Worksop Town 3-0 Walsall (Friendly) 03.08.21

Craig Parry’s Worksop Town continued what has been a memorable pre-season on Tuesday evening as they eased past a visiting Walsall side, 3-0, at the Windsor Foodservice Stadium.

The victory, the Tigers’ seventh in eight outings, also saw what was their fifth clean sheet in an impressive, unbeaten run (three clean sheets in their last three outings) and it began with a former Saddler pulling the strings.

James Baxendale, having registered over a hundred games at Walsall between 2012 and 2016, is enjoying life at Sandy Lane, and it showed on the pitch.

Granted, the visitors nearly took the lead, they had the ball in the back of the net inside ten minutes and, but for the assistants flag, they would have done, the Tigers soon gained control, and never let go.

Baxendale was involved in the opening goal, just after the half hour mark, his free-kick being turned home by Tigers captain, Jake Picton, it giving the hosts an interval lead in the process.

Both sides registered chances in an even, first half, the hosts’ having a number of free-kicks but could only capitalise the once, whilst Picton cleared off the line shortly after he’d opened the scoring.

The second period carried on in much the same vein as the first had gone, and, within five minutes of the restart, the lead was doubled, Zayn Hakeem slotting home a cross from Connor Smythe.

A devastating, ten minute spell, early in the second, was capped by a memorable free-kick from striker Steve McDonnell.

Lining up some 25 yards from goal, the Tigers hitman struck the sweetest of strikes, and arrowed into the visiting ‘keepers top corner; a goal worthy of winning any game let alone capping another, fine performance from Parry’s charges.

The chances continued to fall for the hosts whilst Picton marshalled his defence well to keep from being breached and, inside the final ten, Hakeem came close to adding a fourth, ghosting in unmarked at the back post, but to no avail.

They now face one more friendly, at home to Kettering Town, on Saturday afternoon (7 August) before the league season stats, in earnest, a week later, against visitors Yorkshire Amateur (14 August).

Worksop Town: Trialist, Jake Picton, Ben Turner, Lewis Gibbens, Connor Smythe, Jack Broadhead, Cody Cromack, James Baxendale, Ben Tomlinson, Zayn Hakeem, Steve McDonnell.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @worksoptownfc a good win for Worksop against league opposition.