Saturday 14th March 2026 | Austin Ainsworth
It’s been nothing but positive momentum for Wakefield AFC in the NCEL Division one, with a run of 17 games unbeaten and nine successive wins seeing them head into the closing stages of the season sitting second in the league with what was almost becoming a comfortable gap to those below.
A real pivotal moment came this past week with two away games, the first a trip in midweek to close rivals Harrogate Railway – one of two sides, considering games in hand, with a realistic prospect of leapfrogging Wakefield.
That set up a huge tie with a simple premise – a win for Wakefield would see them move nine points clear of Harrogate, leaving only Worsbrough as the remaining threat to their hold on second place; whilst a loss would certainly create some extra intrigue to the three-way battle for best of the rest this season behind Dearne & District.
Wakey manager Jason Blunt named an unchanged line-up from the one that dispatched Doncaster City in their last outing and that saw them start the game confidently. Wakey could, and maybe should, have had two goals in the opening 15 minutes, with Bolton Makwedza almost scoring from a looping cross that took a wicked bounce and forced the ‘keeper into a smart save to claw the ball away from the top corner. He also had another good opportunity from a Tom Hinton free-kick, but headed over from a few yards out.
A number of stoppages then disrupted the flow of the game, with Harrogate taking several opportunities to delay the game and, as a result, momentum shifted to make the match a more even affair. Wakefield were guilty of playing Harrogate’s game, instead of their own, and that saw the match descend into a frantic contest, marked by persistent fouls and turnovers in possession.
Neither side provided any real threat, though Harrogate did have a good chance shortly before the break in which Wakefield goalkeeper Drew Bremer made a fine, reaction save to keep the score level.
The second half had much the same feel to it, though Harrogate upped the tempo of their play and Wakefield became guilty of panicking, too often giving the ball straight back to the home side. That saw a period at the start of the second half where Wakefield were unable to get out of their own half.
Blunt was forced into changes as a result, moving Hinton back to his usual attacking midfield position to shore up the midfield with centre-back Mo Conteh, with Sam Pashley coming on to fill the slot in defence.
The move gave Wakefield some stability but ultimately led to the game petering out as a contest solely battled in midfield; Wakefield’s best chance of the half coming earlier on when Harrogate’s ‘keeper made an incredible save to claw out a curling Hinton free-kick.
Ultimately, it was a good point for Wakefield, who maintained their nine point cushion over Harrogate and remained second in the league. However, there was inevitably a tinge of disappointment as Wakefield’s winning run came to an end.
Wakefield had an immediate opportunity to return to winning ways at the weekend though, with a trip to face Leeds UFCA, themselves on a good run of form that has seen them dreaming of clinching the last play-off spot.
Blunt, even more depleted in midfield, made two changes to the side, with Pashley and Matthew Swift coming into the defence, as captain Chris Salt was rested and Conteh started the game in midfield. The line-up, as in recent weeks, again meant that Hinton and Akeel Francis were both operating deeper than what had previously been their usual roles.
That tactic, somewhat enforced by the absences of Billy Mole and Callum Nicell in midfield, had previously worked against teams Wakefield were expected to beat, where Wakefield hogged the ball and seemed to play for fun; but, against Harrogate Wakefield were at times overrun and for the first time in a long time the balance didn’t feel right. That again proved the case here.
It would be harsh to say Wakefield were anywhere near close to being overrun against Leeds UFCA, when in reality the match was a very even contest. Although the pitch was difficult, Wakefield still looked to move the ball quickly and both Hinton and Francis were at the heart of that, as was Conteh. However, the real problem that became evident with having Hinton in a midfield pivot and Francis in a free, midfield role, was that they were both too far away from the Leeds goal, in positions where they couldn’t hurt the home side – with Wakefield subsequently lacking any real goal threat.
And, for a Wakefield side that had seen their first goalless match in 13 against Harrogate, it was unthinkable that they would go two games without scoring, but that is indeed what happened in a match of few chances.
Wakefield, aside from a couple of half chances for striker Eliel Anku, never tested Leeds’ goalkeeper, with Bremer just as much of a spectator in his own goal. The only real interest in the match came from a series of wayward challenges from both sides, with the referee taking an erratic approach to officiating that saw much go unpunished, before several Wakefield players then received bookings.
That created a disjointed feel to the game, amplified by some smart use of time from the home side that worked to frustrate Wakefield. As a result the usual pace and flair was missing from the away side’s play.
As if another goalless draw wouldn’t have been disappointing enough, Wakefield’s week got worse when a 52nd minute goal for Leeds proved to be the only one of the game. There was no question as to Wakefield’s effort or application, and that had previously seen them defend the home side’s balls into the box astutely. However, on this occasion a ball was delivered from the right and went bouncing all the way across the six yard line, where Harry Brown bundled the ball home at the back post under a scrambling Bremer.
That goal, which Wakefield never came close to responding to, meant that another record fell for The Falcons, with the end of their unbeaten run coming so soon after the end of their winning streak at Harrogate.
The defeat is Wakefield’s first in 18, a run that means – even after a bad week like this – they are still in a good position in the league as they retain their spot in second. It also means defeat should be put into context, without over-reaction or panic. However, there is little more room for error, with Harrogate six points behind with two games in hand, and Worsbrough eight points behind with four games in hand.
Wakefield will argue points on the board is better than games in hand but, with second spot so crucial in securing home fixtures in the play-offs, they will be determined to get back to winning ways. They will certainly need to bounce back immediately, with two games next week seeing them welcome Appleby Frodingham to The Hunters Stadium on Saturday 21st March (kick-off 15:00PM), before what now feels like a must-win home tie against Worsbrough Bridge on Tuesday 24th March; kick-off 19:45PM.
Leeds UFCA Match Stats
Half Time: 0-0
Full Time: 1-0
Attendance: 140
Wakefield AFC Starting XI:
Drew Bremer – Bolton Makwedza, Matthew Swift, Samuel Pashley, Owen Thomas – Tom Hinton, Mo Conteh – Basile Zottos, Akeel Francis (C), Ethan Kachosa – Eliel Anku
Wakefield AFC Subs Used:
46m, Chris Salt for Bolton Makwedza
63m, Silas Valladolid-Collins for Tom Hinton
83m, Jordao Costa for Ethan Kachosa
Possession:
Leeds UFCA 45% – 55% Wakefield AFC
Passes Completed:
Leeds UFCA 182 – 238 Wakefield AFC
Goals:
52m, Harry Brown
Wakefield AFC Cards:
Tom Hinton (Yellow)
Mo Conteh (Yellow)
Attempts
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shots off Target: 1
Second Half
Shots on Target: 0
Shot off Target: 2
Leeds UFCA
First Half
Shots on Target: 0
Shots off Target: 0
Second Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 1
Harrogate Railway Athletic Match Stats
Half Time: 0-0
Full Time: 0-0
Attendance: 185
Wakefield AFC Starting XI:
Drew Bremer – Bolton Makwedza, Chris Salt (C), Mo Conteh, Owen Thomas – Tom Hinton, Jay Davies – Basile Zottos, Akeel Francis, Ethan Kachosa – Eliel Anku
Wakefield AFC Subs Used:
60m, Samuel Pashley for Basile Zottos
73m, Jerome Greaves for Eliel Anku
Possession:
Harrogate Railway Athletic 48% – 52% Wakefield AFC
Passes Completed:
Harrogate Railway Athletic 117 – 126 Wakefield AFC
Wakefield AFC Cards:
Tom Hinton (Yellow)
Attempts
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 3
Shots off Target: 3
Second Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shot off Target: 1
Harrogate Railway Athletic
First Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 0
Second Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 2