Saturday 21st August 2026 | Austin Ainsworth
Wakefield AFC returned to NCEL Division One action on Friday, with a nighttime face-off against the returning ex-Wakey manager Steve Bodle’s Selby town.
Just one point separated the two sides in the league, though Wakefield went into the game in eighth in the league as opposed to Selby’s third position; that statistic evidence of how tight things are in the early NCEL running, and of the quality of the Selby side that visited The Hunters Stadium.
After a win last time out for Wakefield – one in which they ditched their 3-4-3 formation midway through the game against a stubborn Kinsley Boys side – Wakey manager Jason Blunt stuck with the 4-2-3-1 system that they moved to on their way to that 1-0 win. The only changes to the starting line-up saw Sam Drake come back into the side in place of Craig Nellthorpe, and Shay Evans-Booth dropping to the bench for Ify Ofoegbu to start on the left wing.
Wakefield fans will likely recall the now Selby manager Bodle’s fondness for a physical, compact and well drilled side; and his much improved Selby side threw up no surprises in that respect. That perhaps led to a cagey, at times dull, game of few chances.
Wakefield had the better of the little goalmouth action on display for the 262 fans in attendance, as they also bossed possession for the majority of a game that saw their midfield of Callum Nicell and Sam Drake put in their best performance of the season, the former looking back to his best form of last season prior to the injury that derailed him at the end of the campaign.
In front of them Kenzie Dillon occupied the number 10 position and he nearly gave his side the lead in the 13th minute when a driving run down the left saw him drift inside and curl a shot to the far post that rattled the woodwork; that coming moments after he had popped up on the other wing to cut the ball back for Ofoegbu, whose shot was saved by the Selby ‘keeper.
Though Wakefield looked the more dangerous of the two sides and more solid in their structure in comparison to their early season games, it was Selby who took the lead in the 27th minute. In the grand scheme of the first half the goal was arguably against the run of play, though did come during a period of increased Selby pressure that saw Wakefield’s defence tested by a series of throw-ins, crosses and corners.
The goal came after a corner was cleared out to the left side, upon which a dangerous cross was swung back in. On first sight it appeared as though the ball went in off a glancing header from Wakefield defender Mo Conteh, though Selby celebrated it as their own and the goal was credited to Selby’s Harry Clapham.
Wakefield responded well and towards the closing stages of the first half Ofoegbu was at the centre of things with several good chances to score, before a weaving run saw him excellently beat two mean from the right with skill and then strength as a challenging player bounced straight off him. As Wakefield’s number nine entered the box, another player then swiped at his legs just as he crossed, leading to the award of a penalty.
With the chance to bring the game level before half-time, Curtis Morrison – Wakefield’s fifth different penalty taker already this season – stepped up after a series of missed efforts from his teammates in previous weeks. However, the penalty curse for Wakefield continued, as he added to the list of players to miss in recent matches with an effort that went flying over the bar.
Despite that setback, Wakefield pressed on in the second half and soon equalised when a period of pressure saw the award of a corner kick. Nicell whipped an in-swinger in from the left with ultimate precision to the back post, where Ofoegbu showed strength to free himself of his marker and head home his second goal of the season.
The game remained absent of real clear-cut chances despite Wakefield’s best efforts, Dillon having the best opportunity to give Wakefield the lead when he played a brilliant pass out to Morrison – who beat his man on the left – before Dillon met the return cross with perfect timing into the box only to see his well-struck, first time effort go straight at the goalkeeper.
Evans-Booth came on in place of Ofoegbu in the 73rd minute and was immediately in on the action with a shot from the angle that went just wide of the far post, before Wakefield’s biggest chance of the game fell to him when he didn’t connect with a header at the back post but the ball subsequently dropped to his feet two yards out from goal; his toe-poked effort somehow going wide of goal.
Towards the end of the game Selby, bereft of any real goal threat thanks to Wakefield’s control of the game, nearly inflicted a sucker-punch on Wakefield when a dangerous deflection from an initial attempt on goal saw the ball fall to their man a few yards from goal, who’s first time shot was somehow saved by the lightning-quick reactions of Wakefield goalkeeper Drew Bremer.
That meant the two sides settled for a share of the spoils – the least Wakefield deserved from the game – with the result leaving both sides’ league positions unchanged. Though the result means Wakefield’s less than perfect start to the season continues, with The Falcons yet to win back to back games this year, they remain just a few points off the top spots in the league.
With performances showing signs of improvement game-by-game and the team continuing to build chemistry, a glass half full perspective should be taken to their league position, which Wakefield will look to improve upon by putting a run of results together.
The opportunities to do so won’t get any easier however, with Wakefield’s next game coming on Wednesday night away to Route One Rovers, another tough team in what has been a very tricky run of opening fixtures; kick-off 19:45PM on Wednesday 26th August 2026.
Match Stats
Half Time: 0-1
Full Time: 1-1
Attendance: 262
Wakefield AFC Starting XI:
Drew Bremer – Zak Cottle, Josh Lockwood, Mo Conteh, Owen Thomas (C) – Sam Drake, Callum Nicell – Curtis Morrison, Kenzie Dillon, Ify Ofoegbu – James Eyles
Wakefield AFC Subs Used:
45m, Matthew Swift for Josh Lockwood
73m, Shay Evans-Booth for Ify Ofoegbu
83m, Craig Nellthorpe for James Eyles
Goals:
27m, Harry Clapham
59m, Ify Ofoegbu
Wakefield AFC Assists:
59m, Callum Nicell
Attempts
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shots off Target: 3
Second Half
Shots on Target: 3
Shot off Target: 2
Selby Town
First Half
Shots on Target: 1
Shots off Target: 1
Second Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shots off Target: 4