N C East Prem Div                              Tue. 1 Feb. 2005

THACKLEY                                 2                    GLASSHOUGHTON WELFARE    0

WELFARE GAVE A GOOD ACCOUNT OF THEMSELVES DURING THE EARLY STAGES BUT AFTER ‘GIFTING’ A GOAL GRADUALLY LOST THEIR WAY ON AN UNEVAN GLUE POT OF A PITCH

Due to unavailability of Marc Shackleton Welfare brought back a not fully fit James Shutt between the sticks and were justified with a competent display.

In an even opening it was Thackley who had the early openings, with Lee Reilly and Adam Johnson going close.  Welfare replied and almost went ahead when home keeper Aaron Brian flapped at a corner kick and Julian Wilkes struck an upright.  On an impossible surface both teams were sensibly playing the long ball and approaching the interval there was nothing to choose between the sides until Dave Nelson put in an harmless looking cross which Wilkes failed to deal with, allowing Joel Ettienne a simple header which wrong footed Shutt and in apparent slow motion crept in to the corner of the net to put Thackley ahead on 44 minutes.

Welfare resumed seemingly determined to reduce the deficit with Jason Bradley hitting a screamer narrowly wide, having what appeared a justifiable penalty appeal denied when Bryan Brooks looked to have handled, and Andy Seed driving a clear opportunity across the face of goal.  Following these early moments the visitors appeared to run out of positive ideas and when Thackley’s Simon Oliver bungled his way down the left to turn inside and allow Adam Johnson to pick his spot and drive Thackley further ahead there was no way back for a deflated Welfare, and despite a fair amount of huffing and puffing offered no further threat and Thackley comfortably took the honours in this return fixture.

Team: James Shutt, Gareth Liversedge (Tony Griffiths), Julian Wilkes, Richard Dobson, Darren Leech, Paul Arkle, Andy Seed, Remo Nesa (James Russell), Jason Bradley, Chris Newton (Lee Parker), Carl Fox,