N C East Prem Div                                  Sat 11 February 2006

GLASSHOUGHTON WELFARE           0               HALLAM                                                   2

WELFARE HAD SHOWN SOME IMPROVEMENT IN FORM IN RECENT WEEKS WITHOUT GETTING THE RUB OF THE GREEN, BUT AGAINST OPPONENTS IN A LIKE POSITION HOVERING ABOVE THE RELEGATION ZONE, THEY GAVE AN ABSOLOUTLY AWFUL DISPLAY IN THIS VITAL SIX POINTER

The fitness of home keeper Ian Philiskirk was put in to some doubt when he collided with an upright in the pre-match warm, but he went on to give an almost faultless display.

With both teams treating each other with caution the early exchanges were very even, Carl Fox going close for Welfare and Tony Wilson replying for the visitors.  Philiskirk snatched an half chance off the toes of Scott Bates before the prompting of Paul Mattison put Danny King clear to cross for Andy seed to drive in but the ‘goal’ was disallowed for a very harsh handling decision.  The Welfare defence was put under a lot of pressure and on the very stroke of the interval succumbed when Wilson was allowed space to force Philiskirk in to a low save and Richard Lopes picked up to drive the visitors in to the lead.

Welfare began the second period having reshuffled, Gareth Liversedge being introduced to allow Mattison to go in to the centre of defence and Karl Jankowizc to move up front to add some ariel power which had been sadly lacking.  The ploy appeared to have born fruit when within minutes Jankowizc received a boot in the face to win a penalty but a weak spot kick from Andy Seed was turned round the upright by keeper Martin Taylor.  From then on the game changed dramatically with Hallam playing with a new found zest and Welfare’s heads having dropped, and when Scott Bates was left in oceans of space to nod home a cross on 67 minutes the game was virtually over with Welfare being dead and buried, and despite lots of huffing and puffing never got close to rescuing the game.

Team:  Ian Philiskirk, Adam Sadler, Paul Mattison, Simon Brooker, Karl Jankowicz ,Mark Newton, Andy Seed, Jamie Thompson (Darren Leech), Lee Parker (Gareth Liversedge), Carl Fox, Danny King ( Simon Collins)