a corner, and with Scott looking dangerous on the right, it looked like a long night awaited us. However, The Ambers started to gain a foothold and Jon Froggatt crashed a header against the bar following a flick on by Kieran Wells, but the ref called offside.
Ward-Cupitt succumbed to a knock midway through the half and was replaced by Alex Rippon, with Tawanda Rupere vacating his right wing slot and moving central. Danny Buttle was causing mayhem down the left and supplying some excellent crosses which The Trojans were struggling to defend, and after one cross reached Rippon at the far side, he returned it to Froggatt whose powerful header was touched onto the bar by keeper Siddons. The tide had clearly turned and it was no surprise when the equaliser came, Rippon netting at close range after a Smythe cross was spilled at his feet.
Wells then had a snap shot saved before a Staveley attack was cleared upfield and there looked little danger as Siddons raced from his line to clear the danger. However, he missed the ball completely and Froggatt grabbed the opportunity and guided the ball into an empty net from 25 yards out. The Ambers were now rampant and a third goal arrived just before half time when Rippon headed home from close range after a corner from the right.
It was a good positive start to the second period from The Ambers, and Wells drew a good save from the keeper after a Richard Adams pass had been missed by the Staveley centre back. Froggatt then went close from 20 yards before a cross from the excellent Steve Warne was met by Wells whose header crashed against the bar. Wells then turned provider as his lay off to Froggatt was expertly steered home from the edge of the box to make it 4-1 and a minute later the front man claimed his second hat trick of the season against Staveley, when he converted a Wells cross after Warne’s pass had opened up the defence.
With Warne dominating the middle of the park, The Ambers were playing some fine football that The Trojans simply could not cope with, and the front three were combining well to rip holes in the Staveley back line. Froggatt almost grabbed his fourth with a flying header from a Rippon cross but Siddons was equal to it and the marksman then turned and fired inches over from an Adams knockdown.
The hardworking Rupere was replaced by Harry Groombridge and almost immediately, Rippon became the second hat trick hero of the night when he tapped home a Buttle cross to make it 6-1. Wells was then withdrawn with Ryan Lee entering the fray and his first sighting of goal almost resulted in a spectacular goal as his volley from out on the right wing was tipped wide by Siddons. With The Ambers looking for more goals, it was inevitable that there would be gaps for the home side to exploit and sure enough, they pulled a goal back in the last minute when Morley slotted home to complete the night’s scoring.
Thanks to Ian Robinson for this report.