Retford United 4-1 Staveley Miners Welfare Reserves (Central Midlands League Premier North Division) 02.10.21

Liam Kay’s Badgers produced a scintillating, second-half comeback at Cannon Park to dismiss visiting Staveley MW Reserves, 4-1, in the league, on Saturday afternoon, as both Mark West, and Dean Conway, smashed braces.

A quiet, yet dominant, opening quarter from the Badgers, was perhaps highlighted, not for the first time, by Igor Mlynarski, he coming closest to the opening goal when firing narrowly wide of goal having burst through the middle.

It would be shortly after Mlynarski’s effort, that the visitors would edge themselves in-front, a looping ball across goal beating home shot-stopper, Tom Crosby, at his back post, the score remaining that at the half.

The second period, for the hosts at least, would be where all the action arrived, the Badgers taking a little over ten minutes to get on level terms, and fifteen to overturn the deficit, and lead.

Again though, it would be Mlynarski who’d create the first, meaningful effort, ahead of the equalising goal; minutes after Kay made his first change of the afternoon, did striker, Mark West, register his first of the afternoon, in empathic fashion.

Collecting the ball, West unleashed a rocket of a shot which arrows into the top, left-hand corner, of the visitors net; that was in the 56 minute and, just four minutes later, on the hour, it was Dean Conway’s turn to notch his first of the game, heading home to complete the turnaround.

Less than ten minutes, and it would be Conway the first to complete his double, he volleying home for 3-1, being replaced minutes later by Aaron Fell.

Instrumental in the games’ fourth goal, Fell, in the last minute of the encounter, was seen to win the ball back following some great work, play in West and he, some would say cheekily, take time to nutmeg the visiting ‘keeper for his second, and the Badgers fourth of the afternoon.

It was to be the icing on a sumptuous, second-half cake for the Badgers who, having trailed at the break, collected another three points from an eventually comfortable, 4-1 home win.

Next up for the Badgers who are third in the table, five points behind leaders Club Thorne Colliery and four behind Newark Town with a game in hand on both, a home tie in the Abacus Lightning Floodlight Cup, against Carlton Town B (Wednesday 6 October), followed by an away game in the league, at Collingham (Saturday 9 October).

Retford United: Crosby, Paling, Brook, Abdulla, Booth, Ludlum, Mlynarski (Barlow 63), Kane, Greenfield (Daughtrey 54), West, Conway (Fell 73).

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @RetfordUnited taken by Tom Roberts – United in action v Staveley.