23. Up For The Cup






Happy New Year wherever in the world you are reading this! 

Match 13: Morley Town v Abbey Hey – 1st Division Cup Second Round


Another milestone is reached on our rise up the English pyramid- our first cup competition. While there hopefully will be more prestigious national knockout tournaments in the future as we go up the leagues, such as The FA Vase, FA Trophy and of course the oldest competition in the world, the FA Cup, the First Division Trophy will do for now. This tournament consists of teams from the North West Counties Division One North and South, with six rounds of exciting cup action! Strangely it begins on my wife’s birthday and finishes on mine... Even stranger is we got a bye to the second round, even though we are debutants in this competition.

Abbey Hey are in the Division One South and lie in 7th place in their league, so I am expecting a close game. I put out a strong team.

Hall, Busfield, Clappison. Bentley, Lacey, Wright, Makiessi, Grantham, Rowe, Smith, Preston

Abbey Hey look neat and tidy on the ball and force an early corner. This is cleared and we break away, Wright out to Grantham on the right wing. He gets to the byeline and puts the ball near post, where Rowe and the Abbey Hey defender both go for the ball. They both miss it but Jean Claude Makiessi has sneaked in behind them unmarked and slides the ball into the corner of the net for a great early lead.The former Barnsley midfielder looks up for the cup and he drives forward once more from midfield, before laying it out to Preston on the left. The youngster checks inside then returns the ball to him on the edge of the area. Makiessi crashes the ball into the top corner. To the delight of the ultras we have suddenly turned into the Brazil team of 1970. The third comes soon after, a move started in our own back four. Clappison to Bentley, Bentley to Wright, Wright to Makiessi, Makiessi to Rowe, Rowe left to the overlapping Lacey. Lacey to Wright, Wright through ball to Kevin Preston, who turns and places the ball past the keeper for a brilliant 3-0 lead. Abbey Hey are nowhere. Before half time there are chances at both ends, Aaron Smith hitting the post with the goal at his mercy, while their striker, Rhys Taylor blazes over from inside the area when he should have done better. 3-0 at the break. On 46 minutes, Aaron Smith has a long range free kick which is clawed out by the keeper, only as far as Makiessi who hammers home the rebound to complete a brilliant hat-trick. Abbey Hey’s other tormentor in chief Aaron Smith picks up the ball from Brooksby’s header and dribbles the ball past two tired-looking Abbey Hey defenders, before coolly slotting the ball into the corner to make it 5-0. We were absolutely irresistible today and storm into round three! Great job boys!


Final Score: Morley Town 5-0 Abbey Hey

Makiessi 3,6,47

Preston 17

Smith 82


First Division Cup Third Round Draw

The third round of the North West Counties Division One Cup sees us entertain Daisy Hill. Given that the league game was a nine goal thriller, who knows what fun and games this cup tie will bring? The match will be played on 3rd December

Match 14: Albion Sports v Morley Town

The games are coming thick and fast. Just three days after destroying Abbey Hey in the cup we are straight back to the bread and butter of the league. This time we have the relatively short trip up t’ ring road t’Farsley where we take on Albion Sports, who groundshare with their higher ranked landlords, Farsley Celtic (at least when they have a pitch to play on but they have one in FM land) make two changes, with The Angel Ellis replacing Louis Rowe in attack who picked up a knock late on against Abbey Hey and Croft comes in for the suspended Clappison.

Team:  McLachlan, Busfield, Croft, Bentley, Lacey, Wright, Makiessi, Grantham, Ellis, Smith, Preston

Match Action

Albion Sports, clad in Brazilian style yellow shirts and blue shorts knock the ball around a bit like their South American idols. We get a free kick and Aaron Smith forces a fine save from the goalkeeper, while at the other end they rattle the crossbar in an even game so far. A rare nil nil at half time. Second half and the game gets bogged down again with both defences coming out on top. I switch the lacklustre Ellis for O’Connor and Schorah comes on down the left flank for Grantham with Preston switching to the right to see if that makes a difference. On 71minutes though Millard goes in hard on Makiessi and earns himself an early bath. Could this be our opportunity? But football is a funny old game and seven minutes later Albion win a free kick. Up steps Dalton Thomas.. who blasts the ball into the roof of the net... aarrrghh!  We huff and puff, but cannot blow the Albion Sports house down as they sit back and defend with their ten men playing as if their lives depended on it. An annoying defeat and a tired performance after our cup exploits just three days earlier. We slip to 8th while Albion climb out the relegation zone. 

