Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Liversedge finished with nine men in their 2-1 defeat at promotion-chasing Bridlington Town.
The afternoon began in fabulous fashion for Jonathan Rimmington’s ‘Sedge as Steve Wales put them in front from the penalty in the sixth minute.
Bridlington turned the game around as Louis Kirk equalised and then Joel Sutton scored with a deflected long range strike.
As half-time approached ‘Sedge striker Vaughan Redford was sent off following a lunge on Andy Norfolk.
Wales was the second ‘Sedge player to see red. He departed in the second half for using foul and abusive language towards the match official.
Armthorpe Welfare suffered their fourth successive defeat as AFC Mansfield took advantage of some poor defending to score twice with Liam Radford pulling a goal back for the Welfare.
With a few players absent due to injury and illness manager Mike Carmody was forced to make changes to the side. Matt Fossen, Danny Taylor, Michael Collins and Liam Olsson came into the side in the absence of Marcin Wolski, Brad Johnston, James Walker and Tom McLaughlin.
Despite the changes the Welfare came close in the opening minutes when Liam Radford was sent clear but AFC Mansfield ‘keeper Jason White was quickly off his line to just manage to reach the ball first.
Adam Stevens easily collected a header from Ollie Fearon on 23 minutes and three minutes later Welfare had a great chance to take the lead when Darren Mansaram won the ball down the left and cut into the box before squaring to the unmarked Radford who unfortunately scuffed his shot wide from just inside the box.
On 28 minutes Lynton Karkach rattled the crossbar with an angled shot from the hosts with the rebound being fired well over the bar and on 32 minutes Stevens made a good one-handed save to push away a glancing header from Fearon.
But two minutes later Mansfield took the lead when the unmarked Fearon rose to reach a high cross ahead of Stevens to head the ball in.
Four minutes after half time Collins and Gowen combined down the left of the box for Gowen to fire in a low angled shot which White saved comfortably.
Matty Plummer sent a 20 yard shot over Stevens’ bar on 54 minutes whilst Stevens blocked a low 18 yard shot with his legs ten minutes later.
On 67 minutes the Welfare were dealt a further blow when a deep free-kick was only partly cleared with Plummer seizing on the loose ball inside the box to drive in a low shot from 15 yards.
The goal was harsh on Welfare who had matched the home side for almost the entire match so far but they kept plugging away and deservedly pulled a goal back on 77 minutes when Radford was sent clear to place his shot past White from the edge of the box.
However, despite efforts to push forward for an equaliser Welfare were unable to create any more chances and succumbed to the 2-1 defeat.