Saturday 19th October 2019 | The Dorothy Hyman Stadium
Wakefield Overcome Cup Chaos With Extra Time Come Back Win
Wakefield hosted South Kirkby Colliery at the Dorothy Hyman Stadium in the second round of the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Cup, hoping to build on the thumping 7 – 2 away victory over Burngreave that saw them advance in style from the first round. This was a much more testing affair for Wakefield however, with South Kirkby, who sit a division below Wakefield, looking to cause an upset over the home favourites.
Despite the two sides currently being separated by 17 places in the league, they were separated only by extra time on the day, as the game finished 1-1 in normal time. Thomas Eclapier scored his fourth goal in five games early in the second half only for the hosts to be pegged back by a determined South Kirkby. A loss then looked on the cards with Wakefield trailing after the first period of extra time from a South Kirkby wonder goal. The home team dug deep, with two goals at the death from Yemi Ayodele and Jamie Hardwick, eventually running out 3-2 winners.
The game, again played on the 4G pitch due to October’s persistent rain, saw Ryan Eades maintain his place in goal following a man of the match display during the 1-0 win over Oughtibridge in Wakefield’s last league game. That meant Quinaceo Hunt, returning from international duty with Bermuda, had to settle for a place on the bench. Marvin Emmanuel continued alongside Ayodele in the centre of defence, with Jean Merour returning from injury in his favoured right back slot and Michael Ash keeping his place at left back for his second start of the season. Manager Chris Turner stuck to the more attack minded 4 – 2 – 3 – 1 formation from the last game, with Mohammed Hamid keeping his place in a central attacking midfield berth in place of the still absent defensive midfielder Kyron Richards. The ever present Hardwick again partnered Manny Katundu in the centre of midfield, whilst Deji Alabi and Eclapier filled the wide attacking positions. Joint top scorer Rayjon Moore was absent through injury which meant that Michael Owusu, looking for his first goal for the club, had his first start up front.
The game started off in scrappy fashion, as the more physical South Kirkby showed their intentions with some testing long balls up to their target man and an early wild shot from distance that failed to test Eades. Wakefield quickly grew in to the game and started to display the crisp passing football and excellent wing play they have become synonymous with over the past two months. Minute six saw four shots at goal by Wakefield, with the best chance seeing Owusu hit the post after stealing the ball from the goalkeeper who had dawdled on the ball. The away side were lucky to escape unscathed as the goalkeeper redeemed himself by then saving a second shot from Owusu following the rebound.
The first half was all Wakefield, as Alabi, looking for his fifth goal of the season, toyed with the opposition full backs at will. Likewise, Hamid looked a natural in the number 10 position as he repeatedly took the ball on the half turn looking to sell defenders with a range of skills. He got a number of shots away, the best a well-saved effort in the 25th minute. The home side, having had several shots from distance either saved or hit off target, should have taken the lead in the 34th minute when Owusu again hit the post with the goal at his mercy after beating the last defender with a smart dummy.
Wakefield failed to carry their momentum in to the second half, as the away side should have scored with two excellent chances in the 45th minute. The first was a long shot well-tipped over the bar by Eades and the next, from the resultant corner kick, was a miss over the bar from point blank range. Wakefield were also lucky to escape in the 54th minute as Eades was caught dwelling on the ball by the opposition attacker, who could only put the ball just wide of the goal.
Eclapier made the away side pay though in the 56th minute, with his stabbed free kick from 30 yards beating the keeper at his near post to put Wakefield 1-0 up. The game then took the same form as the first half; Wakefield dominating but failing with shots from distance. All of our best play came through Katundu, who had two excellent runs in to the opposition box but overran the ball each time.
Wakefield regretted their missed chances when South Kirkby equalised in the 66th minute during a goal mouth scramble after a corner. Wakefield then thought they had won the match with the award of a late penalty, as club captain Katundu scored from the rebound after his initial penalty had been tipped on to the post by the goalkeeper. The crowd was in uproar though as the referee, not realising the goalkeeper had touched the ball with an excellent save, controversially ruled out what would have been Katundu’s seventh goal of the season from midfield.
The first period of extra time was a tense affair, with chances for Wakefield non-existent. South Kirkby were then sent in to delirium following a wonder strike from all of 20 yards in to the top corner, putting them 2-1 up in the 105th minute. The away side, looking to hold on to their lead, turned to the dark arts in the second period of extra time. A number of players were cautioned for either time wasting or late fouls, and the game threatened to descend in to chaos when Alabi was persistently targeted off the ball with some pushing and shoving.
Wakefield looked to be crashing out of the cup but Ayodele popped up in the 117th minute with an exquisite first time curling shot in to the top corner to level the game at 2-2. The late drama wasn’t finished though, as Wakefield continued to attack. In the last minute of extra time the ball fell teasingly to man-of-the-match Hardwick as he made a perfectly timed run on to the penalty spot, tucking the ball home for the winner under the distraught South Kirkby goalkeeper.
Deji Alabi said after the match; “It was a crazy game, I feel we came out and wanted to work hard. It was quite unlucky, Michael [Owusu] hit the post like three times in the first half. We had a lot of chances and we’ve been working on it in the training ground, so hopefully we can put that in to practice in the next couple of games.”
The 3-2 win, Wakefield’s fifth win in succession, capped an excellent week for the club, who have just been granted Level 3 Charter Standard Club status by the West Riding F.A. After an important step off the pitch, the win ensures Wakefield also progress on the pitch through to the third round of the cup, where they will meet Wombwell Main F.C. at home on Saturday 2nd November 2019. Attention now turns to Saturday 26th November 2019, which will see Chris Turner’s men looking to extend their unbeaten run to eight games on their return to league action, at home against Penistone Church Reserves at the Dorothy Hyman Stadium, kick-off at 15:00.
Austin Ainsworth
Half Time: 0-0
Full Time: 1-1
1st Period of Extra Time: 1-2
2nd Period of Extra Time: 3-2
Goals
56m, Thomas Eclapier
66m, South Kirkby
105m, South Kirkby
117m, Yemi Ayodele
120m, Jamie Hardwick
Starting XI:
Ryan Eades, Jean Merour, Yemi Ayodele, Marvin Emmanuel, Michael Ash, Jamie Hardwick, Manny Katundu (captain), Mohammed Hamid, Deji Alabi, Thomas Eclapier, Michael Owusu
Subs Used:
68m, Nathan Weekes for Thomas Eclapier
75m, Cedric Kouakou for Michael Owusu
105, Chris Sholu for Michael Ash
Bookings:
Jamie Hardwick
Stats:
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 7
Shots off Target: 6
Second Half
Shots on Target: 6
Shots off Target: 6
First Half Extra Time
Shots on Target: 0
Shots off Target: 0
Second Half of Extra Time
Shots on Target: 3
Shots off Target: 1
South Kirkby
First Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 1
Second Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shots off Target: 6
First Half Extra Time
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 1
Second Half of Extra Time
Shots on Target: 0
Shots off Target: 2