Yorkshire Amateur came unstuck with a 4-0 defeat to Thackley at Dennyfield on Saturday afternoon in the NCEL Premier.
Sam Nicholson’s double was assisted by strikes from Tom Greaves and George Green whilst Alfie Wilkinson went closest for Ammers, denied one-on-one when Luke Wilson stopped the forward’s path round the ‘keeper.
Both new signings Dylan Drovi and Jamie Bedford made their debuts, Drovi from the start whilst Bedford was a 74th-minute substitute. Substitute ‘keeper Aaron Batley also made his debut, introduced in the final ten minutes with the score at 3-0.
Asa Mitchell took the captaincy in a side with five changes, Benjamin Quartey, Birama Diallo, Alfie Gibbon and Mitchell fox completing the alterations.
Drovi had his first sight of goal in an Ammers shirt within the opening ten minutes, Asa Mitchell continuing to successfully find his teammates, firstly Jamal Stewart on the left and then Drovi.
The winger, coming short, was instructed by his playmaker to make the yards, Mitchell mirroring a quarterback in finding his wide receiver, despite Drovi being forced beyond the far touchline, resulting in a goalkick.
Much of Thackley’s football was forced in front of Ammers, George Green shooting from distance, high over the bar before the quarter-hour mark.
Wilkinson didn’t need supply when intercepting Thackley’s deepest defender to then go one-on-one with ‘keeper Luke Wilson.
A shot would have been the strategy of some, Wilkinson instead attempted to round Wilson, grasped by the ‘keeper with the forward just halfway around his opponent.
Greaves was practically on top of the goalline when Ammers ‘keeper Oliver Ford managed to rescue his cleansheet.
Thackley touched base in the box through the left channel, a drilled cross in front of Ford’s goalline was aimed at Greaves to direct goalward only for Ford to make the last ditch save among the crowd.
Ben Grech-Brooksbank followed Green’s play when shooting from distance, aiming to the bottom, left-hand corner, easily saved by Ford.
Sam Nicholson was the first on the scoreboard with a header hitting target for Thackley.
The corner from the left dropped in position of the penalty spot where Nicholson powered his header past Ford.
Grech-Brooksbank’s header almost mirrored the opener, but for Ford’s reaction save from yards out, two minutes later, after a corner from the same side.
Central striker Greaves took the outside lane and attacked Birama Diallo one-v-one, cutting inside via a back-heeled flick, then dragging his left-footed effort tamely for Ford to smother at the near post, on 37 minutes.
Wilkinson had rounded Thackley defender Lewis Morgan by poking the ball round one side and attacking the other, before being held up again but with Drovi in support.
The winger was intent on getting behind the Thackley line, this time, but Wilkinson’s pass didn’t have the strength, intercepted on it’s path before the half-time break.
Ford was quickly up for action and in the air to tip over his bar just a couple minutes after the restart.
Green then worked his way through the centre for Thackley’s second, shooting inside the near post from the edge of the box.
A misplaced Ammers pass was quickly forwarded onto Green who rolled the ball, with his stud, inside towards the Ammers’ box before arrowing his shot low, inside the post.
Kadeem Morton had to be the first to reach Thackley’s next play into Greaves, the last defender fully stretching his leg on the slide to take the ball out of Greaves’ path to goal.
The post denied Greaves as the match entered the final twenty minutes, a header to the near, right-hand post rebounding towards the sideline.
Sam Nicholson’s second was a simple finish, diverting from close-range among the crowded box following a corner.
Green disguised his pass of hooking the ball to Kris Hargreaves on his right who’s shot pinballed at the near post before Ammers conceded the corner.
The delivery from the right dropped at the far post and again was failed to deal with convincingly before Nicholson’s soft finish guided the ball into the top corner from just yards out.
Tom Greaves completed the scoring within the final two minutes, smashing the ball into the roof of the net, past substitute Batley, from a tight angle inside the box.
Fellow debutant and substitute Jamie Bedford had a sight of goal before the full-time whistle, the result matching that of the game, favouring Thackley as the ball kept rising over the near, right-hand post.
Ammers they travel to Bottesford on Wednesday evening in NCEL Premier action.