16. Clear Daylight
Match 11: Morley
Town v Leeds City
This is somewhat of a grudge match after their reserve team did us over twice last season, not that it mattered overall. Still it would be nice to get one over this club. They lie in 10th, while we are three points clear at the top from second placed Middleton, who host the hoodlums of Wortley. I make one change; Grantham comes in on the right after impressing off the bench against Littletown, with Faris Pamment dropping to the bench and Preston switching to the left wing.
Team: McLachlan, Smith, Clappison, Dempsey, Alasttal, Agbozo, Wright,
Grantham, Rowe, Ellis, Preston
It is Leeds City who have the first chance when Marsden swings over a right wing cross and McLachlan saves Walker’s close range effort. On 19 minutes, Big Ben Clappison rattles the crossbar from a corner. Then Sam Wright heads over after good work from Preston. The young left winger is involved again when he plays in Ellis with a lovely ball which the Angel takes under his spell and calmly slots the ball past the onrushing keeper for a well earned lead. We haven’t had it all our own way though and McLachlan has to be at his best to parry a close range header from Holm. One nil at the break. Into the second half and Price floats it in and cleared only as far as Josh Marsden who feeds the ball into the area for Chris Jones. His shot is parried by McLachlan, but only into the path of Walker who taps in from two yards. We hit back straight away. Clappison’s free kick from deep goes straight to Louis Rowe unmarked in the area. He places the ball into the corner for already his 18th goal of the season. Then Alasttal and Preston combine on the left, leading to the full back crossing into the box onto the head of Sam Wright, whose van Persie-like flying header booms into the top corner, sending the Ultras behind the goal into raptures. 3-1 Morley. We have finally beaten Leeds.. Leeds City that is, not United... not yet...
Final Score Morley
Town 3-1 Leeds City
Ellis 26 Walker 50
Rowe 55
Wright 60
Match 12: Stanley
United v Morley Town
We take a trip to HQ for this one... meaning the Headquaters of the West Riding FA no less in Woodlesford to take on Stanley United. Our hosts have been enjoying a good season themselves and lie in 4th place. We go in unchanged from the home win against Leeds City.
Team: McLachlan, Smith, Clappison, Dempsey, Alasttal, Agbozo, Wright, Grantham, Rowe, Ellis, Preston
Match Action
We make the early running and Preston volleys wide from an Agbozo cross. It’s end to end as Stanley create chances of their own. Ritchie fires wide directly from a goal kick. The same player forces a fine save from McLachlan a few minutes later. Meanwhile at the other end Ellis and Rowe are both uncharacteristically off radar, happily blazing over the crossbar when more composure was needed. 0-0 at the break. Into the second half and it is the same old dross so I throw on Pamment and Smith for the off-colour Grantham and surprisingly Ellis. Preston moves to the right and is too quick for their left back as he scampers down the right and fizzes in a low cross which their defender, Valassis can only turn into his own net. 1-0 Morley. The teenage winger is comfortably the best player on the pitch and it is his lovely pass which sends Aaron Smith clear to score his first goal for Morley with a cool finish into the top corner. We look comfortable but it only takes one moment. Their goal comes when Bannon plays the ball through to Cox who slides it past McLachlan to halve the lead. 2-1. Stanley start to gain confidence and pour forward, but we hold firm and see it through for three more hard earned points on the road against awkward opponents. Well done boys!
Final Score Stanley United 1-2 Morley Town
Cox Valassis o.g
A.Smith
Match 13 Lepton Highlanders v Morley
Town
Back around
to the start we go as we travel to Huddersfield to take on our friends the
Lepton Highlanders. They have made a decent fist of life in the Supreme League
and lie in a middling 8th. We are unchanged again and hopeful of
another victory to maintain our path towards glory..
