Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Retford United 0-0 Armthorpe Welfare
Mark ‘Willy’ Wilson is the new manager of Retford United
Mark Wilson enjoyed a positive start to life as struggling Retford United’s new manager.
The legendary Non League player took charge last week and it was a good point considering he had to draft in several players.
Armthorpe manager Mike Carmody was without the services of several players, amongst them the suspended Darren Manasaram, unavailable Liam Radford, Chris Gowen and the injured Jack Bonser. New signing Mick Jones came into midfield whilst Jason Kearsley and Tom McLaughlin formed the forward line along with Stuart Preston.
Things got worse for Carmody when he lost captain Craig Aspinall after just 9 minutes with James Walker replacing him and then ten minutes later Louis Penty was also forced off with Danny Bulman coming on.
Despite this the Welfare still looked comfortable and went close on 25 minutes, Stuart Preston doing well on the left of the box before cutting inside and firing in a shot which was deflected towards Kearsley who saw his header collected by Retford ‘keeper Adam Valente.
Walker then forced Valente into a smart save diving to his left to push away Walker’s low 22 yard shot following a flowing Welfare break and on the stroke of half time Jones turned and shot narrowly over the bar from just inside the box following a free-kick.
Welfare were forced to make their final substitution on 50 minutes when Josh Gibbons went off injured and was replaced by Craig Morley.
Tom McLaughlin went close twelve minutes later when he cut in from the right before curling an angled shot inches wide of the far post from just inside the box and on 70 minutes Kearsley scooped the ball over the bar from 10 yards after a spell on pinball in the Retford box.
Kearsley went close again on 77 minutes when he placed his 25 yard free kick fractionally wide of the left hand post but Retford went close to snatching a winner in the final minutes.
Adam Stevens did well to push away a close range angled shot from Oliver Perry on 87 minutes and from the resulting corner an 18 yard volley dipped just over the bar.
The Teams
Retford United: Valente, Gallagher, Laight, Kilner, Betts, Shannon, Foulds, Cocking, Walters, White, Perry. Subs: Wesley, Lewis, Dear, Wilson, Spencer.
Armthorpe Welfare: Stevens, Fossen, Waldron, Jones, Roberts, Gibbons (Morley 50), Penty (Bulman 19), Aspinall (Walker 9), Kearsley, McLaughlin, Preston. Subs unused: Pearse, Copley.