Saturday 10th December 2022 | Austin Ainsworth
Wakefield AFC’s busy run of festive fixtures in the NCEL Division One continued last week with home games against Parkgate in midweek, and then Shirebrook Town on Saturday.
Having battled to victory away to Glasshoughton last Saturday, Wakefield had been looking forward to a run of three home games against sides below them in the league, with hopes of finally putting a string of victories together.
Perhaps showing an intent to go for the jugular against a side second-from-bottom, manager Gabe Mozzini moved back to an attacking 4-3-3 formation when Parkgate visited last Tuesday evening.
It worked, as Lewis Stephens led the line superbly, bagging two goals in the first half, both of which were taken with equal measures of finesse and ruthlessness. Billy Mole added a signature “Panenka” penalty early in the second half, but despite that three goal lead the victory wasn’t secured as Wakefield rescinded their grip on the game. Parkgate, allowed more time and space to push on in the second half, pulled one back through Ross Duggan in the 67th minute. Then, after a series of controversial moments in which defender Aaron Pilkington was left bloodied from flailing elbows that went upunished, he somehow saw red himself when his nemesis dramatically fell to the ground when the two squared-up to each other. The resultant free-kick was smashed in to the bottom corner to set up a tense final 10 minutes in which the 10 men of Wakefield just held on.
Acknowledging Wakefield’s superb, free-flowing first half against Parkgate, Mozzini stuck with the same line-up and formation when Shirebrook visited for what was no doubt the most exciting game of football to feature on Saturday.
Looking to clinch three successive victories for the first time this season, Wakey were also hoping for a little more inner-game consistency after Tuesday’s game of two halves. That didn’t happen, as Wakey again kept fans on the edge of their seats in a see-saw second half, having led 2-0 at half-time.
Wakefield initially looked likely to run away with proceedings, with the continued return to a 4-3-3 seeing captain Danny Youel dictating proceedings from a quarterback position, Billy Mole allowed greater freedom to drift between midfield and attack, and new-signing Kieran Ceesay appearing more at home high and wide on the right of attack.
The latter was certainly more productive from that area, following up his assist in midweek by creating three of Wakefield’s four goals in this fixture. The first benefactor was Mole in just the fifth minute. He profited from great play from defender Robbie Miller, whose visionary diagonal pass out from the back found the run of Ceesay in from the right wing. Ceesay then unselfishly passed for Mole to tap-in after ghosting in to space in the box. Despite many of Wakefield’s no. 10’s appearances coming from midfield, that is now 15 goals in 17 games this season for Mole, who has also scored at least once in each of his last six matches.
Shirebrook didn’t lie down, and did apply some pressure on Wakefield from distance and from set-pieces. Wakefield doubled their lead in the 26th minute though when they countered rapidly from a Shirebrook attack. On this occasion man-of-the-match Youel was the man to spot Ceesay in space out on the right. Youel played him in with a perfectly weighted, incisive pass. Ceesay showed great strength to beat his marker before rounding the Shirebrook ‘keeper and, with the angle narrowing, he cut the ball back for a routine Lewis Stephens finish. With three goals in a week, Stephens can be satisfied with four goals from his first five games for the club.
Wakefield took that 2-0 lead in at half-time and no doubt would have been reminded of the need to maintain the intensity in the second half after Tuesday night’s issues. The 186 fans in attendance were left shell-shocked though, when Shirebrook turned the game on its head with two goals in the first three minutes of the second half.
Wakefield had been caught sleeping on both occasions, Kenan McKenzie-Grey first capitalising on a lack of Wakefield pressure to finish at the near post after his colleague had run straight through a disorganised looking Wakefield defence. Things went from bad to worse straight from the re-start when the Shirebrook winger was given the freedom of the park to attack down the right before delivering a teasing cross towards the near post. Joshua Parfitt had got ahead of his man and was able to control the ball down on the six yard line before smashing the ball past Lloyd Horridge in goal.
Wakefield, and the home crowd, were stunned, however they responded well and stemmed the second half fightback. In a game that was becoming increasingly disrupted by a referee too quick to blow his whistle, and too quick to draw a card, a moment of magic from midfielder Jaydan Sandhu put Wakefield back ahead just after the hour mark.
Youel spread the play nicely out to the right, having evaded his marker in midfield, for Aaron Pilkington to then slip Ceesay in to the right of the Shirebrook box. With his third assist of the day, Ceesay lofted a cross back to Sadhu on the edge of the box, who cushioned the ball with his chest before volleying with his right foot straight in to the top corner.
