Retford 4-2 Harrogate Railway Athletic (Northern Counties East League Division One) 20.11.21

“I’m so proud of the lads. They fully deserved the three points today. The club are lucky to have this group of players and they deserve all the credit tonight,” those were the words of Choughs manager, Chris Woodhead, after his side won an entertaining contest at The Rail on Saturday afternoon, a game that would see six goals, and three penalties.

Heading towards the half-way point of the Northern Counties Eastern League campaign, Choughs manager Chris Woodhead, who recently celebrated passing the 250 games in charge milestone, has, so far, led the club into sixth, and rising.

Surprisingly, this would be a game that would only see two, first half goals, the sides going in level at 1-1 at the break as Matthew Parkin was proving to be an early, constant thorn for the visitors, creating a number of chances.

It would be he who’d create the opener as well, his surge, from deep in his own half, led to the ball being fed to Adam Scott, the Choughs’ number seven taking great delight in opening the scoring, finishing well after 23 minutes.

The lead would be held until the stroke of half-time when Graeme Severn was adjudged to have handled in the box and, with the referee pointing to the spot, Dan Thirkell despatched past Jon Kennedy to send the sides in level at the break.

The opening exchanges for the second period would see them make claims for a penalty only for the referee to wave them away, however, the lead was restored within ten minutes of the restart after Haydn Goddard and Alex Wonham combined on the left flank, the ball was then released to Jack Johnson who would cross for George White, who proceeds to lob the visiting ‘keeper and into the top corner of his net.

Both sides would continue making chances over the next half-an-hour, but to no avail, including efforts from both Wonham, and Parkin, the third, killer goal, finally being added as the game hit the final, ten minutes.

And what a final, hectic ten it was as well.

Visiting ‘keeper, Joe Wilton, would be seen to bring down Matthew Parkin in the box, and the official points to the spot for the second time in the game, Zach Casburn, who’d recently been brought on as a substitute, despatched to open up a 3-1 lead.

Minutes later and three became four for the Choughs, Adam Scott doubling up when firing home from a free-kick on the edge box, his effort curling the wall, and hitting the top corner of Wilton’s net, before a third penalty was given at the death.

A dubious handball decision was called by the officials and, with the resulting spot-kick, Thirkell proceeded to add his second, and the contests’ sixth goal, as the game headed into stoppage time, it being too little, too late for the visitors to mount any kind of comeback and the hosts claimed all three points.

Sitting ten behind leaders Brigg Town, sixth placed Retford make the trip to third-bottom Swallownest on Saturday 27 November, before welcoming Dronfield Town to The Rail at the start of December,

Retford: Jon Kennedy, Leon Larcombe-Loftus, Haydn Goddard, Graeme Severn (Joe Edwards 88), Matthew Parkin, Matthew Robinson, Adam Scott, Jack Johnson, Alex Wonham, George White (Zach Casburn 68), Jack Walters.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @RetfordSnapper action from Retford’s win over Harrogate.