NPL Division One East
Yorkshire Amateur 2-1 Stocksbridge Park Steels
Ross Duggan’s two goals earned threadbare Yorkshire Amateur three precious points but the Leeds-based side had to hold their nerve after having to play with ten men for the final 20 minutes against Stocksbridge Park Steels.
Striker Duggan scored either of half time and the Ammers were cruising until they allowed Ian Richards’ side back into the contest midway through the second half at Bracken Edge.
Debutant Ammers goalkeeper Max Culverwell initially kept them at bay by saving Luke Mangham’s penalty.
However, he could not prevent Josh Nodder’s low drive which blew the match wide open.
Ste Crawford was then sent off for his challenge on Jordan Lemon, gifting the Steels a run against ten men for final throes of the game.
The pressure was piled on and ultimately the equaliser did not arrive.
The visitors may look back at their failure to capitalise on a positive first half display as their undoing.
The Steels had a lot of the ball and corners – although it was a tight game as the Ammers were equally as dangerous at the other end.
Nats Croft went close for Stocksbridge before Ammers captain Adam Priestley lobbed over when face-to-face with Ed Hall.
The Ammers seized control as half-time approach as Duggan broke clear and coolly sent a low finish past Hall.
A rocket into the top corner from Duggan straight after the break increased the lead, leaving Stocksbridge seemingly dead and buried.
The Ammers pushed on and had one cleared off-the-line and Priestley was unfortunate when Hall tipped his long range effort out for corner.
That’s when the home side went to sleep and began to be careless.
At first, the Ammers survived the initial scare after Nodder won a penalty for the Steels.
Culverwell guessed correctly and saved Mangham’s penalty down to his left.
But a powerful hit from Nodder would beat Culverwell and it was game on – especially when Crawford’s lunge on Lemon was deemed reckless by one of referee Joe Goodwin’s assistants.
The red card worked against the Steels though as the Ammers shut the shop up.
Of course there were nervy moments for the Ammers.
Nodder hit the side-netting – a shot some visiting fans thought had gone in – and there was a goal-mouth scramble too.
But defensively they were disciplined and they managed the game to ensure the points remained theirs.
What They Said
Yorkshire Amateur joint manager Craig Ogilvie
“We have had awful preparation with people out with covid, people injured and we have had to postpone the last two games and we haven’t trained for the last week and half.
“We came with a different formation and different way of playing compared to what we normally do and the lads have done really well.
“It certainly wasn’t a boring 2-1.
“I think it was deserved.
“On the balance of play we did quite well.
“Stocksbridge have a certain way of playing and we tried to match that with three v three at the back and three v three in midfield and tried to get our wide players on the ball in Marko and Casey.
“I thought Marko had a great game and Luke Sharry was our man of the match.
“Duggan scored two so all in all a good day.”
On the red card: “As I’ve been coming off people have been saying he probably shouldn’t have been sent off.
“I thought it was a strong tackle personally and it is the linesman who has given it, not the ref and I don’t think it helped that it was right in front of their dugout.
“The reaction helped but we’d probably do the same thing.
“I don’t think it was a red card from where I was, it looked like a strong firm challenge for me but obviously he has shown a bit of stud.
“But for me if that’s a red card then there’s a lot of cards this year.”
Stocksbridge Park Steels manager Ian Richards
“At half-time I was disappointed because we had better positions, better territory, better play but we didn’t convert it and test the ‘keeper enough.
“We made a wrong decision with their (first half) goal in holding our line rather than dropping and Ross Duggan is a proven goal-scorer and he’s scored.
“I was confident we could get all three points from the second half.
“The second half was slightly more even and even after going 2-0 down we got back on top and we were really positive in our play.
“We just weren’t ruthless or clinicalness enough in our decision-making.
“Sometimes playing against ten men isn’t a formality you’re going to score because they sit back and put ten men behind the ball.
“When they had eleven men they were very attacking in their formation.”
The Teams
Yorkshire Amateur: Culwerwell, Smith, Gordon, Sharry, Serrant, Dean, Priestley (captain), Crawford, Duggan (Bell 83), Basic, Stewart (Berchil 79). Sub unused: Bower.
Stocksbridge Park Steels: Hall, Walker (Tinker 79), Lemon, Finlaw, McFadyen (captain), Cooksey, Turner, Goodwin, Mangham, Nodder, Crofts (Bennett 67). Subs unused: Ludlam, O’Connor, Ring.
Who Was In Charge
Joe Goodwin (8/10)
How Many Were There
168
Man of the Match
Luke Sharry (Yorkshire Amateur)