On Saturday afternoon, Wakefield AFC’s EFP battled to a 2-2 draw away to Millmoor Juniors thanks to two expertly dispatched goals from striker Mason Smith either side of half time.
Despite being under threat at times from Millmoor, Wakefield managed to dominate and control the tempo of the game but were unable to convert the chances they had into goals.
For the first 15 minutes, it was a very open game with both sides looking to establish themselves in the game. Wakefield set out with an attacking, progressive game. Head Coach Lee Crooks encouraged full backs Monaye Mitchell (who captained the side from left-back) and Jean Claude Ngoyi and this resulted in Wakefield enjoying the larger share of the possession throughout the opening stages of the game. This early dominance led to chances and a goal inside the opening 25 minutes.
Striker Mason Smith put Wakefield 1-0 up with a sublime strike from around 25 yards out and beat the Millmoor goalkeeper at the bottom corner. Wakefield continued to control the game with the defence and goalkeeper Hemir Lopez looking very composed in possession until Millmoor found an equaliser just before half time after an in-swinging corner was headed in from close range to make it 1-1 at half time. At the half time break, Lee Crooks decided to change his tactics and urged his side to play more direct to try and gain an advantage over Millmoor.
This was seen to be working as more chances came Wakefield’s way through the half, but it also opened them up more to Millmoor’s attack. Both teams had good chances from set-piece situations, but the home team managed to convert their best chance of the half after a goalmouth scramble from a corner kick led to the Millmoor striker blasting the ball into the roof of the net past the helpless Lopez to make the score 2-1 after 55 minutes.
After the goal, Wakefield started to tire and winger Brandon Gibson was subbed off after 56 minutes with a suspected back injury. Midfielder Kane Craddock also picked up an injury, which seemed to be a hamstring strain.
Wakefield soon equalised after a brilliant attacking sequence of play which started on the edge of their own 18-yard box with a mesmerising run from centre-back Kondwani Kabwe who then played a clever through-ball to Monaye who, in turn, put across a fizzing cross which was poked in by Smith from about 5 yards out to take the score to 2-2 with 25 minutes remaining.
Despite no goals in the last quarter of the match, there was no cease in the pace of the game as both teams went end-to-end and shared a large amount of chances. The best chance for Wakefield coming after shot by forward Owen Kirman from the edge of the box was tipped past the post brilliantly by the Millmoor goalkeeper just before full time.
The final score of a promising and entertaining performance by the young Wakefield side read 2-2 and the team left Millmoor with a lot to be proud about for the upcoming games.
After the game, head coach Lee Crooks was impressed by his team’s performance: “I thought the boys did really well and I thought that they were superb on the ball for the first half and kept it well. They work for each other and try hard for each other and that’s all you can ask for really.”
“Second half; we were under the cosh really. Obviously we lost Brandon but Johnnie came on and did a great job but we did find it tough in the second half fitness-wise but that will improve as we go on, But today, I was really proud of their performance today, they really stuck with it and by each other and it was a great start to the season”
GK: Hemir Lopez
RB: Jean-Claude Ngoyi
CB: David Rushton
CB: Kondwani Kabwe
LB: Monaye Mitchell
CDM: Anatasis Papnastasious
CM: Kane Craddock
CM: Jack Sparkes
RW: Brandon Gibson
LW: Owen Kirman
ST: Mason Smith
Sub:
Johnnie Nunns
Match Reporter: Callum Mattocks