45. Couldn't Hit Cow's Backside Wi' Banjo!
Morley Town have made a promising start to life in their new Level 10 home of the North East Counties League Division One with four wins out of five, propelling them well into the top half of the table. Nobody in this league will relish a trip West to Glen Road... or will they?
Match 7 Shirebrook Town v Morley Town
We now
travel to Shirebrook Soldier’s enemies, Shirebrook Town for our next game. The hosts
are rock bottom of the table with no points from their first six matches,
making us clear favourites. We are in 5th place. I make a couple of
tweaks with Alfie Priestley starting his first competitive game for the club on
the left flank for Lewis Kemp. Otherwise it’s as you were.
Morley Town:
Oldham, Cotteril, Hancock, Goulding, Haylock, Wright, Smith, Gutzmore, Ellis,
Wood, Priestley
Subs: Green,
Greenfield, Onder, Mason, Worsnop
Shirebrook
Town: Parr, Marsh, Hodge, Hassell, Ramage, Bennett, Gough, Blom, Cushing,
Green, Billingsley
Match action
In the first
20 minutes we are absolutely shocking! We barely touch the ball and are
fortunate not to be two goals behind against the bottom side who are taking the
game to us. Wake Up!! Harry Wood balloons one over the bar, Shirebrook fail to
create much else. An utterly dreadful game of association football... 0-0 at half time.
I try and
rally the troops in the dressing room, but Shirebrook gain the upper hand. On
52 minutes, Harry Cushing latches onto a ball down the right channel. He lays
the ball back to Marsh, who is given far too much space to turn, look up and
find a low cross which is turned home instantly by Gough for a deserved
Shirebrook lead. Dreadful!. We try and perk up. Gutzmore has a run down the
right but is tackled. Haylock plays a long ball which is easily cut out. Ellis
puts in a sliding tackle and tries to gee the side up, but to no avail. I even
resort to a 4-3-3 with Mason, Wood and Ellis forming a three pronged attack. At
the other end Billingsley heads over from a right wing cross. Joseph Oldham
then has to turn a Cushing header over the bar as Shirebrook look for a second.
Late on Harry Wood goes on a solo run but can only shoot straight at Parr in
the Shirebrook goal to register our first shot on target. The final whistle
blows to put everybody out of their misery. Shirebrook get their first points
of the season. As for us, the inquest will begin on the long road back to West
Yorkshire.
Final Score: Shirebrook Town 1-0
Morley Town
Gough 54
Match 8: Cleethorpes Town Reserves v
Morley Town
Oh we do
like to be beside the seaside! The long road to Cleethorpes is stretching ahead
of us via the delights of Scunthorpe and Grimsby.. After our dismal defeat to
lowly Shirebrook I make a few changes. Onder comes in for Smith, Young Frazer
Greenfield comes into central defence for his full debut and Kain Worsnop takes
up the troublesome right flank berth with Gutzmore switching to the left.
We are 7th
in the table going into this one with twelve points, while our hosts lie just
below us in 9th with ten. All to play for.
Team:
Oldham, Cotteril, Hancock, Greenfield, Haylock, Wright, Onder, Worsnop, Ellis
Wood, Gutzmore
Subs: Green,
Smith, Goulding, Mason, Diamnini
Cleethorpes
Town Reserves: Collins, Holmes, Donne, Savory, Saunders, Gambles, Gomes,
Robinson-Bowers, Spiers, Moynagh, Howe
Match Action
The hosts
start the brightest but fail to trouble Oldham in the Morley goal, Then, on ten
minutes a Greenfield free kick feeds the onrushing Wood, but his tame finish is
easily saved when he should have done better.
Then
Gutzmore ghosts past two defenders before feeding Wood again who this time
forces Collins to parry the ball round the post. Encouraging. We look good
going forward, but lack the final ball and killer instinct. Onder makes
progress down the right wing and he crosses low for Worsnop, but his effort
is saved low down by Collins. 0-0 at the break in an even contest.
We start the
second half well. Worsnop does well on the right hand side and his low cross is
almost turned home by Wood, but the ball is cleared off the line. Then another
flowing move sees Wright thump a long range effort which is tipped over the
bar. As we dominate the more vulnerable we are to the counter attack. The ball
is given away and suddenly Howe is clear one on one with Oldham, who denies him
with a brilliant save. From the resulting corner, Oldham punches the ball
clear, but only as far as Moynagh on the edge who fizzes a low, curling shot past the sprawling Oldham
and into the corner of the net. Aarrggh! Completely against the run of play. This
seems to galvanise Cleethorpes and almost score a second but for a flying point
blank save from Oldham. Marlon Gutzmore has a curling shot just over the bar
but to be honest that was the sum total of our efforts to get an equaliser.
