Knaresborough Town players are smiling again, according to Brian Davey after their 1-0 win at Yorkshire Amateur last night
A run of seven games without a win came to an end for Knaresborough Town as Brian Davey’s men celebrating a 1-0 success at Yorkshire Amateur last night.
Will Lenehan’s first half header in the Toolstation NCEL Division One clash was all Knaresborough needed to taste victory for the first time since the FA Cup win at Glasshoughton Welfare last month.
Injuries and suspensions have been the main reason for the poor run of form so Davey has always remained positive.
Davey felt after the showing in the 2-1 defeat to Bottesford on Saturday that the win wasn’t far away.
He told Non League Yorkshire: “We said on Saturday that we had a few experienced players back and it was a case of stopping the rot and turning the corner.
“I thought on Saturday against Bottesford that we worked hard. We still lack a bit of sharpness with the players coming back.
“Coming into tonight, it was a case of progressing and trying to get those three points.
“We’ll take 1-0 away from home and to be fair, if we had had better finishing, it could have three or four.
“We defended well and the goalkeeper has pulled off some good saves again.
“We are still the sharpness, but we battled hard, got the 1-0 win and we take it from there into Saturday’s game at Clipstone.
“The lads are confident. Everyone is smiling and joking in the changing room.”
Knaresborough had the most chances in a fairly end-to-end game.
Ammers, who recently beat AFC Mansfield, made a good fist of it and will be disappointed to have not taken a point.
Phil Harding’s side are growing each day as a team and a club and on their day the Ammers are a match for anybody.
The Ammers made a good start. Joel Hughes and Tom Marsden both should have done better with good opportunities.
With the likes of former Leeds United midfielder Seb Carole roaming, Knaresborough were always going to threaten.
The visitors had been probing for a few minutes when the only goal of the game arrived on 13 minutes.
Craig Radcliffe’s out-swinging corner was met by Lenehan and his header landed in the bottom corner.
Knaresborough continued the keep the heat on the home side. The Ammers had Suwara Bojang to thank for a couple of good saves from the visitors’ heroic captain Matt Duerden and then new signing Ian Ward.
Paul Hagreen made a number of good saves for Knaresborough Town
The Bracken Edge outfit were unlucky not to be level at the break after a double save from Knaresborough’s highly-rated stopper Paul Hagreen.
The ex-Glasshoughton Welfare goalkeeper denied Harrison Blakey before somehow reacting quickly to divert Marsden’s rebound attempt for a corner.
Ultimately, the wastage of good chances in the opening acts of the second half cost Ammers.
Blakey was again thwarted by Hagreen. Substitute Eddy Dankyr actually broke through on goal and made a meal of his chance.
All Dankyr had to do was place the ball past Hagreen, but the striker chose to try the cheeky chip and failed miserably by putting the ball wide of the goal.
Knaresborough finished the game the strongest with Colin Heath wasting a number of opportunities to kill the Ammers off.
The visitors did manage to hold on and from their perspective it didn’t matter how a win was achieved – they just needed it.
Yorkshire Amateur: Bojang, Hammond, Harding (Rose 14), Hill (Fishley 68), Freeman (captain), Hainsworth, Marsden, Hitchings, Hughes, Blakey (Dankyr 58), Carl Heard. Sub unused: Palfrey.
Knaresborough Town: Hagreen, Stansfield, C Radcliffe, Duerden (captain), Lenehan, Tuck, Littlefair (Littlefair 82), Bradley, Ward (Heath 66), Carole, Whitehead. Subs unused: Mortimer, Donnelly.
Referee: Mark Smith
Ref Rating: 7/10
Attendance: 53
Man of the match: Paul Hagreen (Knaresborough Town)