Horbury Town 3 - 1 Athersley Recreation: Morton red-card the turning point in Rec's defeat to league leaders

Rec’s red-card preceded all three Horbury goals in a 3-1 defeat in the NCEL Division One, having led at the Pulse Hire Ltd Stadium against league leaders Horbury Town

Words By Ben Swain

Jacob Morton was deemed as the last man and behind the Horbury forward when forcing him, but the resulting free-kick was awarded and taken from the position of an earlier foul.

Giving Rec the lead on Saturday afternoon, prior to the decision was Nathan Perks who lobbed Paul Hagreen one-on-one, countering against the hosts’ majority share of possession.

Horbury were to follow-up first with an equaliser from the spot and Gibril Bojang, then the same man gaving the hosts the lead before Tom Brook completed the scoring.

Morton was making his debut as one of four changes to that which started in the abandoned game against Glasshoughton Welfare. Luke Moorhouse, Jimmy Pursell and Finley Durkin the others making starts.

Facing his own goal for the most of the opening ten minutes, Perks’ hold-up play looked likely to be important this afternoon straight from the off, involved in Rec’s opening chance. Although, this started from a set-piece, James Byford winning the first ball and Perks holding onto the second for long enough to spot Carter Tingle 20-yards out. His first attempt of the evening was not at the pace to beat Paul Hagreen who caught from above his head.

Joe Jagger’s backheel infront of goal squared it to Gibril Bojang travelling from right to left, finding it difficult to hit the ball clean whilst on the move, slicing wide.

For all the time spent with his back to goal, Perks was as comfortable one-on-one to chip Hagreen to open the scoring. The timing of his run, having separated himself from the defender by moving deeper, earnt him several yards on the opposite side of the Horbury man and he clinically lifted over the host ‘keeper inside ten minutes.

Jacob Morton’s sending-off, deemed as the last defender when fouling during a period of advantage, was followed by play being brought back for an earlier foul in midfield.

With Rec reduced to ten, the frontline moved from a three to a two and Rec largely outnumbered when attempting to repeat the feat which saw Perks give them the lead. Durkin’s base position moved backwards into defence as Moorhouse moved central into midfield.

Horbury then equalised from the spot through Bojang on fourty-one minutes. He converted to the right of goal with Levi Owen guessing the opposite way.

Perks and Tingle combined again before the break as the former, higher up, earnt possession for Rec with his strength before the ball moved back to Tingle with space to shoot. Hit towards the near side, it looked to be going in until the netting proved unmoved as the ball travelled behind.

Owen needed to be alert from the off after the restart to keep the score level. Two minutes in he’s quick to react with his leg to block the ball glancing off a slight touch just in front of him. Sam Hobson’s low cross across the face of goal got diverted to goal which Owen was alive to.

Bojang’s second came within six minutes of the restart. He travelled with the ball across edge of box and hit a left-footed shot into the bottom corner.

Tingle returned the favour with a pass in-behind for Perks who repeated his earlier chip, this time wide-left and rather onto the roof of the net.

Bojang was involved in Horbury’s third as the assist-maker on fifty-nine minutes. His cross from the left was headed in by Brooks.

Tingle led the next Rec counter by beating the first man, then being faced up by three more inside their own box who blocked his shot collectively.

James Byford of all people is the man to join the limited forwards in Horbury’s box, at the back post to get his head to a cross from the right but he’s too far under it and it dropped into Hagreen’s hands.

Ben Gillott looked comfortable in possession on debut after replacing Jimmy Pursell. He won a foul as he turned to face his own goal, shielding the ball enough to force the Horbury man into conceding the free-kick.

Joel Feirn earnt himself a shot at goal, winning it back on the edge from Billy MacDonald. He’s forced down the left channel of the box and with the angle tight, the forward went for power, over the bar.

Horbury were to hit the bar before time, Bojang, off the left, receiving the ball back on the edge of the box, the bodies back for Rec getting enough in the way to deflect the shot onto the underside of the bar.

Substitute Bailey Wright provided late entertainment with good feet, skipping past the first defender before beating another with a step-over. He could keep the ball in-play on the near side and teed up Gillott to shoot first-time from distance, well-over to not trouble the score margin come full-time.

Sheerien Park hosts Rec’s next fixture when Ilkley Town visit on the 15th February in the NCEL Division One.