Athersley Recreation 1 - 4 Maltby Main: Rec denied comback by Maltby

Having a goal disallowed in the first-half, Rec couldn’t capitalise when they eventually got back into the game, the deficit further extended to a 4-1 defeat to Maltby Main on Tuesday evening.

Words By Ben Swain

Carter Tingle’s second in three days would have meant more than a consolation had Finley Durkin’s goal stood, which would have opened the scoring at Sheerien Park in the NCEL Division One before it was ruled out for a raised flag.

Ashely Flynn and Jenson Ridge instead put the half-time score in favour of The Miners whilst Angelo Tambini and Joshua Stead cancelled out any comeback.

Noah Jenkinson stepped up from the U21s squad to start, alongside the returning James Byford and Billy MacDonald.

It took just two minutes for Ashley Flynn to threaten, shooting into the side-netting, free at the far post. The ball was shuffled adjacent to the the edge of the box and was eventually poked to Flynn who himself had time to take a touch then shoot a powerful drive.

Enzo Guarini returned to Sheerien Park for the first time since his departure earlier in the season and six minutes in, cut inside from the right to shoot left-footed with the same outcome as Flynn earlier.

Durkin, on the same side as Guarini and on the same wavelength, cut inside before shooting over at the opposite end.

The width afforded by Maltby was where the dissalowed goal came from on twenty-minutes. Durkin, as well as Jimmy Pursell on the opposite flank were constant options with Maltby affording the width to Rec. From a deep position on the right came the diagonal ball which had to be well controlled by Durkin in limited space in Maltby's box. The finish matched, low under Spiller but Durkin’s celebrations headed in the direction of a raised flag.

An end-to-end game in which both teams dealt blows, it took a deflection to initially separate the sides in the thirty-fifth minute, Ashley Flynn the scorer. He received the ball form the right and with his back to goal, allowed the ball to travel across his body and shoot right-footed, the deflection taking the shot from the edge of the box over Levi Owen.

Two minutes later and Jenson Ridge’s tap-in needed no such help. Mackenzie Warne’s clever run down the right was completed by a drilled delivery across the face of Owen’s goalline with Ridge at the back post to finish.

Tingle kept a dropping ball under close control yards into his own half and instinctively passed it wide to Pursell in familiar space. In halting his run, Tingle was free of Maltby’s full-back to re-receive the ball. His intent was Durkin again who couldn’t’ match the quality of control.

Luke Moorhouse skipped a challenge, having narrowly poked the ball clear and chased it into the space vacated on Maltby’s right-hand side. Perks was the target in the middle and lunged for the aerial ball, unable to keep up with the pace of the delivery.

When Warne was booked for a late challenge halting Rec’s counter, Perks had a second chance from a set-piece attempt which needed Harrison Spiller’s fingertips to push over and maintain Maltby’s clean-sheet into the break.

Ashley Mills’ introduction at half-time almost paid dividends after three minutes, much of his own doing by the quality of his first touch to almost kill the ball dead, watching it over his shoulder on his route into the box. The slight gap between striker and ball allowed Spiller to close the angle, forcing Mills to rush the shot, firing over.

Tingle used the width to half the deficit on fifty-three minutes having himself exploited it minutes earlier without such a sight of goal. He cut inside and whilst looking across goal, the deflection left Spiller stranded as the ball landed inside his far post.

The earlier chance saw the ball moved wide by Mills who was denied a route to goal by the congested centre. Tingle strived for the opposite direction than he did for his goal, attacking the byline but was stopped by a late interception.

Maltby’s third looked all too familiar for Rec after their defeat to Louth three days prior, Angelo Tambini up from the back for a set-piece. He benefiting from a header from the far post, through the bodies inside Rec's box, to tap-in on sixty-seven minutes.

The width remained available for Rec and now Bailey Wright on the left who looked clear of the chasing defender who eventually caught Rec’s winger on the slide to hook the ball out of play.

Maltby and Joshua Stead confirmed the result with an effort from distance from a favourable position twenty-five yards out, seventy-nine minutes in, hit with too much power for Owen to be able to react.

Rec had time and space to still create when Perks chopped onto his left and made Spiller parry towards Wright. Spiller remained grounded following his save but the bounce deceived Rec’s winger who couldn’t connect with the shot.

There was to be no further consolation for Rec before the full-time whistle.

Sheerien Park now hosts a second and third consecutive fixtures, starting with Wombwell Town's visit in a week's time, Tuesday 4th March.