Goole AFC 4 Maine Road FC 0
Goole AFC reached the 1st round proper of the FA Vase for the first time in 18 years, and they did it in convincing style beating Maine Road FC 4-0.
Four games unbeaten for a Vikings side who have not known such luxuries for some time and at the same time their long-suffering loyal band of followers have waited a long time to see three successive wins and three clean sheets at the Victoria Pleasure Ground. What a difference a month makes. From the latter part of August until September 4, Goole played five and lost five, albeit narrowly. Since the September 4, Goole AFC have now played four won three (all clean sheets) and drawn one. Matt Zaniewski, and James Arnold were missing from the starting line-up. Leigh Overton on his return to Goole replaced Matt in goal, and Chris Simpkins took over the full-back role from Arnold. Liam Parker replacing Sam Cable up front, who was starting his two-match ban.
Maine Road attacked the Goole goal, straight from the kick-off and only good defending saved Goole from going behind so early on. Goole weathered the storm, and in the 13th minute a pass from Spence to Parker out on the right almost opened the scoring. He played a short overlap ball to Williams, whose telling pass to Valladolid Collins a couple of yards from the Maine Road goal, was hit across goal, narrowly avoiding everyone. Half way through the first half Maine Road broke away, but Leigh Overton was well positioned to block the shot and push it out for a corner. Maine Road, who probably shaded the first 20 minutes found that a good keeper is worth his weight in gold and the home replacement Leigh Overton, used all his vast know-how to deny their striker.
In the 27th minute a clearance from Walker in the Goole penalty area found Williams who broke down the left and appeared to be pulled back by the defender. The referee ignored the Goole claim and allowed play to continue. A few minutes later, a long ball from Simkins found Williams unmarked on the left, and as he cut in towards the penalty area he was pushed from behind by the Maine Road defender. A challenge that was more clumsy than malicious, but because he had denied Williams a clear goal scoring opportunity, the referee had no choice. A straight red. The resulting free kick from Williams was hit into the wall, and cleared out to Simpkins, who from just inside the Maine Road half, hit a speculative ball into the area, where the stand-in keeper came to claim with his hands above his head. It initially looked an easy catch, but something obviously broke his concentration, and the ball slipped through his hands, and landed in the net.
On the overall balance of play, Goole deserved to be in the lead, but as in previous games had failed to transfer their possession into goals. On the stroke of half-time, Goole doubled their lead. Simpkin played the ball out to Spence on the left, and from 35 yards his effort dipped and swerved and deceived the keeper going over his head by several feet to nestle in the net. You have to go back to just over 15 years to September 6, 2006, when Chris Tate, scored from approximately the same distance. Although in Chris’s case it was wind-assisted, Joel’s was all his own work. After the break it was damage limitation for the visitors but a third goal on 55 minutes sealed the deal well and truly. A foul on Valladolid Collins out wide on the Maine Road left, which the referee initially played advantage. As no advantage to Goole was gained, he called play back for a free kick to Goole. (Good refereeing, something we don’t often see at our level). Simpkins’ cross into the box, evaded all the Maine Road defenders, but Pattinson was at the far post to head it in, and claim his third goal of the season. Even though they were reduced to ten men Maine Road never stopped attacking Goole whenever they got the chance. In the 60th minute from some neat build up play in the middle of the field they broke away down the Goole right and with Overton closing the angle, their no.11 shot into the side netting.
Midway through the second half, with Goole applying most of the pressure, Williams dribbled past four defenders into the penalty area and appeared to be upended by their goalkeeper, nothing given. A few minutes later, another good cross field pass by Spence found Walker racing down the Goole right. His cross generated a barrage of shots from Valladolid Collins and Hesselwood. The last one from Hesselwood appeared to hit the hand of a defender, again nothing given. Maine Rd were clearly feeling the pain of being a man down, and with ten minutes to go a free kick on the Maine Rd right from Schofield was initially cleared by the keeper, but found its way back to Schofield, who lofted the ball to the far side where Mcewan close to the touchline was about to bring it under control when he was clattered by the their keeper. It was a clear penalty. Dacre took it, and sent the keeper the wrong way hitting the ball to the keeper’s right. Overall this was a very workmanlike performance by Goole that took full advantage of Maine Road being reduced to ten men. While Maine Road never gave up, Goole were always in control. It could not have gone much better for a young team beginning to believe and put markers on games that their undoubted enthusiasm and desire have done since day one when battling back at Thackley. Our next two games are away at top eight opposition Eccleshill (7th), and Garforth (2nd). Two games which look tough on paper, but if the current form levels are maintained, Goole should have nothing to fear.
Saturday, 2nd October, Goole play Eccleshill, at Eccleshill. 3pm kick off.
(30-09-413 SU)
