Toolstation NCEL Division One - Game 37
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30/03/24 - Wombwell Town vs Wakefield AFC
It was back-to-back defeats for only the second time this season as a goal deep into added time for visitors Wakefield denied the Wellers a point. The visitors were on the front foot almost immediately from kick off and it took a big save from Jono Davis at his right hand post to deny Wakefield on six minutes. The resulting corner saw Davis deny Jack Cairney at the left hand post and stop the ball from going behind once more. Oliver Green, who prefers Oliver Rodrigues, was a constant threat in the reverse fixture back in late October and he proved to be an early game changer at the Recreation Ground as well. His drive forward down the left on nine minutes couldn't be stopped and he scooped his shot over the diving Davis to give Wakefield the early lead. Wombwell's opening gambit in front of goal came just three minutes later when their first corner was headed wide by former Wakefield man Danny Youel. Another chance fell to the Wellers who were starting to re-discover their creativity that had seen them fail, uncharacteristically, to score in two matches throughout March. Rhys Plater looked dangerous as he combined with Jordan Kershaw who nodded down a header to Kane Reece, but his effort could only go over the crossbar. There were chances for two more former Wakefield players either side of Oliver Green's departure due to injury as Josh Lindley's shot was deflected to the keeper George Bristol and Cory Woodward's free kick flew wide of the mark. The best opportunity for the Wellers fell on 38 minutes as a long kick up field by Davis found Kershaw unmarked. The striker was able to take the ball wide of the unrushing Bristol, but the narrow angled shot was cleared off the line. With the Wellers pushing for an equaliser it was almost inevitable that Wakefield doubled their lead before half time. With four minutes left to play a Wakefield corner was only half cleared to the edge of the area where Slater Barnes was waiting to fire the ball through the crowd of players and into the net. WTFC 0, WAFC 2. As the second half started the scoreline made the Wellers' players double their efforts and early chances by Louis Wardle and Lindley made Bristol aware he was going to be the busier of the two keepers in the second half. The comeback was on after 57 minutes as Kershaw's work to get the ball in the box saw him turn back under pressure from T'nique Fishley and find Jason Paling who put the ball across the box to find Plater who was free and able to strike the ball into the roof of the net for his first in a Wellers shirt. It was the final action of the game for Kershaw who couldn't continue and the home side then lost Kane Reece to a hamstring injury just two minutes later. The new energy injected by Gadhafi Kiwanuka and Matt Thornton was maybe just what the team needed as Wombwell continued to press forward. There were big shouts on 68 minutes for a penalty when a throw from Owen Sykes into the box saw Rikki Paylor pushed to the ground and away from the ball by Cairney, but appeals were waved away. Just five minutes later the same throw from the left did find the captain's head and nothing was going to stop the equaliser this time and Paylor netted his eighth goal of the season. With both teams desperate to score the winner, the tempo increased during the final 15 minutes and it was Wakefield who seemed to benefit from it. Two minutes into added time Davis made two saves in quick succession to deny substitutes Lewis Stephens and Jordan Helliwell, but there was nothing he could do five minutes into added time as Barnes was played in down the left and finished to, what felt like, steal a point from the Wellers to claim all three. Wombwell Town - 2 Rhys Plater 57 Rikki Paylor 73 Wakefield AFC - 3 Oliver Green 9 Slater Barnes 41, 90+5 Attendance: 352
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