A bottom three finish was confirmed for Yorkshire Amateur after a 5-1 defeat to Shirebrook Town in their NCEL Division One finale on Wednesday evening.
Birama Diallo’s equaliser before half-time would have been enough had Ammers prevented conceding in the second-half at The Southerns Stadium.
Danny South’s opener within two minutes had been cancelled out but Kieran Watson, a Brad Kerr double and Anthony Dwyer earned Shirebrook’s continued interest in the title race and confirmed Ammers’ position in the relegation zone.
Ousainey Juwara returned to the forefront of Ammers’ line-up, alongside Oscar Hines & Ruben Musat in multiple changes to the starting line-up a week ago.
Shirebrook were on point within 2 minutes, Kieran Watson first to the ball inside the box to poke in. The visitors had hit their mark from distance from early, an aerial ball finding Danny South to head down for Watson in close proximity to finish.
If it wasn’t South, it was one of the supporting act taking the ball down, Anthony Dwyer twice intercepting the flight of the ball from wide, resulting in shots off target.
One of the outcomes of that strategy is it opens the game up, allowing both teams to transition from back to front quickly, much to Birama Diallo’s delight down Ammers’ left. His staggered run escaped Igor Mlynarksi, creating space for a low cross onto Ousamane Sidibe’s open side-foot, too slight of of a touch, guiding the ball across goal.
Diallo’s connection on the clearance from within Shirebrook’s box was too strong, the right-footed strike hooked past the near post.
Juwara got it almost perfect, cutting inside from the left to drive a powerful low effort to Owen Evans’ right, pushed away by the Shirebrook ‘keeper.
Evans couldn’t’ stop Diallo’s effort from equalising at the next opportunity. The winger’s luck was in from range, Evans failing to get down far enough to stop the ball forcing it’s way under his hands.
Juwara then fancied his chances, despite teeing up the shot onto his left, coming in from the right, his first touch out from under his body from receiving the ball from Diallo and then following up with a shot which was always rising up and over the bar.
The ball was out of reach for Watson at the far, right-hand post, unable to change the direction of the flight with his glancing header wide, the score remaining level at the break.
The space remained for both sides early in the second half, Diallo cutting inside from the left for the hosts before firing over whilst Dwyer’s shot was adjudged to have been deflected wide, much to Ammers’ objections.
And Ammers were again pushed below the league’s safety line from the resulting corner by Kieran Watson heading in. After delay, switching the ball, Shirebrook were quickest to react to the delivery to the back post, Watson heading into the ground, squeezing the ball beyond Jack Viles and co. defending Ammers’ goalline.
Shirebrook thought they’d extended the lead moments before we entered the final ten minutes, Dwyer receiving the switch from left to right but with Amari Smith not far behind, he recovered to block the shot into the side netting, drawing initial celebrations, quickly dimmed.
It was almost de-ja-vu for Shirebrook with an angled ball from deep into Watson at the opposite side of the box, headed back across goal but Viles was across to deny the shot from close-range with his feet before the ball was cleared.
It appeared Ammers’ fate was sealed in the 85th minute with Brad Kerr’s finish one-on-one. Chasing a pass into the left-hand channel of Ammers’ box, the first-time placed finish was this time out the reach of Viles’ outstretched leg across goal.
Brad Kerr & Anthony Dwyer had time in added-time to extend the visitors’ lead before Ammers’ season concluded.
A cross from the left was lifted over the pack in the centre of the box and met by Kerr’s side-footed volley beyond the far post, squeezed in from a tight angle.
Dwyer found space to shoot from distance, infield from the left, Viles unable to hold the shot, instead pushing it inside his side-netting for Shirebrook’s fifth goal.
All was left was the full-time whistle to confirm Ammers finished in the bottom three at the season’s end.