Team: McLachlan, Smith, Clappison,
Dempey, Alasttal, Agbozo, Wright, Grantham, Rowe, Ellis, Preston
It is the
hosts which are the better side and knock the ball around confidently. Alasttal
has to hack an early header from a corner off the line, while Rowe’s shot is
blocked when he should have passed. Then a Decland Friar header smacks the
crossbar. We are lucky not to be behind here. On 39 minutes Sam Wright has had
enough and takes matters into his own hands. The midfielder dribbles into the
penalty area and is tripped for a clear penalty. Louis Rowe smashes it home to
give us an undeserved lead. One nil at the break. Into the second half and we
seem to have woken up a bit. Smith sends Rowe scampering through and when his
shot is parried away by the keeper it falls very kindly to The Angel who taps
home for the easiest goal of his career from two yards out. At the other end
Rogers gets down the left and crosses perfectly for Friar who heads just past
the upright. But we have got better as we’ve gone along. Clappison’s ball
forward is flicked on by Leedham into the path of young right winger, Barry
Woods who fires in number three from close range. We got there in the end and extend
our lead at the top to eight points after second placed and next opponents,
Middleton were held to a 3-3 draw by Stanley United.
Final Score: Lepton Highlanders 0-3
Morley Town
Rowe 41 (pen)
Ellis 56
Woods 71
Potential Takeover at Morley Town
Match 14 Morley Town v Middleton
Stand in
certain parts of Morley and look northwards. On the surrounding hills are
houses and trees, which is Middleton. Their football team lie in second
place, eight points behind us and just over the ring road about two miles
away. A local derby, no quarter asked, no quarter given. I keep faith with the
XI who beat Lepton, while Middleton unleash the Yorkshire Supreme League phenomenon,
Johnny Little, who has bagged 17 goals in 13 games, which are Rowe/Ellis type
numbers. All to play for..
Team: McLachlan, Smith, Clappison,
Dempsey, Alasttal, Agbozo, Wright, Grantham, Rowe, Ellis, Preston
Match Action
We pour
forward and Ellis gets down the right channel, checks inside and finds Rowe who
prods it towards goal, but is blocked by the keeper. Agbozo picks up the ball
in midfield and plays a wonderful 30 yard ball for Ellis to run onto. He slots
the ball home from the angle with aplomb to give us a deserved lead. We
dominate possession, but don’t create many clear cut chances. 1-0 at the break.
Into the second half and Wright picks up the ball and plays in The Angel, once
again in the right channel. His shot is half parried but still finds its way
into the bottom corner to make it 2-0. On 68 minutes Sam Wright plays a
pinpoint through ball for sub Aaron Smith who fires confidently home for number
three to cap a good solid win against our local rivals from over the ring road.
Final Score: Morley Town 3-0
Middleton
Ellis
8,48 Smith 69
Match 15: Farsley Celtic Juniors v
Morley Town
We travel up
the ring road to take on S Club Juniors in their own playground. We are looking
to maintain our eight point lead over the rest. Farsley meanwhile are just
about keeping their heads above water in 11th spot. McKenzie Smith
is suspended, so penalty king Busfield replaces him at right back. Otherwise it’s
as you were.
Team: McLachlan, Busfield, Dempsey,
Clappison, Alasttal. Agbozo, Wright, Grantham, Rowe, Ellis, Preston
Match Action
What happens
in the opening 20? Precisely nothing as the game just ticks on. On 24 minutes
though the moment comes. Busfield finds Grantham in the box. He lays off to
Ellis who shoots. His shot is blocked but it falls to Grantham who volleys the
ball through the keeper’s legs from 8 yards for his first goal in a Morley
shirt. Agbozo then stings the palms of the keeper and Sam Wright hits the bar
from a long range free kick. Then after a move to die for down the left,
involving Alasttal, Rowe and Preston, the young winger blazes over the bar when
he should have scored. Wright has a header ruled out for offside. All in all we
should be more than one goal ahead at the break. Into the second half and it’s
the same as the first, camped in their half as the kids are happy to defend
their own box. Ellis has a goal disallowed for offside. Then, Alasttal’s ball
forward is taken under his spell by Rowe. He finds Ellis who runs at the
Juniors defence. Grantham makes a brilliant overlapping run on the right and
The Angel times his pass to perfection. The right winger advances unmarked into
the area before slotting the ball confidently home for a more comfortable 2-0.
