Yorkshire Amateur suffered a 3-0 defeat to Penistone Church in the NCEL Premier in their opening fixture of the year on Monday afternoon.
[Photo by Sean Chandler]
Wayne Hughes’ goal in the first-half was followed up by Nathan Keightley and Cameron Simpson strikes in the second-half to earn The Church’s victory at The Southerns Stadium.
New signings Adam Fowler, Toby Harris and Jack Headley were all added to the matchday squad, Fowler starting and leading the front line.
Wilfred Frimpong, Jake Boyd and Jordan Spencer completed four changes to the staring eleven.
Frimpong quickly returned to beating defenders, cutting inside from his wide left base position, through two visitors and to the touchline before his cross was blocked at the near post.
Nathan Keightley was behind the Ammers’ defence but his mis-control inside the left of the Ammers’ box allowed the ball to run out of play before he could capitalise.
Wayne Hughes just needed the single touch to open the scoring, chipping Ashin Rashid from inside the box.
Hughes used the bounce of a high pass behind the Ammers’ defence to hit under the ball and over the outrushing Rashid.
Keanan Mannings had two chances at a cross from Ammers’ left, his first was too high for Newton Conde at the far post but Ousainey Juwara was first to the loose ball, crossing back to Mannings on the opposite side. His second attempt, a first-time laced effort, simply sliced beyond the touchline.
Conde, from the right-hand side, was handed the responsibility of countering for Ammers on the next occasion, chosen by Fowler by controlling with his chest and hooking the ball over his shoulder and into Conde’s path.
The winner of the race was inevitable, but the cross was blocked, deflected out for a corner.
Keightley had space to run into behind Alfie Gibbon, closed down by Boyd who forced the forward to turn back before playing a square pass across the edge of the box to Jordan Coduri.
The recipient chopped the ball onto his left-foot and attempted a delicate pass down the right of the box but it runs into Rashid’s arms, keeping the score at 1-0 going into half-time.
Alfie Wilkinson’s second-half quickly saw him line-up a free-kick from 25-yards but the midfielder skied the shot.
Rashid quickly smothered his initially spilt ball to block a powerful shot from inside the box, the ‘keeper unable to hold the cross from Penistone’s left.
Penistone benefitted better from a fifty-fifty inside the left of the Ammers’ box, the hosts calling for a foul but Penistone were allowed to continue, albeit their cross is blocked.
Wilkinson’s pass from distance, up to Fowler, dropped short and Ryan Johnson’s clearing header eventually led to Keightley cutting inside from the left and despite a heavy touch, he’s able to fire towards the near, bottom corner, narrowly wide.
Keightley’s intent led to him scoring Penistone’s second but he had a lot to thank Josh Brown for.
Slicing his initial effort, Brown decided to go round the outside of the Ammers’ defence instead, before shooting low across goal and into the path of Keightley in the centre to poke into an empty net.
Cameron Simpson followed Keightley’s trend both in scoring and the way he did it, mirroring his predecessor by cutting inside from the left before shooting low into goal.
He beat several Ammers defenders on his route infield, crossing almost the entire box before beating Rashid low to the ‘keepers left tom complete the scoring.
Hemsworth Miners Welfare are our hosts on Saturday afternoon at the Just Football MDC Stadium.