Final Score: Albion Sports 1-0 Morley Town

Thomas 79

Match 15: Morley Town v South Liverpool

We host our friends all the way from Merseyside for this latest league clash. They lie in 12th place, while we are in 8th just outside the playoffs. We need a win to get back into play-offs again. Louis Rowe returns up front and Clappison is back in defence. All to play for.

Team: McLachlan, Croft, Clappison, Bentley, Lacey,Wright, Makiessi, Grantham, Smith, Rowe, Preston

 Match Action

We dominate the opening ten minutes and have several shots over the crossbar. Then Grantham gets the ball on the right edge of the penalty area. He tries to dribble past his full back and is caught.. Penalty.. Up steps Louis Rowe confidently.. but the keeper guesses right and tips the ball round the post... Great save! We maintain dominance but cannot find that final pass or shot. Aaron Smith forces a fine save from their keeper from range. South Liverpool look dangerous on the break, but McLachlan has had little to do. Then..on the stroke of half time Sam Wright takes matters into his own hands and goes on one of his trademark bursts from midfield. He reaches the edge of the area and unleashes a powerful shot which the keeper can only palm the ball into the top corner... The Ultras are delirious and The Sam Wright song can be heard from them behind the goal. We are not finished. From the restart we attack again. Grantham to Makiessi, who has wandered over to the right wing. He checks back and finds Grantham, Courey Grantham now lays it into Aaron Smith inside the penalty area, who intelligently lays the ball off first time to Louis Rowe who rifles the ball home at the near post. A brilliant team goal! Two nil at the break. Into the second half and we once again look in control.. But. Sometimes we are the architects of our own downfall. Clappison and Croft between them fail to clear the ball and it is picked up by Marley Boyce who evades two rather half-hearted Morley challenges and rifles the ball past McLachlan to halve the deficit. We respond well. Kevin Preston cuts in from the left and scoots one just wide of the far post, while Makiessi forces a fine save from South Liverpool goalkeeper, Westcarr as he tips his header over the bar. Then from a goal kick Wright wins an important header to Aaron Smith who spins and flights a delightful ball over the top for Louis Rowe to run onto... never in doubt 3-1 Morley Town as the Irishman coolly finishes into the corner. To their credit South Liverpool don’t give up and create a few chances towards the end, but we see it through for a good solid home win. We move up to 6th, just outside the playoffs. 


 

Mini Crimewave Hits Morley

There were two away fans who made the trip over from Liverpool and were unmistakable, due to their thick Scouse accents. They were last seen walking towards Morley Town Centre after the game.. In the days after there were reports from the nearby Bird Estate that a few hub caps and registration plates from their cars had mysteriously gone missing.. I don’t want to stereotype or anything but....

Morley Town sign Jack Broadhead (DC/DMC/MC)


I have snapped up this experienced midfielder to help out Sam Wright in defensive midfield, as we do not have much depth in this position. He has had previous at Worksop Town and Pontefract Collieries, having started his career at Chesterfield.

Match 16: Squire’s Gate v Morley Town

We take the long trip back to Blackpool in mid-November and the illuminations were in full view as we drove down the seafront towards the ground. We are in good spirits following the win against South Liverpool and hope to pick up three more points to get into the playoff places. Our hosts have not fared so well and lie in 15th, just above the relegation zone. Broadhead makes his debut at the back in place of Sam Bentley, who drops to the bench, which is my only change.