Suddenly the kids come out to play and string a few passes together. On 84
minutes Fairburn and Beacher combine and the latter runs into the area and
fires the ball past McLachlan to halve the deficit. We need not worry though.
Ellis gets down the right flank and lays it back to Busfield. The right back
twists and turns before sending in a cross which Olly Leedham heads towards
goal, but is clawed out by the keeper, only to the feet of Arron Smith who taps
in from two yards to seal three more points for Morley Town. A great afternoon,
especially for our new signings, Courey Grantham and Aaron Smith.
Final Score Farsley Celtic Juniors
1-3 Morley Town
Beacher 86
Grantham 25,58
A. Smith 90
Alasttal Leaves Morley Town
My regular left
back, Majed Alasttal has joined Holker Old Boys of the North West Counties
League Division One North, in a shock move. He made 36 appearances for Morley,
scoring one goal.
Agbozo out for 5 weeks
Normally I
don’t report on player injuries unless they are serious, but Agbozo’s twisted
ankle is significant because that it means he has played his last game for
Morley, due to his move back home to Italy in the early new year, which is only
a couple of weeks away.
Match 16: Morley Town v Alwoodley
23/12/23
The rich
boys of Alwoodley travel to Morley in their Jaguars, Porches and Mercedes,
while we arrive in our Ford Fiestas, Peugeots and a clapped out Volkswagen Golf.
Anyway this is not Top Gear so on with the show, We are top, Alwoodley languish
in the relegation zone. Many pundits think it’s a matter of how many we will
score after our 9-0 mauling of them earlier in the season. I make a couple of
forced changes due to Alasttal’s untimely departure and Agbozo’s injury. Young
Rob Hudson has been summoned from the U18s to make just his second appearance
for the club, but a defensive midfielder who is highly rated at the club.
McKenzie Smith comes in at left back and Busfield retains his place at right
back.
Team: McLachlan, Busfield, Clappison,
Nyame, M.Smith, Hudson, Wright, Grantham, Rowe, Ellis, Preston
Match Action
Its
surprisingly even in the opening 15 minutes, although we are playing the better
football, to be fair to the visitors they have rolled their sleeves up and are
up for a fight. Rowe and Ellis are tightly marked and the defence is sitting so
deep, they may as well be sat on the goal line. The odd half chance we do
create come with either a poor finish or final ball. At the other end Alwoodley
make McLachlan sprawl to his right to keep out a long range effort. I push
Courey Grantham into a more advanced Attacking Midfielder Right position and it
instantly pays off. Clappison’s ball forward is nodded down by Ellis to Sam
Wright, who plays a sumptuous ball down the right flank for Grantham to run
onto. He lashes the ball home from the angle to score his third goal in two
games. The half peters out and we take just the one goal into the interval.
Into the second half and we huff and puff but fail to blow the Alwoodley house
down again. Preston has a shot well saved low down. As the half wears on the
visitors grow in confidence and suddenly look a threat. A well worked counter
attack forces a smart save from McLachlan, to deny Conroy Scott. Then a free
kick clips the bar.. Could they do the unthinkable and equalise? This was a
laboured performance, but luckily we have just a little too much quality and a
swift breakaway puts the game beyond doubt. Kevin Preston switches play from
left to right with devastating effect, sending Grantham screaming down the
right flank. He cuts inside and smacks the ball home from the angle to much
relief among the Ultras. Job done and another three points in the bag, but that
was ugly.
Final Score: Morley Town 2-0
Alwoodley
Grantham 28,86
Morley Town Takeover Deal Rumours Grow Stronger
Recent murmurings about Chairman Bryan Wilkins selling the club to a new owner have turned into full on rumour, with the possibility of a Fans Trust, lead by leading Morley Ultras taking control of the club. As for my future at the club who knows? Watch this space..
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