Cleethorpes Town 4-1 Armthorpe Welfare

Welfare on Boxing Day.

Manager Marcus Newell stuck with the same eleven players that had started the Pickering game but tweaked the positions slightly with Tim Lowe moving to right back, Liam Dickens dropping back into central defence and Luke Mascall moving to right midfield.

The Owls looked lively right from the off and created three good chances in the opening minutes, all of them falling to leading scorer Marc Cooper, who fired over before seeing his low drive saved by Armthorpe goalkeeper Leigh Overton followed by a headed effort which landed in the stoppers arms.

Armthorpe had a wind assisted goal disallowed for a foul on Owls goalkeeper Miles Fenty before Clee took control of the game again with Lowe shooting across the face of goal, a Laurence McKay effort deflected wide off Dickens and Cooper denied again after a quickly taken Luke Mascall free kick was flicked just wide of the post by the striker.

As half time approached Cooper took the ball around Armthorpe defender Josh Gibbons, only to see his shot pushed out by into the path of Jon Oglesby who hit the rebound straight at a relieved Overton.

Armthorpe had created very little and would have been delighted to go in level at the interval. This was not to be however as Cleethorpes finally broke the deadlock with just seconds of the half remaining. Neat, patient build up play ended with the ball at the feet of Mascall who finished sweetly into the corner of the net.

An early second half effort from Armthorpe captain Craig Aspinall went high and wide before Clee asserted their authority on the game again. Lowe’s long effort nearly deceived Overton after catching a strong gust of wind before Dickens headed over from the resulting corner. Jack Richardson shot wide from the edge of the penalty area before the Owls had a goal disallowed for offside after Danny Trott tapped home Oglesby’s low cross.

Clee’s advantage was doubled with 56 minutes played as Peter Winn’s stunning 25-yard drive found it’s way into the corner of the net. A pile driver from Trott just seconds later went inches over the cross bar with the crowd behind the goal being forced to duck!

Somewhat against the run of play, the visitors pulled a goal back after 66 minutes as striker Luke Norbury was on hand to beat Fenty with a low shot after a nice build up.

Any potential Cleethorpes jitters were soon allayed as Cooper quickly restored the two goal advantage, calmly lobbing the ball into the net from thirty yards out.

The icing was put on the cake with seconds remaining as substitute Brody Robertson got on the score sheet, tapping home from close range after getting on the end of Cooper’s cross.

With other results going their way Boxing Day proved to be a good one for the Owls who now sit in 7th place in the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division table with games in hand over most of their promotion rivals. The Owls will look to pick up three more vital points when Retford United visit Bradley on Saturday 2nd January. Kick off will be at 3pm.