Saturday 29th August 2026 | Austin Ainsworth
After a draw last time out at home to a strong Selby Town side, Wakefield AFC headed into another week of NCEL Division One action in which two games gave them the opportunity to finally string a run of results together.
First up was a trip to Route One Rovers on Wednesday night, a well-respected footballing side with the league’s most potent attacking weapon in Zak Khan; already on eight goals in six league games prior to kick-off, after an eye-watering 68 goals in all competitions last season made him the highest scorer in all of non-league football nation-wide.
The two sides started the match separated by just one point, with The Falcons in 10th and Route One in 12th. Wakey manager Jason Blunt made one change to the side that drew 1-1 with Selby, as Matthew Swift came back into the starting line-up to partner Mo Conteh in Wakefield’s back four.
Wakefield made a confident start to the game and stroked the ball around Route One’s artificial pitch with ease. Their first chance came after just seven minutes when a spectacular pass out from Swift played Wakefield’s no. 10 Kenzie Dillon in-behind the Route One defence, however his attempted lob on the bounce narrowly missed the goal.
As in the two games last season, Wakefield looked to press Route One high up the pitch to force them into mistakes when playing out from the back, with Blunt his usual energetic self on the sidelines as he willed his side forward.
Wakefield appeared to be comfortable and in control until one quick move from the home side in the 20th minute saw danger-man Khan receive the ball on the edge of the box. His quick feet had midfielder Sam Drake backtracking before Khan turned quickly and lost his feet. To all the ground it appeared he had slipped, however the referee disagreed and blew for a penalty.
Predictably Khan stepped up and, though Wakefield ‘keeper Drew Bremer dove the right way, the strike was too good and Route One took the lead.
From then on Route One came to life, with confidence surging through the side. Wakefield were hanging on, as time and time again quick, incisive football from the home side saw them break the lines and get in behind Wakefield’s defence.
The score somehow remained unchanged as first Mo Conteh raced back brilliantly to clear an attempt off the line after Bremer had been rounded by the attacker, before Bremer himself made two excellent saves from point-blank range.
Route One were equally as good defensively as they were offensively, Curtis Morrison enduring an unusually frustrating game on the right wing as the home side’s full-back proved more than a match for him. That’s perhaps why he switched wings close to half-time, a tactic that proved timely for Wakefield when he drove in from the left and struck a low shot towards the far post.
In almost comical fashion Morrison’s effort was blocked by the defender close to goal, and bounced off striker James Eyles straight into goal. Though he knew almost nothing about it, the goal levelled the score and moved Eyles to four for the season.
Going in level at the break was a real coup for Wakefield given Route One had been in the ascendancy, and with the extra confidence Wakefield again started brightly in the second half. However, another poor decision from the officials saw a blatant handball on the wing not given right before Route One re-took the lead. Aside from the fact the play should have stopped for the infringement, it was a good move from Rovers as they worked the ball inside before – that man again – Khan got on the ball just inside the box. He expertly created himself room to shoot and arrowed a low shot back across goal beyond the reach of Bremer.
There looked to be no sign of a response from Wakefield until the final 10 minutes, when Blunt introduced Josh Lockwood and Craig Nelthorpe as he reshuffled his side into a 3-5-2 formation; Shay Evans-Booth having already come on up-front earlier in the half.
Suddenly Wakefield began to press forward and sustain attacks, with the equaliser coming in the 81st minute after a sweeping ball out from Conteh found its way to Cottle on the far side. He exchanged a quick 1-2 with Nelthorpe before crossing perfectly toward the six yard box, where Morrison – now partnering Evans-Booth up-front – drifted beyond his marker and finished from close range to open his account for the season.
Thanks to the urgency and desire from Wakefield, Route One were now camped in their own half and further Wakefield attacks led to a series of corner kicks. One such delivery from Nicell was cleared to the edge of the box and bounced out toward Nelthorpe 25 yards from goal. Time stood still as he eyed it up and swiped a wonderfully wicked half-volley straight into the top corner.
Given both the absurdity of the strike and its timing in the game, the players, staff and fans went wild in celebration. Thankfully, they soon returned to the steely focus and determination that had seen them turn the game around, and expertly saw out the final 10 minutes as any hope of a response from Route One was thwarted.
The result saw Wakefield back up to fifth in the league as they headed back out on the road on Saturday, away to 15th placed Athersley Recreation; a side they are undefeated against in their previous five NCEL seasons.
That meant hopes of Wakefield finally putting two wins on the bounce together and also going four unbeaten for the first time this season were high. Blunt made only one enforced change to his line-up, as Conteh pulled up with an injury in the warm-up and was replaced by Lockwood.
He had a shaky start to the game as a long ball over caught Wakefield’s high-line out and Lockwood tussled with the attacker, who would have run through on goal. Lockwood was shown a yellow card, despite Athersley’s pleas for more.
Aside from that, Wakefield were unthreatened in a first half they controlled. Chances were however at a premium, with Wakefield limited to shots from distance. Wakefield’s Dillon looked the most likely for the away side, and was involved in all of Wakefield’s best play.