Team: McLachlan, Croft, Clappison, Broadhead, Lacey, Wright, Makiessi, Grantham, Rowe, Smith, Preston

On three minutes we win a free kick. Up steps Aaron Smith and he blasts it goalwards. The goalkeeper at full stretch flies through the air like Superman and miraculously claws the ball away, but only as far as Courey Grantham, who lays the ball off too Preston at the edge of the area. He then plays a perfectly weighted ball sideways to new signing, Jack Broadhead who lashes the ball first time low into the corner of the net. What a start from the new boy! Squire’s Gate hit back though and on fifteen minutes. An overhit corner is retrieved by Burrett’s and his low cross is lashed in first time on the half volley by Stewart  from the edge of the box. Then on the stroke of half time we win a corner.. The referee blows.. Penalty. A clear handball from their defender, Darrel Doherty. Up steps Louis Rowe...who sends the keeper the wrong way.. 2-1 Morley. Makiessi, who has been quiet so far then hits the foot of the post from range. 2-1 half time. Into the second half and the home side press for an equaliser and almost do when they themselves hit the foot of the post from range. We can’t keep the ball though and regularly present the ball back to them. We pay the price. Burnett picks up the ball and finds Boyd, Boyd to Jordan Fry, who lets fly from the edge of the box and it sails into the bottom corner, not unlike Jack Broadhead’s opener.. Two each. Both sides press for a winner. Clappison goes close from a header, but the home team who create more and McLachlan has to be at his best to deny them on three occasions.  In the dying moments of the game they get down the left and a perfect cross is straight onto the head of their striker, Ilia, whose simple header crashes against the post when he should have easily scored. A let off for us against a side who are much better than their lowly league position suggests. I’ll take a point to bring all the way back to West Yorkshire.

Final Score: Squire’s Gate 2-2 Morley Town

Broadhead 4                                  Stewart 16

Rowe 44 (pen)                               Fry 84


 Table after 15 League Games



Morley Town lay just two points outside the playoffs in 6th place. Can they find the momentum to propel them into the top 5? Find out next time on The Ultimate English Pyramid Game! 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2. Were All t'Leeds round 'ere aren't we?

Image
        Disclaimer: This is a purely ficticious story based around a game of Football Manager 2023 and is not about the real Morley Town FC. This story is not based on real events, just my own imagination through a laptop screen. Enjoy!  Morley, West Yorkshire July 2022   “Oh yea! Oh yea! Oh yea!” shouted the town crier, ringing his bell loudly as he stood outside Morley Town Hall, the ornate late Victorian structure which dominates this West Yorkshire town. As ever on these occasions the man in the red robes had drawn a crowd, who had briefly halted their daily business in Queens Street to come and see what the fuss was about. This included pensioners who loved this kind of thing, to curious children and a small group of teenagers hanging out in Windsor Court, the adjacent shopping precinct, who were taking the mickey a little and giggling as the crier carried out his duties. “Oh yea! Oh Yea! Morley Town football club have appointed Jonathan Rudd as t...
Read more

18. Championnes!

Image
  Game Moves to FM24 I have successfully transferred The Ultimate English Pyramid Game from FM23 to FM24, which was a surprisingly seamless process given the amount of editor files there are on this game. Therefore all play and screenshots will now be from FM24.. Judging by today's news it will be played on the latest version of FM for some time yet! Match 20: Morley Town v Wortley Hide your daughters, Wortley are in town and they want revenge for the hammering we gave them earlier in the season. We are five points clear at the top, while the visitors from up t’ring road are in a middling 9 th . We are unchanged from the thriller against Leeds University. Team: McLachlan, Busfield, Clappison, Dempsey, M.Smith, Wright, A. Smith, Grantham, Rowe, Ellis, Preston Match Action It is the visitors who make the early running in this one and a snap shot brings out the best of McLachlan as he turns the ball round the post for a corner. At the other end, Ben Clappison hits the side net...
Read more

1. Welcome to England!

Image
     Amongst the rolling green hills of Merrie Olde England, in a forgotten corner of an old industrial town or city, from the mass expanses of Hackney Marshes, to the village playing fields the national sport that was invented on these shores 150 years ago is still played purely for love of the game. There is no money, there are no Bentleys, no Gucci kit bags, no fame or glory, but just pure passion for football. This is the grassroots, the backbone of English football, in all weathers come rain or shine, hail, sleet, snow or fog, the muck and nettles, the freezing cold changing rooms, the muddy goalmouths, the roast dinner and pints in the pub afterwards, the one man and his dog... Welcome to England! This is the Ultimate English Pyramid Game!!! Read Part 2 Here!
Read more