Worksop Town 3-1 Cleethorpes Town (Northern Premier League East Division) 27.12.21
In the end it was a vital three points in the bag on the last match of 2021 for Craig Parry’s Worksop Town Tigers, but they were made to fight all the way against a visiting Cleethorpes Town side who, with a good portion of first-half possession, led at the break.
Affording a debut to Danny Burns, recently joining the Tigers from Frickley Athletic, he would be seen to be amongst the thick of the action in the opening exchanges, prior to the visitors taking a firm hold of the game.
Gaining the upper-hand early on, Cleethorpes would see early chances come via Sam Topliss and Jack McMenemy, whilst both Steven McDonnell and Aleksandrs Starcenko would return the favour for the hosts, prior to the visitors leading.
Just inside the opening twenty minutes as McMenemy and Jordon Cooke combined, the latter provided an inch-perfect cross for McCauley Snelgrove to head home the opener, getting between the defenders, and finding a way past Sebastian Malkowski.
Although it would be the only goal of the first period, it could easily have been more, the visitors continuing to create chances and putting the Tigers on the back-foot for most of the half; visiting captain, Alex Flett, would have a number of opportunities throughout the game, as would Snelgrove, but to no avail.
Liam Hardy would fashion an opportunity shy of the half-hour mark but Tom Jackson, in the visiting goal, held well; Vaughan Redford, who also had several chances throughout, fired an effort wide, whilst McDonnell and Jack Broadhead continued the ebb-and-flow, Connor Smythe trying to make a nuisance of himself.
However, it would be the visiting Cleethorpes who would go in at the break with a slender, one-goal lead, Parry’s Tigers no doubt relieved to be still in the running after a hectic, first period.
The start of the second would see home gaffer, Craig Parry, make a change, bringing on Aaron Sennett-Nielsen for Cody Cromack, it would prove an inspired change.
Racing out the blocks at the start of the second, it would be that of Sennett-Nielsen who’d be the provider for the equaliser, he delivering a pass on the right which finds his captain, Jake Picton, the skipper wasting little time to cut inside, and deliver a curling effort past Jackson, and into the top corner of the net.
The Tigers would then be seen to have a penalty appeal waved away minutes later, McDonnell and company claiming for handball after the ball seemingly struck Cooke on the arm, but the referee was having none of it; the chances though, continued to flow, Cooke from his head, and Smythe with a free-kick, arriving in quick succession of each other.
With a little over twenty minutes remaining, the Tigers led, of all people, McDonnell, throwing himself around in the visiting box, nodding a loose ball past Jackson, and ten minutes later, the turnaround was complete.
This time Starcenko turned provider, he going on a surging run on the left, beats the defender, and a drills the ball across goal, it finding McDonnell who, with some emphasis, pokes the ball home and in doing so, opens up a comfortable, two-goal cushion.
There was still time for more goal-mouth action in the closing stages as well, Redford firing another chance wide of Jackson’s goal, whilst Flett would be seen to have a late effort for the visitors, Parry’s side though held on to what was a big three points, and a 3-1 win.
Both sides wore their away strips throughout this league encounter, support the Shelter, #NoHomeKit campaign, the Tigers announcing beforehand that: “In the space of one 90-minute game, 25 households will become homeless in England.
“In our home game against Cleethorpes Town, we will be wearing our light blue away kit in support of Shelter’s #NoHomeKit campaign this Bank Holiday Monday!
“We will be doing a bucket collection for Shelter and we urge supporters to also don their away shirts.
“Thank you to the Owls for their cooperation.”
Next up for Craig Parry’s side is a quick return to Frickley Athletic for Danny Burns, the Tigers travelling to Frickley on New Years’ Day as they look to continue their pressure on the top six.
Worksop Town: Sebastian Malkowski, Adam Watson, Connor Smythe, Cody Cromack (Aaron Sennett-Nielsen 46), Jake Picton, Danny Burns, Aleksandrs Starcenko, Jack Broadhead, Liam Hardy (Ben Tomlinson 86), Steven McDonnell, Vaughan Redford.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @LewisPickersgi1 Liam Hardy (left) goes up for a header.