He saw a shot hit the side-netting after being at the heart of some really good, one-touch football on the edge of the box, and was also involved in the phase of play that eventually led to Wakefield taking the lead. That saw excellent work from Cottle and Callum Nicell on the right leading to the former delivering an excellent cross to the back post for Dillon to shoot. In the ensuing scramble Athersley’s goalkeeper, ex-Wakefield favourite George Bason, picked up a pass-back in a bizarre moment that meant the award of an indirect free-kick six yards out.
With the area so congested the ball was worked back through a serious of dummied shots to Eyles, whose shot was blocked nonetheless. Dillon then cleverly looped the ball back into the goalmouth from the side of the box, with that cross cleared as far as Ify Ofoegbu just to the right of the penalty spot. Ofoegbu, with his back to goal, jumped to execute a looping, scissor-kick that nestled inside the goal at the far post, in what was a second goal-of-the-season contender in as many games after Nelthorpe’s midweek heroics.
Wakefield started the second half in control and Eyles soon went close to extending their lead after a good move early in the half. All things considered, it seemed almost nconceivable that the result would slip from an increasingly confident Wakefield’s grasp.
However, the self-destruct switch was flicked for the visitors midway through the half as Athersley turned the game on its head thanks to fatal mistakes from Wakefield. Athersley brought the game level in the 62nd minute after Wakefield captain Owen Thomas was robbed of possession in his own half. That saw Athersley’s winger cross for the head of Nathaneal Dyer, whose effort hit one post and trickled across the line before eventually going in at the other post.
Dyer had been a menace to Wakefield for much of the game, constantly making a nuisance of himself as he engaged in scuffles with the away side’s defence. And he made Lockwood pay for his early yellow card in the 67th minute when he cynically engaged in contact with the defender during an off the ball run. It appeared he had grabbed Lockwood’s hand first, before the two swung around and Dyer fell to the floor. However, the referee saw it different and showed Lockwood a second yellow card.
With Wakefield reduced to 10 men they suffered a double-whammy from the resultant free-kick, which Nathan Perks struck beautifully from 25 yards, high into the top corner to give his side the lead.
That left Wakefield with a mountain to climb; a man light and a goal down. They did try, with the introduction of debutants Harry Shepherd and Abdulrahman Alghamdi, and still had the better of the play despite their numerical disadvantage.
However, they were unable to craft any real chances on goal in the face of a truly effective Athersley backline who were guarded by an equally adept, competitive midfield. That meant Wakefield missed the chance to achieve back-to-back wins for the first time this season and fell to their third defeat in eight games – a result that leaves them eighth in the table.
The Falcons now have a free week to regroup before returning to action at the weekend, when they will welcome Crowle Colts to The Hunters Stadium; kick-off 15:00PM on Saturday 5th September 2026.
Athersley Recreation Match Stats
Half Time: 0-1
Full Time: 2-1
Attendance: 225
Wakefield AFC Starting XI:
Drew Bremer – Zak Cottle, Josh Lockwood, Matthew Swift, Owen Thomas (C) – Craig Nelthorpe, Callum Nicell – Curtis Morrison, Kenzie Dillon, Ify Ofoegbu – James Eyles
Wakefield AFC Subs Used:
56m, Sam Drake for Kenzie Dillon
70m, James Woodhouse for Curtis Morrison
70m, Abdulrahman Alghamdi for Ify Ofoegbu
70m, Harry Shepherd for James Eyles
Goals:
41m, Ify Ofoegbu
63m, Nathaneal Dyer
67m, Nathan Perks
Wakefield AFC Cards:
Josh Lockwood (Red)
Craig Nelthorpe (Yellow)
Attempts
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 5
Shots off Target: 4
Second Half
Shots on Target: 0
Shot off Target: 1
Athersley Recreation
First Half
Shots on Target: 0
Shots off Target: 1
Second Half
Shots on Target: 3
Shots off Target: 2
Route One Rovers Match Stats
Half Time: 1-1
Full Time: 2-3
Attendance: 164
Wakefield AFC Starting XI:
Drew Bremer – Zak Cottle, Matthew Swift, Mo Conteh, Owen Thomas (C) – Sam Drake, Callum Nicell – Curtis Morrison, Kenzie Dillon, Ify Ofoegbu – James Eyles
Wakefield AFC Subs Used:
58m, Shay Evans-Booth for James Eyles
80m, Josh Lockwood for Sam Drake
80m, Craig Nelthorpe for Ify Ofoegbu
Goals:
20m, Zak Khan (Pen)
44m, James Eyles
63m, Zak Khan
81m, Curtis Morrison
83m, Craig Nelthorpe
Wakefield AFC Assists:
81m, Zak Cottle
Attempts
Wakefield AFC
First Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shots off Target: 1
Second Half
Shots on Target: 2
Shot off Target: 2
Route One Rovers
First Half
Shots on Target: 3
Shots off Target: 4
Second Half
Shots on Target: 5
Shots off Target: 0