Rotherham Town 3-1 Sheffield Athletic

County Senior League Division One, Saturday 26^th October 2013

Rotherham Town moved into second place in Division One with a 3-1 victory over Sheffield Athletic, their sixth win in seven games in all competitions.

Town took the lead on the half-hour mark. A Rotherham corner was weakly cleared and soon ended up at Mike Parkinson’s feet in the box; his turn and shot nestled into the bottom left corner.

Their lead was doubled from the penalty spot early in the second half. Steve Jefferies attempted to weave inside the area from the left, but captain Paul Robertson stuck out a leg and was adjudged to bring down the Number 8. Carl Marriott took the resulting spot kick and stroked the ball into the bottom left corner as goalkeeper, Daryle Johnson, dived the wrong way.

The third goal of the game was the pick of the goals. Town’s Steve Andrews spectacular long-range half-volley whistled into the right corner, unstoppable for Johnson.

Athletic were able to pull a goal back five minutes from full time. Andrew Lee’s cross was tapped in by Lewis Chergle. But the Sheffield side were condemned to their fourth defeat in five league games, dropping to twelfth in the table.

With windy conditions restricting passing football in the early stages, few clear-cut chances were created. Jamie Hewit’s long range shot for Sheffield and Rich Williams’ effort for Rotherham going over the bar were the only opportunities in the first fifteen minutes.

Marriott almost gave the hosts a surprise lead with an effort from the right of the penalty area; his distant attempt going just above the crossbar.

At the opposite end of the field, Nidza Luwe shot wide of the left post.

In the twenty-fourth minute Rotherham’s Kingsley Little produced a beautiful cross towards Rich Williams, but the striker couldn’t quite make contact and the ball fell just wide.

Still Rotherham continued to press; Marcus Squires’ free-kick found Parkinson but the header was caught by the goalkeeper. But on his team’s next attack at goal Parkinson found the back of the net, with a turn and shot in a crowded penalty area.

Sheffield were far from being outplayed however and created openings which came close to drawing an equaliser. Firstly, Andrew Lee chipped into the box and Luwe headed wide and a few minutes later Lewis Chergle’s low shot inside the area was claimed by the goalkeeper.

On the stroke of half-time Sheffield’s Anthony Marshal’s shot from inside the box drifted wide. Prior to this Daryle Johnson was forced to deny Liam Johnson’s long range effort and Marriott’s free-kick.

The second half immediately began with incident. Paul Robertson conceded a penalty when Steve Jefferies fell to the ground, the Sheffield captain however was convinced no contact was made. Carl Marriott successfully dispatched from the spot.

Rotherham had the ball in the net for a third time but Liam Johnson was ruled out for offside after latching on to Rich Williams’ through ball.

The relief of this decision had a temporary positive affect on the Sheffield attack and soon after they created their best chance thus far. Anthony Marshal’s corner was met by Robertson, but his bullet header fell just wide. A minute later Robertson’s head met another set piece, this time a free-kick, but was denied by Rotherham’s Chris Noye.

The best save of the match belonged to Johnson however; Steve Jeffries left-footed shot looked destined for the bottom corner if not for his reflexes.

But Steve Andrews’ stunning goal which spurred from the resulting corner beat Johnson and all-but-ended hope of an Athletic comeback. Although they soon grabbed a consolation through Chergle’s tap-in.

Still Sheffield refused to surrender and Marshal’s half-volley stung the palms of Noye.

Meanwhile Rotherham mustered chances of their own. Liam Johnson went beyond Marshal on a run into the box but Daryle Johnson saved with his fingertips at the far post; which limited the defeat to 3-1.

Rotherham Town Team: Chris Noye, Marcus Squires, Marcus Smallman (captain), Matt Brunyee, Chris Liddle, Simon Price, Mike Parkinson, Steve Jefferies, Carl Marriott, Kingsley Little, Rich Williams. Substitutes: Mike Reinolds, Dale Benton, Liam Johnson, Andy Hanson, Steve Andrews.

Sheffield Athletic: Daryle Johnson, Dean Spotswood, William Kitching, Paul Robertson (captain), Lee Coddington, Andrew Lee, Lewis Chergle, Jamie Hewit, Oatis Thorne, Anthony Marshal, Nidza Luwe. Substitutes: Gary Eades

Valley Knights 3-6 Davy FC Under 21’s

County Senior League Under 21 Division, Saturday 19^th October 2013

Davy FC Under 21’s recorded their first win over the season and ended a run of three consecutive defeats in emphatic style, beating Valley Knights 6-3 on Saturday.

