Saturday 16th March 2024 | Austin Ainsworth
With three league wins in a row and an aggregate score of 12-1, Wakefield AFC – having extended their unbeaten run to 10 games – entered in to a big week at the top of the NCEL Division One table high on confidence this past week.
Faced with the long trip in midweek to mid-table Retford FC, before Saturday’s second-against-third clash away at promotion chasing rivals Shirebrook Town, Wakefield had a real chance to make a statement in their push for the title, particularly as the other two sides in the top four – Beverley Town and Parkgate – were also facing each other in the weekend’s other big game.
Things didn’t go as planned for Wakefield however, as that burgeoning confidence and momentum was first sapped with a disappointing draw at Retford, before things went from bad to worse with a loss at Shirebrook on Saturday.
After the highs of the previous week’s 6-0 thrashing of Swallownest, the warning signs of a dip in form were there in a drab first half away at Retford, in which Wakefield barely threatened the home side’s goal. In what is becoming a trend of slow first halves for Wakefield, the home side were gifted the advantage in the 41st minute when the otherwise excellent Ryan Musselwhite in Wakefield’s goal was caught out trying to play out from the back; a slow, bobbling pitch compounding the consequence of his under-hit pass, which fell to Retford’s Ainsley Finney who did well to punish Wakefield with a deft, first-time lob in to the net.
As is becoming customary for Wakefield manager Gabe Mozzini, he made a double substitution at half-time in the hopes of injecting some life in to Wakefield. Cameron Barnett was one of the players to enter the fray, and his impact was immediate as he first finished a quick-fire move with a venomous shot that went narrowly over the bar. Then, moments later, his good work on the ball drew a foul in the box for Wakefield to win a penalty.
Slater Barnes, looking for his 10th goal in as many games, stepped up to take the spot kick and duly dispatched it, although not without an element of doubt as the ball just wormed its way under the grasp of the Retford goalkeeper, who dived the right way.
Wakefield, much improved in the second half, were unable to complete the turnaround despite a number of good chances; their best late on when captain Jack Durkin tried his luck from distance with a vicious shot that was saved in to the path of striker Lewis Stephens. However, his close-range shot was well-saved by the busy Retford goalkeeper.
That meant Wakefield left Retford with a solitary point and, notwithstanding their better second half performance, feelings of disappointment at more lost ground in the league.
That result meant Wakefield went in to Saturday’s game away to Shirebrook level on points with the Derbyshire side, and one behind league-leaders Beverley. As all three of their top-four rivals have games in hand, the onus was on Wakefield to get back to winning ways. However, it was Shirebrook who looked the side with more intent on a difficult day for Wakefield.
Mozzini did make changes ahead of the fixture, understandably rewarding Barnett’s recent performances with a rare start after 21 substitute appearances this season. Jack Cairney also came in to defence to make his first league start in more than a month. On the face of it that appeared to suggest Wakefield would utilise the 3-5-2 formation that brought success in the recent win over Swallownest, however Wakefield more closely resembled their usual 4-3-3 formation, with T’nique Fishley an unorthodox choice at right-back behind top-scorer Mason Rubie on the wing.
Aside from a half-chance for Barnes early on in the game – a difficult volley that flew over the bar – Wakefield were under par, and saw their attacks constantly break down through uncharacteristically wayward passing and an at times heavy first touch.
In truth Shirebrook didn’t create much either in a game of few chances, however were clinical with the one good opportunity they did create just after the half-hour mark. It was a player Wakefield fans of a certain vintage may recall who came back to haunt them; Wakefield’s old foe from the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Carlton Carty adding to his goals against them in his time at Ecclesfield Red Rose with a good finish to put his side ahead.
Wakefield were static as the ball was initially played out to the left before their winger was easily played in behind the back four. His cut-back travelled across the area for Carty, who had evaded his marker, to cap his well timed run with a deadly finish to the corner of the net.
Unlike in recent fixtures, there was no significant response from Wakefield who, not for lack of trying, saw plenty of the ball but were unable to threaten the Shirebrook goal with any regularity. Stephens could have had a penalty before half-time when he was he bundled over just as he was jumping to meet a cross at the back post.
