24/01: WOOLPACK PUT IN SOLID BATTLE AGAINST TITLE FAVOURITES
Category: Match Reports
Posted by: Dan
The Woolpack FC 0 - 4 Sporting Club Shepley
Starting Line-up: Battye, Campbell, Arnold, Shaw, Gill, Newburn, Cosgrove, Ginty, Herbert, Adams, Ro.Hawkyard
Subs: Dawson on for Herbert, Kirby on for Adams, Eke on for Ro.Hawkyard
Subs not used: T.Dyson, Z.Stanger
Man of the Match: Campbell - In a game where nobody stood out the energy and effort of Calum didn't go unnoticed and he picked up man of the match.
Wooden Spoon: Eke - If not for his quickly taken corner near the end it had to be for the red socks!
After only playing 2 games in 9 weeks the players of The Woolpack were bound to find todays match tough, especially as they were playing Sporting Club Shepley, who are top of the first division, having only been beaten once this season and scoring an average of 6.5 goals per game. And aside from this, last season Shepley beat The Woolpack 10-2 and by looking at the average player it seemed as though The Woolpack had about 5 years of beer drinking on the Shepley side.
With talk of the game possibly getting expunged due to a change in the league format it was a test to see how the Woolpack could match up against the bigger sides and a chance to try something new. So The Woolpack reverted to the 4-5-1 which helped reduce heavy defeats last season. Come half time it seemed to be a good tactic as the score was 1-0 to Shepley and despite being under almost constant pressure at the back, The Woolpack could and should have scored a few of their own.
Early on Nathan Adams (playing wide left) had two chances from clever through balls, one he chipped over the keeper and it bounced wide. Dean Arnold had the best chance of the half when the ball fell to him in an almost open net but the keeper somehow managed to get back in front of him and make a save. But at the other end Battye made a few fine saves - although he did let a corner go over his head and hit the post! And for the goal he could do nothing, after making a great save which was parried to a player in an obvious offside position who put it away.
This wasn't the first time the Woolpack players felt they had decisions going against them. They were constantly getting pulled up on so called pushes and late tackles where Shepley seemed to get away with some pretty bad tackles. This set up a very fiery first half with a few bust-ups - but if anything this worked in The Woolpack's favour as Shepley didn't like it.
The second half started fairly positively with a bit of pressure down the right flank, until Shepley broke free and managed to score a deflected goal. At 2-0 and a full half to go the heads seemed to drop. So Sean Cosgrove (playing only his second game of the season) moved up front in a new 4-4-2.
Then as it seemed like the Woolpack finally had something going forward, Shepley won a penalty after a bad tackle from Chris Shaw. But when it rebounded off the post and Battye saved the rebound and it almost felt as though the tide was changing. So Herbert and Adams were replaced by Dawson and Kirby to get some fresh pace going forward and Kirby almost opened his account straight away with a header that just looped over.
As the Woolpack pushed forward they ended up getting caught at the back when a Shepley player found some space and finished beautifully. 3-0 down and 15 minutes left, The Woolpack had nothing to lose so they pushed further forward - with a few charges forward from Arnold and Shaw at the back. Ginty and Campbell both had shots blocked and a few corners went in unsuccessfully, but The Woolpack looked like equals for a spell. But then as usual a quick break saw Shepley make it 4-0. So Eke was brought on up front and he had 2 chances late on as The Woolpack continued to look for a consolation goal.
When the whistle blew up 4-0 seemed a good result with all factors considered. If the Woolpack had a bit more composure, both at the back and up front the score might have been slightly different. Often Shepley players found room at the back, and even though the Woolpack had 5 or 6 chances the keeper will have come away feeling like he had an easy game. But whatever the score and whatever it could have been the players showed they can battle against the best sides and stop them playing - something a few Shepley players remarked on afterwards, saying they enjoyed playing a side that wasn't afraid and that The Woolpack were one of the better sides they have played this season.
Starting Line-up: Battye, Campbell, Arnold, Shaw, Gill, Newburn, Cosgrove, Ginty, Herbert, Adams, Ro.Hawkyard
Subs: Dawson on for Herbert, Kirby on for Adams, Eke on for Ro.Hawkyard
Subs not used: T.Dyson, Z.Stanger
Man of the Match: Campbell - In a game where nobody stood out the energy and effort of Calum didn't go unnoticed and he picked up man of the match.
Wooden Spoon: Eke - If not for his quickly taken corner near the end it had to be for the red socks!
After only playing 2 games in 9 weeks the players of The Woolpack were bound to find todays match tough, especially as they were playing Sporting Club Shepley, who are top of the first division, having only been beaten once this season and scoring an average of 6.5 goals per game. And aside from this, last season Shepley beat The Woolpack 10-2 and by looking at the average player it seemed as though The Woolpack had about 5 years of beer drinking on the Shepley side.
With talk of the game possibly getting expunged due to a change in the league format it was a test to see how the Woolpack could match up against the bigger sides and a chance to try something new. So The Woolpack reverted to the 4-5-1 which helped reduce heavy defeats last season. Come half time it seemed to be a good tactic as the score was 1-0 to Shepley and despite being under almost constant pressure at the back, The Woolpack could and should have scored a few of their own.
Early on Nathan Adams (playing wide left) had two chances from clever through balls, one he chipped over the keeper and it bounced wide. Dean Arnold had the best chance of the half when the ball fell to him in an almost open net but the keeper somehow managed to get back in front of him and make a save. But at the other end Battye made a few fine saves - although he did let a corner go over his head and hit the post! And for the goal he could do nothing, after making a great save which was parried to a player in an obvious offside position who put it away.
This wasn't the first time the Woolpack players felt they had decisions going against them. They were constantly getting pulled up on so called pushes and late tackles where Shepley seemed to get away with some pretty bad tackles. This set up a very fiery first half with a few bust-ups - but if anything this worked in The Woolpack's favour as Shepley didn't like it.
The second half started fairly positively with a bit of pressure down the right flank, until Shepley broke free and managed to score a deflected goal. At 2-0 and a full half to go the heads seemed to drop. So Sean Cosgrove (playing only his second game of the season) moved up front in a new 4-4-2.
Then as it seemed like the Woolpack finally had something going forward, Shepley won a penalty after a bad tackle from Chris Shaw. But when it rebounded off the post and Battye saved the rebound and it almost felt as though the tide was changing. So Herbert and Adams were replaced by Dawson and Kirby to get some fresh pace going forward and Kirby almost opened his account straight away with a header that just looped over.
As the Woolpack pushed forward they ended up getting caught at the back when a Shepley player found some space and finished beautifully. 3-0 down and 15 minutes left, The Woolpack had nothing to lose so they pushed further forward - with a few charges forward from Arnold and Shaw at the back. Ginty and Campbell both had shots blocked and a few corners went in unsuccessfully, but The Woolpack looked like equals for a spell. But then as usual a quick break saw Shepley make it 4-0. So Eke was brought on up front and he had 2 chances late on as The Woolpack continued to look for a consolation goal.
When the whistle blew up 4-0 seemed a good result with all factors considered. If the Woolpack had a bit more composure, both at the back and up front the score might have been slightly different. Often Shepley players found room at the back, and even though the Woolpack had 5 or 6 chances the keeper will have come away feeling like he had an easy game. But whatever the score and whatever it could have been the players showed they can battle against the best sides and stop them playing - something a few Shepley players remarked on afterwards, saying they enjoyed playing a side that wasn't afraid and that The Woolpack were one of the better sides they have played this season.
