N C East Prem Div                              Sat 16 April 2005

LONG EATON UNITED                                    0      GLASSHOUGHTON WELFARE                       2                   

IN THIS MID TABLE CLASH WELFARE GAVE AN ALL ROUND EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE AND DESERVEDLY TOOK THE POINTS WHICH COMBINED WITH OTHER RESULTS, NUDGED THEM UP IN TO THE TOP HALF

Welfare began in positive fashion when Martin Woolford, returning from trials with Football League outfits, cut through to find Lee Parker who was unfortunate to have his goal bound effort blocked.

Welfare stayed on the offensive to put the home defence under early pressure with both Woolford and Carl Fox creating problems with some cutting edge footwork and in was almost a quarter of way in when United offered any semblance of a threat when Daniel Beldham drove well wide.

Woolford quickly got the home defence in a tangle again and when keeper Ross Whalin could only parry a low shot Julian Wilkes was inches away from converting from the rebound with the keeper prostrate.  United made attempts to get in to the game but the tenacious tackling of midfielder Darren Leech and the immaculate reading of situations by centre back Paul Mattison saw any threat being quickly snuffed out.

On 35 minutes following a period of sustained attack Welfare got the score which their play had merited, a superb build up being desperately blocked out but Woolford made no mistake from the rebound, driving in from the edge of the box low and crisp to completely beat Whalin.

From the interval restart Welfare were caught cold and on one of the rare opportunities United created Beldham’s pass across the goal area got no takers and Welfare escaped.  Chris Freestone had a perfect chance to put United level but directed a powerful header straight at visiting keeper Tom Morgan and from then on Welfare tightened there defensive grip once again and the home men hardly threatened.  In direct contrast Welfare were always looking dangerous but when Wilkes found himself in the clear he failed to chip Whalin with an easy chance.  Wilkes then hit a fine free kick from the edge of the box which came back off the upright with Whalin beaten and Welfare continued to open up the home defence and although reward did come it was in the simplest of fashion when Whalin failed to hold a fox effort a ricochet off a defender dropped kindly for Lee Parker to stab in, and effectively end any real hopes of  United saving the game.

Team: Tom Morgan, Gareth Liversedge, Chris Newton, Paul Mattison, Richard Dobson, Darren Leech, Andy Seed, Julian Wilkes (James Russell), Lee Parker (Paul Arkle), Carl Fox, Martin Woolford.