Ambers progress in S&H Senior Cup

The Ambers started their S&H Senior Challenge Cup campaign with a home tie against last season’s beaten finalists, Nostell Miners Welfare. Peter Duffield rotated his squad by resting five of the side who started against Clipstone last week, giving first starts of the season to James Cullingworth and Nathan Joynes.
Both sides started on the front foot with skipper Colin Marrison and Luke Fletcher both going close for The Ambers whilst the lively Whitley shot wide for the visitors. The first clear chance came on 13 minutes when Marrison just missed out at the far post when Alex Rippon helped on a Danny Buttle cross, and Rippon then went close twice in two minutes, firstly with a turn and strike which was well saved, and then he almost capitalised on a great run and cross by the impressive Fletcher.
The Ambers were certainly dominating the game at this point and Sam Denton went close with a speculative 25 yard volley which was easily held by Hall. To their credit, Nostell were up for the fight and played some neat football which created half chances for Mhlolo and Whitley who drew a comfortable save from Archie Sneath.
The breakthrough finally came on 35 minutes when Denton rose majestically to head home from Buttle’s corner, and it was no more than The Ambers deserved. Rippon then latched on to a poor clearance from Hall but was denied by an excellent Zalo tackle as he prepared to pull the trigger, and on the stroke of half time, Joynes was denied as he headed wide from Buttle’s pinpoint cross and then had a shot cleared off the line.
The second half began slowly with the best opportunities falling to Marrison who could not convert, but the continual pressure paid off just after the hour when Fletcher struck from the edge of the box with his first of the season to double the lead. Buttle was causing his usual mayhem down the left wing and provided a series of crosses which frustratingly would not fall to the onrushing Ambers, and it wasn’t until the late introduction of substitutes Ben Starosta and Kieran Wells that the game was put to bed. Marrison and Wells combined to give Buttle a far post opportunity but the winger volleyed over but clearly got his eye in, as just a minute later he crashed home number three after good work by the two subs down the right.
There was still time for Wells to latch on to a Joynes flick and out-muscle his markers to claim the fourth goal of the night, but it was the visitors who notched last when Kitson tapped home after Sneath had parried a good strike deep into injury time.
And so The Ambers march on with an eleven game unbeaten run behind them, but what must have pleased the Manager was the re-emergence of Luke Fletcher, who with Steve Warne, dominated the centre of the park, and excellent performances from Cullingworth and Joynes amongst others.