The Toolstation NCEFL Premier Division
Saturday, August 21st 2021
PENISTONE CHURCH FC 0 v 2 SILSDEN AFC
Silsden AFC goalscorers: Normanton 18 & Qasim 85
Attendance: 166
TENACIOUS COBBYDALERS BRING HOME THE POINTS
The Cobbydalers travelled to Penistone Church’s DSM ground on Saturday hoping to notch a second victory on their travels. The home side had the “advantage” of the wind at their backs in the first half and they were soon testing the Silsden rearguard. Cobbydalers right-back Lewis Gardner broke up their first attack down the right. Jack Normanton then broke up the left and managed to curl in a cross which was cleared by Thomas Brennan.
Penistone should have opened their account on eight minutes when Jordan Coduri slid a ball to Nicholas Guest on the left. His cross set up Kieran Ryan but the striker wasted the opportunity. Church continued to test the Cobbydalers’ defence. Jake McEneany cleared an effort from Guest and then Arley Barnes managed to deflect Kurtis Turner’s shot for a corner. The corner was hit to Coduri on the edge of the penalty area but the powerful shot went wide.
Silsden countered when Mohammed Qasim slid the ball to Joe Mitchell who saw his low shot cleared. Church were playing some neat one-touch football but Barnes stood firm. Silsden took the lead, against the run of play when keeper Snaith fumbled a low shot from Jack NORMANTON, who had been set up by Kyle Hancock’s perceptive defence-splitting through ball.
The home side responded immediately but Turner’s effort went over the crossbar before Shepherd headed over from close range. Hancock was involved in some neat moves up the right, aware of the options open to him before he received the ball. However, Penistone were still pressing. Shepherd should have equalised when he headed an in-swinging corner from two yards out. It grazed the crossbar!
Midway through the half, the Cobbydalers almost doubled their lead when Shazad crossed from the right. Qasim’s shot hit the base of the near post. With ten minutes left of the half, Turner was booked for simulation- his dive in the penalty area failed to trick the referee!
However, the pressure on the Silsden defence was unrelenting. Kieran Ryan and Ashley Ellis set up Guest but Barnes blocked the effort. Guest then tested Sammy Lee with a low shot. He fumbled the ball but Shaun Airey cleared the ball off the line. A minute later Lee saved low at the far post before Guest blocked a shot from his teammate Turner. Phew!!!!!!
The Cobbydalers had weathered the storm and started the second half with the wind at their backs. They forced two corners in the opening minutes of the half. Airey’s powerful header just skimmed the crossbar from the second one. A long ball caught the home defence out and Jack Normanton broke through but his shot was cleared for a corner.
Penistone continued to produce some slick football but Joe Mitchell was managing to keep them away from the Silsden area. The Cobbydalers went close to doubling their lead when Lewis Gardner’s cross-field ball was headed into the penalty area. Normanton’s header was saved. Penistone thought they had equalised when Kurtis Turner headed Daniel Howes’ cross into the Silsden net. The assistant’s flag was up for off-side!
The game flowed from end to end with Hancock’s low shot testing the Church keeper after some neat build-up play, before Mitchell broke up a threatening attack at the other end. Qasim countered with a run down the right and set up Normanton but his shot ran across the face of the goal. Jagger went close with a header.
McEneaney and Airey both blocked efforts on the Silsden goal and Sammy Lee got down to another low shot. With twenty minutes left Barnes cleared at the expense of a corner from which substitute Nathan Keighley hit a low shot which Lee saved at his far post. With ten minutes left Harry Thomson replaced Shazad.
After withstanding such constant pressure, the Cobbydalers finally settled the score when Gardner hit a short corner to Mitchell who slid the ball into the path of QASIM, who gleefully rifled the ball home. The grit and determination had paid off.
In stoppage time Normanton broke clear but his cross-shot just cleared the far post. As it was the points were the Cobbydalers.
The home supporters were shocked at the defeat after such efforts by their players. They had dominated the attacks particularly in the second half but all to no avail as the Silsden rearguard stood firm. The Cobbydalers had absorbed the pressure and made the most of their chances.
PENISTONE CHURCH FC: Snaith, Charlesworth, Young (Lovell 80), Ellis, Brennan, Shepherd, Hawes(c) Keightley 60) , Coduri, Guest, Ryan, Turner. Subs. not used. Johnson, Hurles-Brook, Simpson.
SILSDEN AFC: Lee, Gardner, McEneaney, Hancock, Airey, Barnes(c), Qasim (Gartland 92), Mitchell, Jagger(Billington 60), Shazad(Thomson 80), Normanton. Subs. not used. Ahmed, C. Thompson.
Referee: Mr J.Drake.
Assistants: Mr M.Rose and Mr C.Pepper
The Cobbydalers host Hemsworth MW on Saturday 28th Sept (3pm kick-off) before travelling to Goole AFC on Tuesday 31st (7:45pm kick-off)
On Wednesday, Sept 1st Stocksbridge Park Steels are the visitors to Keighley road in the FA Youth Cup, 7:30pm kick-off.
