N C East Prem Div                              Tue 1 March 2005

MICKLEOVER SPORTS                                            1     GLASSHOUGHTON WELFARE                  0    

DESPITE A BATTLING SECOND HALF WELFARE SLIPPED TO A DISAPOINTING DEFEAT IN A GAME IN WHICH THE HOME KEEPER WAS NEVER FULLY TESTED.

On a flat but heavily sanded surface the home side began the sharper of the two with the pace of Bevan Hudson causing the visiting some anxious moments and on twenty minutes when he slipped clear, Welfare’s last man, centre back Shaun Constable was fortunate not to receive a red card after seemingly pulling the striker down.  With Sports controlling midfield the front men, in contrast to the visitors, were getting a good supply of ball but when Welfare eventually succumbed and Mickleover went ahead on the half hour mark, it was from the simplest of defensive errors, Bevan again being allowed to slip in to space and head a free kick past keeper Thom Morgan.  After an effort by Sport’s Karl Payne had been cleared off the line Welfare went forward to mount their first real threat and Martin Woolford went close before being blocked out.  

After the turn round Welfare looked the busier with Carl Fox being involved in the majority of play, putting in a tantalising cross which at last forced keeper Tony Penty to make a save, but Welfare had no one taking advantage of the knock out.   Welfare enjoyed the larger part of possession going in the closing period but against a well marshalled defence were unable to create any penetration and were left looking to salvage something from the return fixture Saturday week.

Team: Tom Morgan, Gareth Liversedge, Mark Newton, Shaun Constable, Richard Dobson, Jamie Thomson, Andy Seed (Stuart Holmes), Darren Leech, Lee Parker, Carl Fox, Martin Woolford, Matthew Muscroft, Paul Arkle