While we were better than our last outing against Shirebrook, it is yet another
disappointing defeat on our travels and our hoodoo against reserve teams goes
on.
Final Score: Cleethorpes Town
Reserves 1-0 Morley Town
Moynagh 65
Match 9: Morley Town v Bottesford
Town
It’s nice to
be back at Glen Road- it’s been a while. We need to get back to winning ways
quickly, after two narrow defeats on the road against teams we would expect to
beat home or away. This has left us in 9th place, while the visitors
lie in 14th with nine. I recall Livesey Mason to the line up and
Diamini gets a chance at left back. My misfiring forward line need to start
finding the back of the net and fast..
Morley Town:
Oldham, Cotteril, Goulding, Hancock. Diamini, Wright, Smith, Gutzmore, Ellis,
Wood, Mason
Subs: Green,
Onder, Greenfield, Kemp. Haylock
Bottesford
Town: Smith, McDonald, Owen, Quinn, Burgess, Hailes-Thomas, Burns, Barnes
Evans, Thompson, Johnson
Match Action
We start
brightly, but the visitors assert control and it’s the same old story. They
play the ball forward, Goulding misses the header and Charlie Johnson runs in
behind and lashes the ball past Oldham. The Ultras are not happy. This is
depressing. We rally though, but cannot create a decent chance. Ellis fires one
over from long range. I need him in the penalty area, not 30 yards from goal.. Gutzmore
who has once again been disappointing fizzes a teasing low cross across the face
but there is nobody on the end of it. Frustrating. 1-0 down at the break. The
Glen Road faithful is not happy!
"Couldn't 'it t'cow's backside wi' banjo," uttered one fan as he trudged off to the Farriers Arms for some half time refreshment.
Into the
second half and we are dominating. Wood has a brilliant long range effort
tipped over the bar by Smith, while Aaron Smith has a fizzing low shot turned
round the post by a sprawling Smith. The good times end there. Harry Wood pulls
up with an injury and then Bottesford launch a rare attack which results in a low
cross from the left being turned home by Thompson. 2-0 down. Some Ultras head
to the pub in disgust. What has got into us? Moments later, Mason now playing
in a central striking role picks up the ball, drops his shoulder to round the
defender and slots the ball perfectly into the bottom corner. At last we have
scored, but could it be in a losing cause again? Yes Morgans caps off a sublime
Bottesford move to poke the ball past Oldham to cap a miserable afternoon for
Team Morley. Livesey Mason scrambles home a late goal from an Aaron Smith cross
to make it 3-2, but three defeats in a
row is not good enough and an empty Glen Road at the end of the match tells its
own story. Back to the drawing board..
Final Score:
Morley Town 2-3 Bottesford Town
Mason 86,95 Johnson 12
Thompson 81
Morgans 91
Match 8: Denton Town v Morley Town
We make the
trip to Whittles Park badly needing a win. The hosts lie in 17th
place while we are now in a disappointing 10th place. I move Jayden
Cotteril to centre back with young Michael Francis coming in at right back.
Azeez Salami makes his debut in the right wing berth, while Mason partners
Ellis up front and Onder adds a bit of solidity to central midfield in place of
Smith who drops to the bench.
Morley Town:
Oldham, Francis, Cotteril, Hancock, Diamini, Wright, Onder, Salami, Ellis,
Mason, Gutzmore
Subs: Green,
Goulding, Haylock, Smith Farrugia
Denton Town:
Askew, Suddick, Eales, McKeown, Williams, Finlaw, Howell, Donaldson, Okyere,
Cooley, Mbambo
Subs: Byrne,
Hayes, Yaseen, Quarless, Jakab
Match Action
Nowt much
‘appens in t’first ten. Debutant Salami picks up the ball and sends a searching
ball down the right channel for Ellis to latch onto. He turns inside and shoots
just wide. Then Onder has a shot well saved by Askew and Ellis a daisy cutter
which is comfortably held by Askew. We look the better team here. The home side
though launch an attack of their own and the ball is worked through to Mbambo
who forces a fingertip save from Oldham.