The referee waved that penalty away but wasn’t so forgiving at the start of the second half when Jordan Helliwell was penalised for apparent contact with the dangling leg of a Shirebrook attacker in the Wakefield box. For Wakefield not to receive their own penalty in the first half and then fall victim to that decision early in the second half was harsh, but Musselwhite was up to the challenge as he expertly saved the resultant spot-kick.
Moments like that can often provide the impetus required for a come-back, but that didn’t transpire as Shirebrook went on to double their lead as the game reached the hour-mark. Shirebrook’s initial attack down the right stalled, before the ball was recycled back out to the wing for a cross from deep towards Wakefield’s back post. Durkin was goal-side of Shirebrook’s Bradley McGowan and had him tightly marked, but the latter’s quick feint at the last minute provided him just enough space to volley the ball home from close range.
Minutes later the hosts were reduced to 10 men after Nathan Watson saw red for a late, high challenge on Cameron Barnett; the advantage of a man extra no consolation as Barnett went off in pain soon after. Wakefield couldn’t make the extra man count, the closest they came to reducing the deficit another Barnes volley at the back post late on, this time on target but ably met by the Shirebrook goalkeeper.
That meant Wakefield suffered their first defeat in 11 games, a defeat that means Wakefield fall to third in the table as Shirebrook become the new league-leaders. Wakefield were always relying on other sides to drop points around them, but the defeat will almost certainly mean automatic promotion as the league champions is now out of reach. However, although a set-back, Wakefield are still well-placed for a play-off spot and will quickly get their chance to make amends for the draw at Retford FC, as their next match is the reverse fixture at Belle Vue this Tuesday, 19th March; kick-off 19:45PM.
Retford FC Match Stats
Half Time: 1-0
Full Time: 1-1
Attendance: 156
Wakefield AFC Starting XI:
Ryan Musselwhite – Mason Rubie, T’nique Fishley, Jack Durkin (C), Callum Charlton – Jordan Helliwell, Jaydan Sandhu – Slater Barnes, Sebastian Losa, Oliver Rodriguez – Lewis Stephens
Wakefield AFC Subs Used:
46m, Cameron Barnett for Jaydan Sandhu
46m, Aaron Pilkington for Mason Rubie
64m, Ben Gelder for Sebastian Losa
Possession:
Retford FC 17% – 83% Wakefield AFC
Passes Completed:
Retford FC 90 – 385 Wakefield AFC
Goals:
41m, Ainsley Finney
57m, Slater Barnes
Wakefield AFC Cards:
Jaydan Sandhu (Yellow)
Aaron Pilkington (Yellow)
Attempts
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 1
Second Half
Shots on Target: 4
Shot off Target: 3
Retford FC
First Half
Shots on Target: 5
Shots off Target: 2
Second Half
Shots on Target: 0
Shots off Target: 0
Shirebrook Town Match Stats
Half Time: 1-0
Full Time: 2-0
Attendance: 238
Wakefield AFC Starting XI:
Ryan Musselwhite – T’nique Fishley, Jack Durkin (C), Jack Cairney, Callum Charlton – Jordan Helliwell, Jaydan Sandhu – Mason Rubie, Cameron Barnett, Slater Barnes – Lewis Stephens
Wakefield AFC Subs Used:
46m, Sebastian Losa for Lewis Stephens
46m, Oliver Rodriguez for Mason Rubie
67m, Ben Gelder for Cameron Barnett
76m, Aaron Pilkington for T’nique Fishley
Possession:
Shirebrook Town 32% – 68% Wakefield AFC
Passes Completed:
Shirebrook Town 95 – 207 Wakefield AFC
Goals:
31m, Carlton Carty
58m, Bradley McGowan
Wakefield AFC Cards:
T’nique Fishley (Yellow)
Cameron Barnett (Yellow)
Attempts
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 0
Shots off Target: 1
Second Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shot off Target: 3
Shirebrook Town
First Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 2
Second Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shots off Target: 2