Frickley Athletic v Pickering Town

Recap

The first league game of the season – a game that can fill you with elation or can make you consider sedation….

As I drove to the game via the sunlit uplands of Great Houghton, I wondered what my emotions would be like on the return leg after the game – ecstatic after watching non stop attacking football coupled with a cleano or despair after a spanking with the goals against column leaking like an ill fitting incontinence pad. For 50 minutes we got the former & then following 5 minutes of madness we got the latter.

Pickering struck early but were so far offside they had to pay to get back in – then on 9 minutes Williams & Guilfoyle combined to play in Jack Varley who broke through the defence & slid the ball home from a narrowish angle – our first goal of the new season, all going to plan.

Then 2 chances for Williams but he couldn’t quite convert

A couple of warning shots across the bows for us – first Spence cleared off his line then Adam Hewitson made an excellent save

Just time for another near miss by Williams before the half time Jaffas

5 minutes into the 2nd period & interplay between Varley & Zav set up Williams who waltzed round the keeper & made it 2 nil, steady as you like

Just before the hour, the Azzurri filmed 3 episodes of a series called ‘How Not To Defend’, episode 3 has the bonus content of Josh Haigh getting a straight red & bizarrely that was pretty much game over with 30 minutes still remaining

We huffed & puffed from that point but never really put Pickering under any stress or duress – everything that we had been doing right previously backfired – the ball wouldn’t stick, we came off 2nd in the 50/50s etc

Olympian Tom Daley made a surprise late appearance for Pickering & the penalty was duly despatched to make a bad final 40 minutes ever badderer

So plenty for Bax, Flan & Andy to work on – some good stuff, some not so good – before we next kick a ball / opponent in anger….

We’re only 1 game in, plenty more to come – so if you came yesterday & enjoyed it, please come again. If you came yesterday & didn’t enjoy it, please come again & give us another chance

WEBMASTER MOTM – plenty to be positive about – Goalden Gloves was excellent but he had to be as we gave him far too much work. I liked the look of Cairney & Spence. Mannings & Zav were their usual selves & Williams & Gilly linked up well up top. But I’m giving the Glitterball to Jack Varley – scored one, set up the 2nd & was the instigator of everything we did well

TWITTER POLL MOTM – the first one of the season – for anyone who doesn’t know how they work; we have a Twitter Poll after each game. The votes from each game are collated to create a monthly Twitter Poll Player Of The Month. Then the monthly votes are collated to give us a Twitter Poll Player Of The Season. So these votes are the ones that count as they are the voice of the supporters. For this one, Jack Varley wins it, ahead of Zav with Joel Spence & Jack Cairney tucked in behind them. Adam Hewitson, Luke Williams & Josh Haigh also polled votes. Thank you to everyone who voted

MATCHBALL SPONSOR MOTM – Steve Cupitt kindly sponsored the matchball & his MOTM for Adam Hewitson

Listen to what the Gaffer had to say about proceedings here

232 through the gate so thank you to everyone who gave up a warm July afternoon to support us – very much appreciated

Next up we are away to Thackley in t’Cup (FA), 3pm next Saturday – it would be good to see plenty of you there