Then in a
crazy five minutes both my wingers pull up injured. Firstly Gutzmore is hurt
when tackled, while Salami on debut goes on a brilliant run only to be hacked
down and injured. I bring on young Maltese forward Francesco Farrugia and Aaron
Smith and play with three attacking midfielders like some La Liga side. No
goals at the break. I see sense and revert to a 4-3-3 at half time with
Farrugia, Ellis and Mason forming a three pronged attack with Aaron Smith just
behind. Let’s see what happens.
Into the
second half and we pass the ball around nicely at the back. Onder picks up the
ball in midfield and sends a brilliant ball down the left channel for Livesey
Mason to run onto. His low cross is tapped home first time by who else, Gabriel
Ellis. Brilliant! Then a sizzling Morley move down the right hand side results
in Askew saving point blank from Farrugia’s stinging shot. Denton creep their
way back into the game and Oldham tips over a Cooley header. Donaldson is
looking increasingly dangerous down the left and his fine cross picks out
Cooley who smacks the crossbar. A let off for Morley Town!
Its end to
end. Young Michael Francis goes on a barnstorming run down the right before
delivering a fine cross for Mason but his header is saved.. At the other end
Okyere’s run and shot smacks the foot of the post. Denton pile on the pressure!
The game ticks on to stoppage time. Can we hang on for a much needed three
points? No we can’t... The two substitutes Yaseen and Quarless combine on the
right before the former crosses where Cooley rises and powers a header past
Oldham. A sucker punch right at the end of the game.
Final Score: Denton Town 1-1 Morley
Town
Ellis
46
Cooley 91
Salami & Farrugia make
professional debuts
It’s always
nice to promote the youth and due to our dire financial situation, we are going
to need them. Maltese striker Farrugia and right winger Azeez Salami both
impressed during Morley’s 1-1 draw with Denton Town, despite the latter going
off injured after a promising start to the match.
Match 9: Morley Town v Goole Town
We desperately
need a win to lift us out of mid table mediocrity as we lie in 10th,
thanks to the late equaliser we conceded against Denton. One positive from that
game was how well we played in a 4-3-3 formation and so I start this game with
a three pronged attack. Goole lie in 14th.
Morley Town:
Oldham, Francis, Cotteril, Hancock, Diamini, Wright, Oner, Smith, Wood, Ellis,
Mason
Subs: Green,
Haylock, Gutzmore, O’Connor, Goulding
Goole Town: Stevens,
Watson, South, Mendes, Mateta (not that one) Parry, Deacon, White, Schofield,
Leister, Aboubakar
Subs:
Fickling, Santos, Garrett, Watts, Sommer
Match Action
We start the
brighter and look neat and tidy on the ball, but fail to create much. Goole get
the ball and breakaway down the right with Jack White who forces a save from
Oldham. We put together a fine move with Ellis linking with Wood before The
Angel finds space in the box to fire past Stevens.. but the linesman has his
flag up. No goal, much to the disappointment of Glen Road.
We look
lively in attack and the three up front are linking up well, especially Mason
on the left of the three looking dangerous, but we fail to create anything
beyond a long range effort. Mason cuts in from the left, but his tame effort is
easily saved. Then a flowing move down the left between Ellis and Smith plays
Livesey Mason in, but he drags his shot wide with just the keeper to beat.
We launch
the first attack of the second half. Hancock strides forward from the back and
plays it to Mason who pays a brilliant one two with Ellis to set him free
inside the penalty area. He makes no mistake, rolling the ball past Stevens
into the corner of the net with a lovely finish. Aaron Smith is revelling in
his free role behind the three and his lovely through ball releases Ellis, but
he fires wide.
Our second
goal has an element of fortune about it. Sub James Goulding sends Harry Wood
scampering down the right. He check inside and lays the ball back for Aaron Smith
who fires a shot goalwards. The ball hits Gabriel Ellis in the face and
deflects the ball past Stevens and into the corner of the net for a slightly
fortuitous 2-0.
Goole respond. The dangerous Schofield crosses from deep and sub Watts connects with it and Oldham claws the ball out for a corner. Goole attack again and their best move of the game sees Sommer lay the ball infield to White who passes forwards to Watts who plays a perfectly weighted ball for Sam Deacon to fire the ball past Oldham from inside the area to halve the deficit. We see it out though for a much needed home win and for the first time in a while, the Morley fans head home happy.
A dip in form has seen Morley Town sink into mid table mediocrity after some annoying away defeats and some indifferent home performances.. but with talks of a takeover the hottest topic in town can a new era for the club turn their fortunes around? Find out next time on The Ultimate English Pyramid Game!
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