Knights opened the scoring through a superb solo goal from Sam Round. The tricky winger cut inside from the left before weaving away from defender, Louis Fletcher and sliding the ball past the goalkeeper.

The hosts’ lead lasted for thirty minutes, but as the interval neared Davy fought back. To equalise, Sam Day found Adam McCarthy who cut inside from the right and shot across goal into the bottom left.

Buoyed by this, Davy didn’t take long to add a second to their tally. Day cut inside from the left and shot from just inside the box; goalkeeper Jake Baker got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out.

From then on the visitors never looked back and made it three straight after the restart. Day’s free-kick from the left found McCarthy at the far post, the striker blasted his first effort against the crossbar, but he was able to head in the rebound for his second of the game. Five minutes later McCarthy netted his hat-trick, with an effort from inside the box.

On sixty minutes, Knights reduced the deficit back to two. James Saunders’ free-kick deflected in off the wall. However, Davy pulled further away four minutes later with Nathan Wood’s cross from the right tucked in by Sam Day, making it 5-2.

Wood finished from Day’s cross to make it 6-2, before Valley Knights netted a consolation goal from the penalty spot through Adam Gwilliam with 6-3 the final score.

The win lifts Davy to 7^th in the Under 21 division, despite having played fewer games than those above them in the table.

Knights started the game brightly. Lee Calvert’s corner found its way to Adam Gwilliam whose overhead kick was cleared off the line. Five minutes later, Round netted in the host’s opener following a superb solo run.

Round looked motivated throughout and was the architect of the next attack. The winger sprinted beyond right-back Elliott Trundler before cutting inside, but was denied by goalkeeper Josh Bunting’s legs. Round was close to netting again when he got on the end of Gwilliam’s cross but, unmarked, he was unable to hit the target.

Gwilliam then found himself, albeit someway from goal, one-on-one with Bunting but a miskick meant the ball spun out for a goal-kick.

Still Knights had chances. Ben Haywood’s long throw was almost poked in by Luke Knowles at the far post, but the Davy defence held firm.

With squandered chances and the lead only at one, Davy were resilient. Sam Day’s shot from a tight angle flew wide, before McCarthy netted  the equaliser, with Day providing the assist.

Day then gave his side the lead with a shot from the edge of the box, which was too powerful for goalkeeper Jake Baker.

Davy kicked on during the second half. Day’s free kick found McCarthy at the far post; first the woodwork denied him, but the headed rebound made it 3-1. 

Sam Day was close again with a free-kick close to the half-way line which went just over the bar. At the opposite end of the field, Jordan Watson crossed for Round, whose shot was parried by the goalkeeper. Before two minutes later McCarthy grabbed his hat-trick with a placed finish for 4-1.

McCarthy’s flick on then found substitute Demetrious Kiwamya, but his left-footed shot was cleared off the line by Round.

Knights made it 4-2 with James Saunders’ deflected free-kick, and they came close to reducing the deficit to just one but Gwilliam sent his one-on-one wide. It was 5-2 through Day’s penalty box finish after Wood’s cross from the right.

Jordan Watson cut inside from the right which forced Josh Bunting into a save as the visitors refused to wither. From the resulting corner, Daniel Shaw rushed a shot which flew over the crossbar.

Tom Fewkes’ long-range lob for Davy glided over, before with ten minutes to go Wood headed in Davy’s sixth.

Joseph Secker fouled Watson for a penalty awarded to Valley Knights, which was calmly sent into the bottom right corner by Gwilliam. The goalkeeper dived in the correct direction, but the penalty was perfectly placed.

The immediate aftermath of the spot-kick involved clashes between both sets of players. However referee, 

Mr Gough, was quick on the scene and Davy held on for victory for the final five minutes.

Valley Knights Under 21’s Team: Jake Baker, Ben Lancaster, Ben Haywood, Daniel Shaw, James Ryder, Lee Calvert, Luke Knowles, James Saunders, Zak Green, Adam Gwilliam, Sam Round. Subs: Adam Tolley, Alex Gray, Sam Small, Jordan Watson, Daniel Wibberly.

Davy FC Under 21’s Team: Josh Bunting, Elliott Trundler, Tom Fewkes, Dane Fisher, Louis Fletcher, Dylon Vilary, Sam Day, Nathan Storey, Adam McCarthy, Nathan Wood, Owen Phillips. Subs: Gareth Hall, Ritchie Vilary, Joesph Secker, Ryan Fletcher, Demetrious Kiwamya.