FA Cup Preliminary Round
Mike Carmody hopes fortune will favour the brave as Goole AFC plot to bring down higher league Pontefract Collieries in the FA Cup tomorrow.
Goole face Craig Rouse’s Northern Premier League outfit at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds (3pm kick off) but are massive underdogs.
However, they are at home and Carmody, whilst accepting the weight of the task facing his side, doesn’t want his side to sit-back.
“It doesn’t help us that Luke (Williams) and Sam (Cable) miss out (due to suspensions) so it is a tough ask without two of your four main strikers,” Carmody told Non League Yorkshire.
“We’ll get through it and we’ve got players who can come into the side.
“We may have to change the shape slightly but we’ll get through it and try our best to get something out of the game.
“We have nothing to lose.
“We’re playing a very good side and what they have done in the past four years has been nothing short of tremendous so we will show them the respect their deserve.
“It is down to us to try and give them as much of a challenge as we can.
“Hopefully there’ll be a good crowd and you never know.
“You have to say Ponte are the favourites to win the game – they’re a higher league opposition and they’ll probably be looking to win promotion this year with the squad they have got.
“So it would be a huge upset.
“We have got to look to play football and I don’t think parking the bus is the way we try and do things.
“We like to keep things tight but we like to attack teams.
“We’re the home side at the end of the day so the crowd will want to see us on the front-foot.
“But we can only be on the front-foot if Ponte allow us to be.
“We’ll approach the game like we do every other game and try and win it.”
Goole are enjoying the ride so far under former Armthorpe head honcho Carmody.
Alongside the FA Cup replay win at Sunderland Ryhope CW, Goole have taken four points from a possible nine in the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division – a steady return for a completely rebuilt side.
Never-say-die is a phrase been used to describe them following the 4-4 draw at Thackley, when they were 4-2 down with 15 minutes, and the 3-2 victory at Barton Town despite playing with nine men for the final 38 minutes.
“It has been really good (has the start),” he said.
“The boys are really taking on board what we have asked them to do and that’s showing.
“They have been a team and there’s been a togetherness and they have been really working their socks.
“I can’t fault them.
“They don’t know when they are beaten.
“They will certainly go to the end which is really positive and what we’re looking for.
“The character they have shown to get back into games has been really pleasing.
“Obviously there is a few aspects that we can improve on but the good signs are there.”
The jewell in the crown was the sensational three points at Barton – a game with more drama than Coronation Street.
Cable was sent off in tenth minute – yet Goole led 2-1 after 47 minutes.
Goal-scorer Williams’ dismissal then left them with nine men for most of the second half.
A very debatable Barton penalty levelled proceedings seven minutes from time before Carl Stewart slammed in a Goole penalty.
Even then there was still time for Barton to miss an injury-time spot kick.
“I’ve never ever been in a game like it and how we came away with three points I don’t know,” Carmody said.
“It was probably because of the hard work.
“To be fair to us we were pretty hard to break down.
“I feel Barton ran out of ideas.
“When we went down to nine men we were always going to put nine men behind the ball.
“We were always going to hold onto what we had got.
“I have to say the three or four times we got in the opposition box we looked dangerous.
“We changed the shape when we went down to ten men but the boys are responsible for that performance and it showed the togetherness, the fight and the work ethic we have got.”
Carmody, the club’s 16th manager in eight years, spoke recently about delivering stability to Goole and getting everyone – players, management team, fans, committee all pushing in the same direction.
According to the Goole boss it is so far so good.
“I think we have got the backing of the fans at the moment,” he said.
“Everyone has the feel-good factor so it is pleasing to see.
“Hopefully they’ll continue to get behind us.
“They appreciate the effort has gone in over the season.
“Maybe Tuesday night (the 2-0 defeat to Knaresborough Town) was a bridge too far for us but we’re a new squad, a new management team and things are looking good at the moment.”
Carmody also confirmed he is looking to “add to the group” but a new signing or signings are not expected this week.
If you have enjoyed reading Non League Yorkshire over the past few months, please consider making a donation to the not-for-profit organisation NLY Community Sport which provides sport for children and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties. CLICK HERE to visit the JustGiving page. There is a video at the bottom of the page showing our work.
NLY Community Sport, run by James Grayson and Connor Rollinson, has always had combatting social isolation at the top of our objectives when running our Disability Football teams.
Our work is playing an important role in reintroducing our players, who have disabilities and learning difficulties, back into society.
We have six teams, a mixture of Junior and Adult teams – Nostell MW DFC, Pontefract Pirates, Selby Disability Football Club and the South Yorkshire Superheroes (Barnsley) – across Yorkshire.
We have enjoyed great success over the past three years. Several of our players have represented Mencap GB in Geneva, including Billy Hobson from Selby and Greg Smith, whose story is quite inspiring.
You can learn more about the organisation HERE and on our Facebook page.
Watch the video below to see highlights from our three years as an organisation. The video was produced for our players at the end of March to remind them of good memories from the last three years.