Ammers could have begun their countdown to keeping a clean-sheet in the meeting at Beverley’s Norwood Park on Saturday, goal-less until the 83rd-minute, eventually beginning the new year with a 3-0 defeat.
Arren Warner replaced Jack Viles in goal and made several impressive saves before Ben Hinchcliffe’s opener in the 83rd minute. Substitute Luka Soluburic’s double, beginning in the 89th-minute, sealed the points stayed in East Yorkshire in the NCEL Division One.
Beverley’s pressure had it’s warnings, Nathan Hotte’s header earlier dissalowed, too close to the goal for even a defender to keep the scorer onside.
17-year-old Monroe Sternberg returned in defence, centrally, alongside fellow inductees Jonny Daniels, Amari Smith, Cyrus Rowe, Rio Korbel and Finlay Wade as seven changes to the starting line-up.
The Beverley press was clear from the start but it opened up a gap for the highest of Ammers’ forwards, Kaydon Cheetham, one-on-one against Beverley ‘keeper Tom Nicholson. The shot appeared scuffed, drawing an unorthodox save with his side-foot.
Josh Batty was in-behind, Beverley punishing Ammers’ failed attempts to play through midfield.
Scott Phillips met the aerial ball on top of the penalty spot, unable to direct the ball under the bar.
Beverley’s full-backs had maintained their high stance since their visit to The Southerns Stadium, the ball moved from left to right looking to find spaces within the deep Ammers defence just inside 10 minutes.
Batty’s inverted position from the left is complimented by the fact he appears to be right-footed, using that boot to lace a shot across goal but watched wide by Warner.
Beverley forced the ball through the middle before it was lifted into Ben Hinchcliffe, inside from the right, on the edge of the box with his back to goal. He therefore turned a half-chance into a strong possibility via his chest control, turning to face Warner who was well positioned to hold the volley.
The forward let himself down with the header several minutes later at the far post, heading well underneath the ball.
With Ammers retaining possession in the middle, Korbel on the ball, he found Wade wide to his right. Seeing Rowe & co. entering the box, the cross instead flew behind the front line and instead to Cheetham on the edge. He was intercepted just at the moment as the Ammers forward was about to connect his shot on 43 minutes.
The goalless scoreline looked most in doubt inside the final minute of the first-half, James Piercy’s powerful header at the near post unable to curl inward enough, travelling on the outside of the left-hand upright.
Hinchcliffe was alive early after the break, creating a one-on-one opportunity inside the left channel of the box but a self-inflicted trip made it easy defending for Ammers.
Ollie Baldwin went even closer, infront of an open net and just yards out. Batty, now on the right, crossed into box, which was palmed away by Warner but only as wide as Baldwin at the far post. The save impacted Baldwin’s trajectory, ahead of the ball, but attempted to dig it from behind him, overcompensating and hooking wide.
The flag protected the clean-sheet further on the 69th-minute, Nathan Hotte too close to goal to miss his header but there’s not even space for an Ammers defender to keep the scorer onside. Hotte’s run through the middle made the chance through his strength, his left arm holding off a challenge before moving the ball wide to his left, receiving a flighted pass in return.
Substitute’s Birama Diallo & Wilfred Frimpong’s introduction on either side of Cheetham offered a certain outlet and Diallo proved so down the right, a direct ball finding him behind the Beverley defence, his shot saved from a tight angle on 71 minutes.
The hosts attacked fire with fire, ‘keeper Nicholson not finding target Philips initially but the second ball is retained high. It’s to Baldwin’s benefit who received the ball wide on the left and had space to drive a shot across Warner but the wrong side of the post.
The deadlock broken on the 83rd minute proved the pressure began to take it’s toll, Hinchcliffe appearing to get the final touch in the face of goal. Philips kept pressure alive even though he ventured away from the box, hooking a loose ball over his shoulder and into the crowd, Hinchcliffe with a vital touch, off what looked like his knee, to direct goalward.
In the 89th-minute came the second, Soluburic attacking a driven cross at the near post, the ball cut back from the far touchline.
In added-time Beverley got their final strike, substitute Soluburic’s second, smashing in a rebound after Warner had blocked a shot one v one with his feet, keeping the points in East Yorkshire.
A West Yorkshire derby follows next Saturday 13th January, when Wakefield visit the Southerns Stadium in the NCEL Division One.
Tickets for the Wakefield fixture: Adults – £6, Concessions – £4, U16s – £2.50