Saturday 10th February 2024 | Austin Ainsworth
Wakefield AFC had a big week in the NCEL Division One last week, first welcoming fellow promotion chasers Beverley Town to The Be Well Support Stadium on Tuesday evening, before making the long trip to Brigg Town on Saturday.
After a run of three successive away victories – with 11 goals scored and none conceded – Wakefield’s confidence was high as Beverley, who sat two points below them going in to the game, shared Wakefield’s first experience of playing in front of the partially opened, new East Stand at Bellevue. And, despite Wakefield’s momentum carrying over in to a fast, dominant start against their rivals, that saw Slater Barnes give the home side an early lead with a deft chip over the goalkeeper, the points were also shared between the evenly-matched sides.
On a challenging night for Wakefield, their early lead gave way as Beverley grew in to the game and equalised through Alexander Knaggs in the 28th minute. With a hint of offside, the goal was fortuitous, if not a fair reflection of the control the visitors had started to exert on proceedings, as Knaggs stabbed the ball home from close range following a well-delivered corner kick that Wakefield failed to deal with.
The home side didn’t have a sniff of goal for the remainder of the half and things deteriorated further at the beginning of the second period, as Beverley pressed well to punish a moment of sloppiness in Wakefield’s build-up from the back; Benjamin Hinchliffe finishing expertly as he slid in to complete a quick counter-attack that cut right through the heart of Wakefield’s defence.
Just before the hour mark Beverley had a huge chance to place some daylight between themselves and Wakefield, but a comical mishit from the Beverley striker who had the goal at his mercy saved the home side. And, such as was the topsy-turvy nature of the second half, Wakefield went straight up the other end to make it 2-2. The goal came through Barnes – a revelation since moving to the club – who got his second on the night with a screamer from 25 yards out into the top corner.
With that goal now putting Wakefield back in the hunt for a precious three points, they left themselves with another mountain to climb only a few minutes later when they were again pegged back through Grant Tait’s tapped-in goal, after Wakefield ‘keeper George Bristol had been unable to hold a dipping, long-range shot.
As the game wore on, Wakefield showed great resilience and resolve in the face of Beverley’s attempts to frustrate and slow-time, but the game looked gone after several half chances left the home side still trailing deep in to injury time. That was until Barnes, for a hat-trick on his home debut, pounced to slot the ball home after Joel Spence’s long-range shot was spilled by the Beverley goalkeeper.
All in all the draw, of more use to Beverley who have three games in hand on Wakefield, was a fair reflection on the game. The result meant Wakefield went in to Saturday’s fixture away to mid-table Brigg still sitting atop the league. The big news in Gabe Mozzini’s team selection for that fixture was the return of Wakefield’s title-winning captain from two seasons ago, James Morris, finally fit enough after a long-term injury to make his first start since May 2022. In a slight change to Wakefield’s usual formation, winger Oliver Rodriguez also returned to the starting line-up as part of a fluid attacking trio of himself, Barnes and Mason Rubie behind Ben Gelder up-front.
Wakefield again took an early lead after a good start, with Gelder bagging his eighth goal of the season with a composed finish to the corner, after Morris capped his return with strong play in the box to deflect Jaydan Sandhu’s cross down in to the striker’s path.
Frustratingly for the strong contingent of away support, Wakefield again failed to build on their early lead and played out a disappointing first half in which Brigg were afforded too many chances on Bristol’s goal. As in midweek, the equaliser came close to the half-hour mark as Bristol could only deflect a low, long-range shot in to the path of Brigg’s Luke Mascall, who was on hand to make it 1-1.
And, with almost the last action of the first half, Wakefield’s half-time team-talk became all the more difficult when Brigg took the lead through Dean McCarthy’s rising header to meet a controversial corner-kick, questionably awarded after Aaron Pilkington’s good tackle appeared to have deflected back off the Brigg player.
Wakefield did show improvement in the second half and started to push closer towards Brigg’s goal, Rodriguez having one good chance to score when he finished a swift move with a first time shot that was well saved by the goalkeeper.
Inevitably the equaliser did come and, also inevitably, it was Barnes who was the hero again with his seventh goal in just five games. It was another fine solo effort for the winger who expertly controlled substitute Alexander King’s knock-down header, before showing quick feet to accelerate past two Brigg players midway through the opposition half. Barnes then unleashed a vicious, dipping shot that left the Brigg goalkeeper no chance, even despite being aimed toward the near post.
Unfortunately there was no time for Wakefield to find the goal that would have gifted them all three points and therefore, in a week where nothing has been lost for The Falcons, they now drop to second in the league, behind Beverley on goal difference.
It is the team below Wakefield that will be their focus however, with Parkgate – three points behind but with seven games in hand – Wakefield’s next opposition on Tuesday evening for what is likely to be Wakefield’s toughest test yet; kick-off 19:45PM, 13/02/24 at Parkgate’s Roundwood Pavilion ground.
Beverley Town Match Stats
Half Time: 1-1
Full Time: 3-3
Attendance: 315
Wakefield AFC Starting XI:
George Bristol – Aaron Pilkington, Jack Durkin, Jack Cairney, Callum Charlton – Joel Spence, Jaydan Sandhu (C), Jordan Helliwell – Mason Rubie, Ben Gelder, Slater Barnes
Wakefield AFC Subs Used:
46m, Cameron Barnett for Jordan Helliwell
46m, Oliver Rodriguez for Aaron Pilkington
77m, Alexander King for Ben Gelder
Possession:
Wakefield AFC 55% – 45% Beverley Town
Passes Completed:
Wakefield AFC 275 – 248 Beverley Town
Goals:
3m, Slater Barnes
28m, Alexander Knaggs
47m, Benjamin Hinchliffe
59m, Slater Barnes
62m, Grant Tait
90+4m, Slater Barnes
Wakefield AFC Assists:
3m, Mason Rubie
90+4m, Joel Spence
Wakefield AFC Cards:
Jordan Helliwell (Yellow)
Slater Barnes (Yellow)
Cameron Barnett (Yellow)
Attempts
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 2
Second Half
Shots on Target: 5
Shot off Target: 5
Beverley Town
First Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 2
Second Half
Shots on Target: 4
Shots off Target: 1
Brigg Town Match Stats
Half Time: 2-1
Full Time: 2-2
Attendance: 256
Wakefield AFC Starting XI:
George Bristol – Aaron Pilkington, Jack Durkin (C), James Morris, Callum Charlton – Jaydan Sandhu, Jordan Helliwell – Mason Rubie, Oliver Rodriguez, Slater Barnes – Ben Gelder
Wakefield AFC Subs Used:
36m, Alexander King for Mason Rubie
46m, Joel Spence for Aaron Pilkington
75m, Cameron Barnett for Ben Gelder
Possession:
Brigg Town 31% – 69% Wakefield AFC
Passes Completed:
Brigg Town 132 – 298 Wakefield AFC
Goals:
10m, Ben Gelder
36m, Luke Mascall
44m, Dean McCarthy
72m, Slater Barnes
Wakefield AFC Assists:
10m, James Morris
72m, Alexander King
Wakefield AFC Cards:
Oliver Rodriguez (Yellow)
Jaydan Sandhu (Yellow)
Attempts
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shots off Target: 0
Second Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shot off Target: 4
Brigg Town
First Half
Shots on Target: 6
Shots off Target: 4
Second Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 1