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Thackley 4 Garforth Town 2 - Match Report.

Thackley 4 Garforth Town 2 - Match Report.

Steve Paley21 Mar 2018 - 13:51
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An action packed first half makes it nine points for Thackley from their last three games.

Thackley 4 Garforth Town 2.

Thackley entertained Garforth Town in a rearranged Premier League game on Tuesday night. Neither side had managed to get a game in thus far in March so the result was likely to rest on the fitness of the players. The two teams had met earlier in the season at Cedar Ridge when they shared six goals in an entertaining game. Thackley had won their last two games so were hoping to complete a hat trick of victories for their new bosses. Nicky Matthews was making his first start since returning from injury and Lawrance Hunter was fit again. There was a wealth of striking power on the Thackley bench.

Thackley opened with a flourish and an early Mark Trueman effort cleared the bar. It was somewhat against the run of play when the away side took the lead on eight minutes, a mix up between keeper Luke Wilson and defender Jerry White left Mark Simpson with a simple tap in. Thackley believed they should have been awarded a penalty on ten minutes, a defender pushing the ball off of the line following a corner but their appeals were turned away. It was all Thackley at this stage, away keeper Peter Lawrie saved at the near post from White before Paul Whiteley put the ball just wide after getting to a Trueman cross. This pressure paid off on eighteen minutes when Mike Garrod got his head to Kieran Thompson’s far post cross and powered the ball past Lawrie. Five minutes later and Thackley went in front; again it was Garrod, this time giving the away keeper no chance with a thunderbolt from twenty yards. Simpson went close to equalising with a flick soon after but Wilson did well to keep the ball out. The Thackley keeper was in action minutes later, this time deflecting Sean Hunter’s shot wide. Garforth equalised eight minutes before the break. Some sloppy defending allowed Simpson to get clear, his miss kick deceived Wilson and the ball trickled into the net. A couple of minutes later Garforth had the chance to regain the lead when Whiteley was alleged to have caught a forward in the box. Lee Turner took the spot kick but Wilson was equal to it and made a fine save. This was the turning point of the game, for within a minute it was Thackley that had regained the lead. Nicky Matthews got his head to Hunter’s free kick and guided the ball past Lawrie. Just before the interval, in a bazaar incident, Lawrie, after safely collecting the ball, decided to kick Luke Robinson instead of it. He did launch the ball into eternity as the referee approached to issue a red card. Garrod completed his hat trick sending stand in keeper Luke Kitson the wrong way with the resultant spot kick. In the last few minutes of the half Thackley could have gone a goal down but for Wilson’s penalty save, as it was they were two goals to the good and playing against ten men. It’s a funny old game!.

Half time: Thackley 4 Garforth Town 2.

Garforth needed a ‘backs to the wall’ performance in the second half and they certainly came out and gave one. Other than one airy moment ten minutes into the second period, the home side never really troubled Kitson. Trueman latched onto a ball that came out of defence, his fierce shot from the edge of the box looked a goal all the way but it struck the underside of the bar, Robinson got to the loose ball first but put it over. Thackley struggled to make their man advantage count, perhaps some complacency had set in but Garforth looked the more lively. Game time was given to Dan Broadbent, Dan Pickles (his debut appearance after being on the bench a couple of times) and Jordan Hines. Garforth created a couple of half chances and towards the end won a number of corners but Thackley’s defence stood firm and they netted another three very valuable points making it nine from the last three games.

Full time: Thackley 4 Garforth Town 2.

Three and a half weeks without a game, Thackley were definitely up for this one and won it with their spirited first half performance. They gave away two silly goals yet hit back to make sure they went in at half time in front. The actions of the Garforth keeper obviously helped their cause but they fully deserved their half time lead.

Games, weather permitting of course, come thick and fast now starting with the trip to Worksop Town at the weekend.

Thackley team: Wilson; Thompson; Hunter; McGuire; Rothel; White (Pickles 70 mins); Garrod; Whiteley (C); Matthews (Hines 78 mins); Robinson (Broadbent 65 mins); Trueman. Subs not used: Hughes; Broadley.

Garforth Town team: Lawrie; McMurrough; Kitson; Beaston (C); McCrum; Hamilton (Savage); S Payne (Brownlee); Turner ; Simpson (N Payne); Hunter. Subs not used Kearsley; Robertshaw.

Thackley scorers: Mike Garrod 18, 23 and 44 (pen) mins; Nicky Matthew 41 mins.

Garforth Town scorer: Mark Simpson 8 and 37 mins.

Attendance: 93.

Referee: Andy Smith.

Photo: Thackley's The Terrace (Saltaire) MOM Mike Garrod being presented with the meal voucher by fellow joint manager Pat McGuire.

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