#GAME60 30/01/18 Thackley A.F.C 2-2 Worksop Town

Thackley A.F.C. 2-2 Worksop Town

A Game of Two Halves!

HIGH FLYING BAIRD! CHARLIE SCORES TWO IN TWO

Tigers score two first half goals through Baird and Trench before the latter of those scorers was dismissed for bringing down Ngoe in the box. Garrod scored the penalty and then netted a 95th minute equaliser.

Thackley went close two minutes in when Luke Robinson whipped his corner towards the penalty spot. Jerry White connected with the corner but he saw his header strike the bar and fly over.

The home side’s attempt must have sparked Worksop into life as they had a very dominant twenty minutes following the chance. Firstly on eleven minutes, Matty Templeton took on his marker and cut the ball back to Woolley who let the ball roll across his body before shooting straight into the keepers hands. Several minutes later, Barnett teed up Husbands on the edge of the area, Husbands took to ball out of his feet and fired a fierce shot towards goal again but it was straight down keeper Luke Wilson’s throat and he caught well.

The visitor’s drew first blood in the game as they took the lead on 19 minutes. Wakefield had the ball on the right-hand side of the box and out-muscled Rothel to hit a hard shot towards goal. Wilson could only parry the ball into the path of Charlie Baird who tucked the ball into an open net for his second goal in successive games.

Worksop doubled the lead three minutes later through Michael Trench. Matty Templeton tracked back and dispossessed Ethan Walshaw on halfway, he then played it down the line for Michael Trench who then found Harry Wakefield on the edge of the box, Wakefield held the ball up, turned to his left and out-paced Rothel before hitting a ferocious shot towards goal. Wilson again could only parry the effort into the path of a Tigers player which was Trench who continued his run and slid in to net for the second goal of the night.

Thackley almost pulled a goal back on the stroke of halftime. James Ngoe broke down the left before cutting in and rifling a shot towards goal. However, young Callum Fielding dived and palmed Ngoe’s shot over the bar. Following the corner Mitch Husbands made a crucial tackle to stop Hughes from scoring after Hughes had chested down Whiteley’s corner, the ball was crossed back in by Hughes and Walshaw headed wide.

The Tigers produced a solid first half but things took a turn for the worse three minutes after the restart. Worksop hit the post from Mitch Husbands’ scuffed shot before Thackley cleared to Ngoe who broke through on goal. Varley slipped and then Trench flew in and brought down the Thackley winger in the box. The referee didn’t hesitate in sending Trench for an early bath as he was the last man, Garrod stepped up and slotted the penalty past Fielding who had guessed the right way.

Moments later Thackley must have thought they had equalised. The ball fell to Hughes from Walshaw’s cross. He saw his shot blocked on the line from Hodder, Hodder was in action again as the right-back had to shoot up and throw himself in front of Robinson’s shot from the block. The ball rebounded in the air to Hughes

whose volley was saved superbly by the feet of Fielding.

Thackley were pushing for that equaliser against ten men Worksop and they had two good chances to in the space of three minutes. Firstly, Garrod received the ball with his back from goal. He subsequently turned Phillips and shot towards goal but Fielding was positioned correctly to easily catch. Then Robinson cut in from the left and shot towards goal, Fielding spilt the shot but he pounced on the ball to preserve the lead.

Husbands had a great game and was almost on the scoresheet himself. The ball broke loose on the left and Higginson took it in his stride, he lured three opposition players with him to the by-line before crossing into the box, Hargreaves headed it only away to Husbands who shot first time into the keepers hands.

Worksop must have fought they had got all three points when Igor Mlynarski ran through one-on-one with the keeper. It seemed that the youngster had too much time to think about it before trying to place it to the right of the keeper and the bobbly pitch played a part in Wilson saving the tame effort with his feet.

That would prove costly as five minutes into stoppage time, Thackley completed their second half comeback. Mike Garrod tapped the ball in from under the crossbar following a goalmouth scramble.

A crazy night in Bradford ended with a very late equaliser which left Tigers fan’s hard done by as they must of felt they had done enough to claim their first League with in three months.

Attendance: 112
Goals: Garrod (49’, 90+5’); Baird (19’), Trench (22’)
MOTM: Mitch Husbands

TAFC: Luke Wilson, Ethan Walshaw (Adam Simpson), James Rothel, Pat McGuire, Kris Hargreaves, Jerry White, James Ngoe, Paul Whiteley, Joe Hughes (Matt Broadbent), Mike Garrod, Mark Trueman (Luke Robinson)
Unused Subs: Kingston David, Kieran Thompson

WTFC: Callum Fielding, Jordan Hodder, Michael Trench (s/o 48’), Mitch Husbands, Jed Phillips, Matt Varley, Steve Woolley, Jack Barnett, Harry Wakefield, Charlie Baird (Conor Higginson), Matty Templeton (Igor Mlynarski)
Unused Subs: Alex Boyd, Harry Dunbar

(Written for www.worksoptownfc.co.uk)