It was a goal of pure class from Sandhu – his sixth of the season – and Wakefield could, and should, have repeated Shirebrook’s trick by scoring straight from the kick-off when Mole thought he had his second of the day moments later. In a great bit of build up play that saw Pilkington thread a pass through the Shirebrook defence for Mole to control and finish, Wakefield’s top-scorer was somehow flagged for offside when two of the three Shirebrook defenders were clearly playing him on.
That decision was brought in to sharp focus when Shirebrook then won a penalty moments later, after Horridge was a split-second too late in collecting a long ball and tripped the Town attacker in the process. The penalty was finished with aplomb to see the away side level for the second time in the game.
Shirebrook had chances to even take the lead as the last 10 minutes approached, but it was Wakefield who somehow found a way to win the they took the lead for the third time in the closing stages. Agonisingly for Shirebrook it was an own-goal from one of their defenders, though that takes nothing away from the quality of Wakefield’s build-up. Wakefield had kept the ball nicely to play out from the back to right-back Pilkington further up the wing. He spotted Youel in an advanced position on the edge of Shirebrook’s box and drilled a wonderfully accurate pass to find the midfielder, who turned in to the box. Youel hit a cross low across the box towards Mole’s back post run, only for the intervening defender to deflect the ball high in to the Shirebrook net.
That goal, save for some nail biting moments deep in to stoppage time, was just enough to gift Wakefield the win – their third in succession. Having finally put a run of victories together, Wakefield now sit fifth in the league in a play-off spot. Shirebrook remain 17th.
Having featured in all three of the last week’s victories, defender Mason Rubie also deserves a mention, becoming Wakefield’s second player to reach 50 games. Almost ever-preset either at full-back or higher up on the wing, he boasts an impressive record of 25 goal involvements from his games, leading the way with 18 assists. He, and Wakefield, will hope there’s more to come in their next home game to Swallownest on Saturday 17th December: kick-off at the earlier time of 14:00PM.
Parkgate Match Stats
Half Time: 2-0
Full Time: 3-2
Attendance: 211
MOTM: Lewis Stephens
Wakefield Starting XI:
Lloyd Horridge – Aaron Pilkington, Tom Booth, Robbie Miller, Cory Woodward – Danny Youel (C), Billy Mole, Jaydan Sandhu – Kieran Ceesay, Lewis Stephens, Mason Rubie
Subs Used:
46m, Kaydan Henry for Robbie Miller
55m, Morgan Butcher for Danny Youel
74m, Owen Kirman for Kieran Ceesay
74m, Harley Blankley for Jaydan Sandhu
Goals:
3m, Lewis Stephens
27m, Lewis Stephens
54m, Billy Mole (Pen)
67m, Ross Duggan (Parkgate)
86m, Ross Duggan (Parkgate)
Wakefield Assists
3m, Kieran Ceesay
27m, Mason Rubie
Wakefield Cards:
Aaron Pilkington (Red)
Attempts:
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 5
Shots off Target: 6
Second Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shot off Target: 3
Parkgate
First Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 7
Second Half
Shots on Target: 3
Shots off Target: 7
Shirebrook Town Match Stats
Half Time: 2-0
Full Time: 4-3
Attendance: 186
MOTM: Danny Youel
Wakefield Starting XI:
Lloyd Horridge – Aaron Pilkington, Tom Booth, Robbie Miller, Cory Woodward – Danny Youel (C), Billy Mole, Jaydan Sandhu – Kieran Ceesay, Lewis Stephens, Mason Rubie
Subs Used:
46m, Kaydan Henry for Robbie Miller
90+3m, Owen Kirman for Lewis Stephens
Goals:
5m, Billy Mole
26m, Lewis Stephens
47m, Kenan McKenzie-Grey (Shirebrook Town)
48m, Joshua Parfitt (Shirebrook Town)
61m, Jaydan Sandhu
73m, Kiyani Clayton (Pen) (Shirebrook Town)
81m, Wakefield through OG
Wakefield Assists
5m, Kieran Ceesay
26m, Kieran Ceesay
61m, Kieran Ceesay
81m, Danny Youel
Wakefield Cards:
Mason Rubie (Yellow)
Tom Booth (Yellow)
Kaydan Henry (Yellow)
Kieran Ceesay (Yellow)
Attempts:
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 4
Shots off Target: 1
Second Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shot off Target: 1
Shirebrook Town
First Half
Shots on Target: 4
Shots off Target: 3
Second Half
Shots on Target: 4
Shots off Target: 3