Saturday 3rd December 2022 | Austin Ainsworth
Wakefield AFC returned to action in the NCEL Division One, looking for a return to winning ways after successive away losses in both the league and cup. They were on the road again, although this time their journey was a short one as they travelled to face Glasshoughton Welfare, with local derby bragging rights at stake.
Glasshoughton – bottom of the league with only three league wins so far – were looking for just their fourth point since September, with three league draws and a cup win the best they have achieved since their last league victory in September.
Wakefield, ninth at the start of play, were looking to kick-off a run of winnable looking fixtures positively, having failed to find any consistency in a campaign blighted by injury; one in which they have still won more than they have lost, but never gone on a run of more than two victories in a row.
Manager Gabe Mozzini had the luxury of a host of returning players to choose from, as he stuck with the now familiar 3-4-1-2 formation. Goalkeeper Cooper Skerry became the fifth person to feature for Wakefield in goal, as the young prospect made his debut for the club. Defender Robbie Miller, with two previous substitute appearances, made his first league start in front of him; featuring in the middle of a back three that was Wakefield’s eighth different combination of centre-backs used this season. Top-scorer Billy Mole also made his return from suspension to partner Lewis Stephens in a strong-looking line-up.
The latter two mentioned players would have been licking their lips at an opportunity to grab some goals, Stephens well-acquainted with the nets at Glasshoughton having been their top-scorer last season. However, exactly as in the reverse fixture in the season’s opening game, Welfare had other ideas when they struck in the fourth minute to take the lead.
Wakefield had made a quick start – nearly scoring from captain Danny Youel’s header in the second minute – and had exerted sustained pressure on the home defence, but they stood off when a quick counter saw the Wakefield back three exposed. With Glasshoughton’s attackers in between the lines of Wakefield’s midfield and defence, their wide attacker initially found time to run and fizz a shot across the face of goal. Skerry made a good save but it fell to the run of the untracked George Munashe Mwale, who fired in at the near post as Skerry was still scrambling to get up from his initial save.
That early goal played right in to the dogged home side’s hands, as a game of football very rarely threatened to break out in a tempestuous and disjointed first 45 minutes, broken up by constant fouls from the home side and a myriad of stoppages. Wakefield were unable to find any sort of rhythm, struggling on a bobbly pitch and surrendering possession too often.
Aside from Tom Booth striking the crossbar with a cross that nearly whistled its way past the keeper, it was the home side who had the best chances to extend their lead. Skerry made an excellent, reaction save to stop a deflected shot in the 23rd minute, while Glasshoughton were denied a second goal by the offside flag shortly before half-time. In truth it appeared harsh on them, with the striker making what appeared a well timed run through the middle of the Wakefield defence to latch on to a probing through-ball. He then dinked the ball over Skerry, before his celebrations were cut short by the raised flag.
Wakefield had shown glimpses of their threat in the first half, through Mole dropping deep to receive the ball and turn, and Kieran Ceesay with his penetrating drives from midfield in to attack. It was the latter – making his second start for Wakefield, following his recent move from Horbury Town – that got Wakefield back on a level-footing just five minutes after the re-start when he completed a fine team move in which all but two outfield players touched the ball.
In typical Wakey fashion the attack was initiated from deep, with the defenders keeping possession as Mole dropped deep to recycle the ball across the backline. Youel then drilled a pass up to Stephens, whose smart lay-off found the advancing Mole now within striking-range. He instead fed Ceesay, whose twinkle-toes run saw him drive in to the box, weaving in and out of three defenders with mesmerising close control, before he showed composure to slot the ball in to the far corner.
Wakefield, although more dominant in the second half, were still disrupted by the tenacious nature of Glasshoughton’s performance and more lengthy stoppages; one of those being an unfortunate injury to the Welfare Goalkeeper that forced their no. 10, Nathan Perks, to swap creating and scoring goals for saving them, as he donned the gloves in an unexpected change of position.
The most obvious tactic from a Wakefield perspective would have been to shoot on sight but, as had been the nature of the game, chances were few and far between until Mason Rubie finally forced the stand-in ‘keeper in to a good save in the 75th minute. Rubie, having switched to the left side, had started to find some joy down that side and was unfortunate not to add to his two goals for the season when he fired a shot towards the near post, after his overlapping run had been found by striker Stephens.
Wakefield continued to threaten down the left side as the pressure built in to a nail-biting last 10 minutes. This time it was substitute Morgan Butcher who bust a gut to get around the outside of Stephens on the overlap. Butcher raced toward the dead-ball line and cut the ball back across the box to deliver a teasing cross. Unsurprisingly Mole, Wakefield’s man for the big occasion, was perfectly placed to cap off an all-round excellent performance with a tap-in for his 13th goal of the season.
Wakefield expertly kept the ball and saw out the remaining eight minutes, plus a hefty chunk of stoppage time, in style to grab the three points. Back up to eighth in the league, having won three of their last five in the NCEL, Wakefield now head in to three home fixtures against sides below them in the league. Just two points off the play-off spots, and with a game in hand, Wakefield will now hope to move in to the New Year with a push for the promotion spots in their sights.
The first of the upcoming home fixtures is Tuesday 6th December, when Parkgate visit the Millennium Stadium: kick-off 19:45PM.
Match Stats
Half Time: 1-0
Full Time: 1-2
Attendance: 139
MOTM: Kieran Ceesay
Wakefield Starting XI:
Cooper Skerry – Tom Booth, Robbie Miller, Cory Woodward – Mason Rubie, Danny Youel (C), Jaydan Sandhu, Aaron Pilkington – Kieran Ceesay – Lewis Stephens, Billy Mole
Subs Used:
46m, George Bason for Cooper Skerry
61m, Morgan Butcher for Jaydan Sandhu
85m, Kaydan Henry for Robbie Miller
90m, Harley Blankley for Lewis Stephens
Goals:
4m, George Munashe Mwale (Glasshoughton Welfare)
50m, Kieran Ceesay
82m, Billy Mole
Wakefield Assists
50m, Billy Mole
82m, Morgan Butcher
Wakefield Cards:
Billy Mole (Yellow)
Morgan Butcher (Yellow)
Attempts:
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 3
Shots off Target: 6
Second Half
Shots on Target: 3
Shot off Target: 2
Glasshoughton Welfare
First Half
Shots on Target: 4
Shots off Target: 2
Second Half
Shots on Target: 0
Shots off Target: 0