Saturday 24th February 2024 | Austin Ainsworth
Wakefield AFC finally returned to the comfort of home on Saturday, with Worsbrough Bridge Athletic the visitors to Belle Vue in Wakefield’s first home game since their 3-3 draw to Beverley at the beginning of February.
Two further draws followed away from home, before The Falcons returned to winning ways last weekend with a controlled, comfortable 3-0 win away to Athersley Recreation. Although the odds weighed heavily in favour of top-of-the-league Wakefield making it two wins from two against 16th place Worsbrough Bridge, the Barnsley side came in to the game unbeaten in 2024 and on a personal-best run of three victories in a row. With that in mind, and a recent history of Worsbrough making things more than difficult for Wakefield, things were set to be more challenging for Wakefield than the two sides’ respective league positions would suggest.
And so it proved, as Worsbrough capitalised on a strong start to take the lead after just 13 minutes through Nathan Moss. He was gifted the chance after Wakefield were too ambitious in passing the ball out from the back amidst Worsbrough’s vigorous pressing; the high turnover leading to a pass in behind Wakefield’s defence for Moss to finish well, low past Ryan Musselwhite in the Wakefield goal.
Wakefield’s response was somewhat muted, their usual control of the ball and territory not in doubt, but chances coming few and far between. The closest they came was through striker Ben Gelder, who missed out on his ninth goal of the season when he screwed his shot just wide of the post, after the opening presented itself to him inside the box. Jaydan Sandhu also struck an exquisite half-volley from the edge of the box that swerved and dipped menacingly, but glanced just wide of the crossbar.
It was Worsbrough who actually came closest to another goal, with one shot from inside the box that was a whisker away from goal and then going even closer when a free header inside the box rattled the crossbar.
With greater impetus required, Wakefield manager Gabe Mozzini made changes at half-time with Oliver Rodriguez entering the action, whilst Sebastian Losa – making his first start since his return from injury – moved further forward to allow for the introduction of Cameron Barnett.
The changes worked, with Rodriguez a threat throughout the half and Barnett bringing things level in the 67th minute with a deserved, if not scrappy goal. He rose highest in the box to meet Sandhu’s pin-point corner-kick, with the ball eventually worming its way through a forest of players’ legs to give the substitute his seventh goal of the season.
If Wakefield and the increasingly anxious home crowd of 523 spectators were made to wait for the equaliser, they had to wait even longer for a winner, with the game still 1-1 as the final five minutes ensued. And, just as though it appeared another draw may have been on the cards for Wakefield, up stepped captain Jack Durkin to meet Sandhu’s free-kick with a towering header in the box; a goal that was an impressive fifth strike for the defender this year and one that also marked a staggering 22 assists for Sandhu this season.
Wakefield weren’t finished there, as the points were secured moments later when Losa scored for the second game in succession, bundling the ball in on the line after Rodriguez’s initial header from new signing Josh Lindley’s cross bounced down off the crossbar.
The hard earned three points ensured Wakefield ended the day still atop the league, one point clear of Beverley Town. They will now turn their attention momentarily away from the NCEL, when they return to West Riding County Cup action on Tuesday evening in the quarter-finals away to Tadcaster Albion; kick-off 19:45PM, 27/02/2024.
Match Stats
Half Time: 0-1
Full Time: 1-3
Attendance: 523
Wakefield AFC Starting XI:
Ryan Musselwhite – Aaron Pilkington, T’nique Fishley, Jack Durkin (C), Callum Charlton – Joshua Lindley, Jaydan Sandhu – Mason Rubie, Sebastian Losa, Slater Barnes – Ben Gelder
Wakefield AFC Subs Used:
46m, Cameron Barnett for Ben Gelder
46m, Oliver Rodriguez for Aaron Pilkington
90m, Ben Holmes for Slater Barnes
Possession:
Wakefield AFC 75% – 25% Worsbrough Bridge Athletic
Passes Completed:
Wakefield AFC 246 – 70 Worsbrough Bridge Athletic
Goals:
13m, Nathan Moss
67m, Cameron Barnett
84m, Jack Durkin
87m, Sebastian Losa
Wakefield AFC Assists:
67m, Jaydan Sandhu
84m, Jaydan Sandhu
87m, Oliver Rodriguez
Attempts
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 6
Second Half
Shots on Target: 4
Shot off Target: 6
Worsbrough Bridge Athletic
First Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 5
Second Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shots off Target: 3