The Toolstation NECFL Premier Division
Tuesday, 17 August 2021.
SILSDEN AFC 2 v. 2 BARTON TOWN FC
Silsden AFC goalscorers: Qasim 35 & Jagger 45
Attendance: 169
COBBYDALERS SHARE THE SPOILS WITH THE SWANS
Following Saturday’s first points of the season away at Bottesford, manager Danny Forrest made minimal changes, only bringing in Harry Parsons to replace Matty Moses at full-back against their Humberside opponents, Barton Town.
The visitors started the brighter of the two sides with a strong wind at their backs and threatened the home goal as early as the first minute when a diagonal ball from centre back Davie found Curtis Bateson out wide on the left. He played the ball to Matthews whose run and low cross eluded ‘keeper Sam Lee and, in turn, Hinchcliffe at the far post fluffed his lines, the ball bouncing back into the 6-yard box before somehow bobbling safely into Lee’s gloves.
After Silsden had lost possession in the Barton half, they broke down the right, through Varley, despite Airey’s desperate lunge. He played the ball inside to Ben HINCHLIFFE, who coolly slotted his left-foot shot past Lee into the far corner to open the scoring in just the 5th minute.
In the 11th minute, following good interplay between Varley, cutting in from the right, and Hinchcliffe, resulted in the latter’s shot across goal being expertly pushed away by Lee for a corner.
A couple of minutes later Lee was called into action again, making another low diving save from Davie’s toe-poke to his right following another corner, as The Swans applied more pressure, forcing a succession of corners. Davie shot wide from another flag kick, when he should have done better, the assistant flagged for offside to spare his blushes. Skipper Barnes then blocked as Town threatened again.
The Cobbydalers did manage to break out and following Hancock’s free-kick, a header from Airey deep in the visitor’s box caused Davie to, inexplicably, head over his own bar to concede a corner.
On 17 minutes following good play from Shazad on the left, a clever pass was played to Joe Jagger who fired a low shot in, which Swans ‘keeper Emery saved at the foot of his right-hand post, pushing around for a corner.
Once again the visitors came close to adding to their lead following another excellent delivery from Bateson’s corner, Davie’s free header drifting to safety. Minutes later the flying winger fired another dangerous cross in which Lee did well to smother.
Hancock and Mitchell were rallying the troops and Shazad’s penetrating cross into the Town box was shovelled clear by Jones for a corner. In the 25th minute, Qasim was fouled on the corner of The Swans box. Hancock stepped up to take the resulting free-kick, getting the ball up and over the defensive wall but clipping the crossbar instead of rippling the net.
Silsden made the breakthrough to get themselves back into the game on 35 minutes. Following a throw in on the left, McEneaney found Shazad, who flicked the ball through to Mo QUASIM. The ball was played inside to Jagger to control and play back for him to smash the ball past Emery, giving the ‘keeper no chance to level the scores.
Silsden were now getting on top and a couple of minutes later Jagger did well to hold the ball up before playing to Qasim, who cut in from the right. Unfortunately, his angled shot was narrowly wide, smashing into the stanchion.
With half time fast approaching Riley reversed a ball into Hancock, who curled his long pass into Joe Jagger and although he was forced out wide-right, he managed to cut back inside, beat his man and get a shot in on goal. Although Emery managed to parry, the ball broke back to JAGGER, who made no mistake from close range to put Silsden 2-1 up before the break.
Although the locals had turned things around, the first opportunity of the second period went the way of the visitors in the 48th minute, when McEneaney’s under-pressure back pass to Lee resulted in his clearance being blocked by Hinchcliffe, fortuitously rebounding safely for a goal kick.
Minutes later, following a foul on Jagger deep in the visitors’ half, Davie was sin-binned by the referee following him showing dissent against the official’s decision. Silsden’s numerical advantage enabled them to dominate possession and during this spell, Qasim, out on the left, played a ball inside to Shazad. He, in turn, controlled it before passing for Joe Mitchell. However, his shot from outside the box drifted narrowly wide.
Town’s star man Bateson had had a relatively quiet start to the 2nd half, but, just to remind everybody that he was still on the pitch, he cut in and shot, only for Barnes to bravely block the ball. The ball fell to Hinchcliffe, whose attempted overhead kick went over the bar.
In the 71st minute substitute, Jack Normanton was played in on the left-hand side. He cut inside and squared the ball across goal to Jagger beyond the far post, but the target man struck his shot into the ground. The ball bounced up onto Davie’s hand before the big defender launched the ball out of The Swans box amidst vehement appeals for a penalty, which the referee duly ignored, waving play on.
The next minute Barnes cleared a free kick. Normanton latched onto the loose ball in midfield before playing through brilliantly to Qasim whose surging run ended with him lashing his shot over.
As the game entered its latter stages the visitors were starting to gain more possession, pressing forward with purpose and with just 9 minutes remaining a long ball forward on the right from deep inside the Town half found substitute Noel Burbett’s run, which looked suspiciously offside. However, in the absence of the assistant’s flag the referee waved play on and the substitute raced clear before pulling the ball across to Curtis Bateson. BATESON beat his man on the outside and drilled a low shot past Lee on his near post to level the scores once again.
Both teams pressed for a winner in the dying minutes, but Jagger fired over following good work from Normanton and Qasim’s tantalising low cross minutes later didn’t get the finish it deserved for Silsden. At the other end Airey did well to block Hinchcliffe’s shot at goal as The Swans tried to finish on a high, but maybe a draw end was probably a fair reflection on the game overall.
Silsden AFC: Lee, Parsons (Moses) (Gardner), McEneaney, Hancock, Airey, Barnes ©, Qasim, Mitchell, Jagger, Shazad, Riley (Normanton). Subs not used: H.Thompson & Billington.
Barton Town: Emery, Jones, Matthews, Tait, Hare ©, Davie, Varley, Simpson, Hinchcliffe, Coley, Bateson. Subs: Hemingway, Burdett, North & Jarman.
Referee: Mr J.Brayshaw
Assistants: Mr C.Smith & Ms D.Whitworth
