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KICKING-OFF
A WORD FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Good afternoon, welcome to Ingfield and a Happy New Year!
It is fair to say an awful lot has happened since our last game at Ingfield just 15 days ago, with Wayne Benn and Chick Hayward leaving the club by mutual consent.
Wayne was brought into the club at a very difficult time and during his two years here had an awful lot of bad luck with injuries and seasons ravaged by a global pandemic. This season started very positively, however, one win in eleven league games and none at home since mid-September meant change was the right course of action.
James Walshaw and Ross Killock were asked to take caretaker charge until a new management team was appointed and both did a fantastic job covering the role. Personally and on behalf of the Board I want to thank them both for the time, commitment and passion they gave - I know it was just 10 days, but they put in a lot of effort to keep the team together and get them prepared for our game against Tadcaster Albion on the 27th. I’m sure it gave them a little insight into what the role entails and will help them form a decision going forward if management is something they would want to consider in the future.
Given the managerial vacancy came just a week before Christmas I was comfortable to see Wally and Killa in the role for two or three games while we took the time needed to make a considered appointment. However, we received some high quality applicants and were able to conduct interviews before Christmas.
We were delighted that on Christmas Eve we were able to announce the appointment of Jas Colliver and Mark Ward as the new management team of Ossett United. The knowledge, desire, passion and commitment they showed over a couple of interviews had the entire board in agreement they were the right men for the job.
Wally and Killock had spent a lot of time preparing the side for the game at Tadcaster so it was agreed that Jas and Wardy would take a watching brief for that game, but from the moment of the appointment Jas and Wardy were in discussion with the caretaker managers discussing where the squad needed to be strengthened.
Throughout Christmas Eve they kept Club Secretary, Neil Spofforth, busy. So much so his Christmas shopping went out of the window and he ended up raiding his cleaning cupboard and poor Kate Hennighan woke up on Christmas morning to a box full of cleaning products as a Christmas gift from him!
As with any change of management, there will be changes to the squad. Nash Connolly has taken the opportunity to return to his former home at Hemsworth Miners Welfare while off the field Katie Davies has decided to step away to concentrate on her physio business. Both leave with the clubs best wishes. On the physio front, Emily Crispin will be stepping up from assisting Katie to take on the role.
As I write these notes there has so far been one addition to the squad, Charlie Wood came in on loan from Bradford City and made an instant impact on his debut at Tadcaster a good all round performance capped off with the winning goal on the day.
Jas and Wardy are working tirelessly and there could be one or two further additions to the squad by the time today’s game kicks off.
The support the side receive from you on the terraces is always fantastic and everyone associated with the club knows that recently you have not had much to cheer about. I hope you are in good voice today as I believe this club is ready to take off!
Enjoy the game.
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The Presidents Address
Neville Wigglesworth
Our win on Boxing Day, away at Tadcaster Albion, had certainly been some time coming which I’m sure made it all the sweeter for our supporters and confirmation of which was very apparent at the end judging by the jubilant celebrations taking place between players and fans on the final whistle.
Our recent run of indifferent form had seen us pick up just 6 points from a possible 30 which contrasted enormously with the promising start we made to the current season. The disappointing result against Pontefract Collieries recently brought about the end of the Wayne Benn era at the Club and I’m sure I speak for the whole Club in thanking Wayne and Andy for all their hard work during their tenure at Ossett United. The victory at Tadcaster at least kept us in touch with the play-off places and three more points this afternoon would go some way to confirming that we still have the necessary credentials to finish in the top five. The scenes amongst players and supporters at the end of the Tadcaster encounter must have given the new management team a taste of what they might come to expect if they can produce consistently good performances and results.
We have a reasonable record against Brighouse Town since the formation of Ossett United back in 2018. Ossett have two wins, Brighouse two wins and one game ended up all square. Additionally we have met three times in cup competitions with United having the upper hand in having progressed twice in comparison to Town’s one success. This afternoon will be the third time these two local rivals have faced one another on New Year’s Day. The last two occasions were especially memorable for Ossett as we triumphed by 4 goals to nil both times and a similar result today would undoubtedly send us into the second half of the season with renewed optimism. A win for Brighouse would have the additional benefit, other than the three points on offer, of taking them above Ossett in the Division One East League table so there is a lot at stake in addition to local ‘bragging rights’.
A big feature of the Boxing Day crowds in the Northern Premier League was the fact that no fewer than ten matches across the three divisions attracted gates in excess of 1,000 with three of those games topping 2,000. FC United of Manchester, Matlock Town and Marine recorded 2,000 plus attendances with Stalybridge Celtic, Whitby Town, Stafford Rangers, Scarborough Athletic, Clitheroe, Kidsgrove Athletic and Marske United all topping the 1,000 mark.
On the subject of attendance figures Ossett United currently rank 17th out of a total compliment of 81 clubs across the Northern Premier League’s four divisions. Take out the Premier Division and we rank 9th overall. In Division One East we stand third in the attendance table averaging 501 with only Stockton Town (539) and Marske United (502) above us. This is a great testament to our support considering the fact that we have recently had a less than distinguished run of form and our fans’ loyalty is much appreciated and never taken for granted.
Finally it just leaves me to say that we would like to extend a very warm welcome to Ingfield to our newly appointed management team of Jas Colliver and Mark Ward for their first game in charge here at Ossett United. Hopefully that welcome will be suitably transmitted to Jas and Mark via the voices of the Ossett United faithful on the terraces.
We would also like to extend a warm welcome to the Directors, Officials, management, players and not least the supporters of our near neighbours Brighouse Town for this afternoon’s encounter and we hope they take away with them a favourable impression of Ossett United Football Club.
Neville Wigglesworth – President Ossett United FC
Managers Corner
With Jas Colliver
Good afternoon and welcome to all players, management and supporters of Brighouse. Today will be another competitive game but one that we are looking forward to.
Firstly I’d like to say a huge thank you to the chairman and the board members for their warm welcome since we met last week. Myself and Wardy have been really impressed with what we’ve seen and heard about the club and it excites us to be part of it moving forward. We have a board who are passionate, industrious and organised three key strengths which you will also see from myself and my team.
In terms of the management team the hard work has begun starting with due diligence of the whole club particularly the playing squad. We have identified areas to improve the squad and made approaches to several clubs ranging from step 5 to step 2. (Hopefully a few new faces will be in the squad for today’s game!) Players will be moving on and some decisions on the loans have been made, when these happen we will keep you in the loop. My first signing for the club was young Charlie Wood on an initial month loan with a view to making this longer, I thought he did very well on his debut popping up with the winner, I’m looking forward to working with him but excellent first impressions.
Wally and Killa have been tremendous in this transitional period, holding fort the week leading up to the Tadcaster game and then picking a team to gain all three points on Monday. We were all in constant dialogue before the game but didn’t feel the need to add anything as their style of play and instructions were very similar to our own. I was delighted for everyone involved on Monday. We are gutted for Killa who’s been the ultimate professional whilst being injured and we wish him a speedy recovery, Wally Is a massive part of our plans and as you saw on Monday he is well up for playing for myself and Wardy. Wardy has worked with Wally before at Buxton and I’ve battled with him on the pitch being a centre back myself so we feel we can get the best from him and he can also help us with his experience.
We have only trained once since been offered the managers position so for us it’s very much work in progress, the lads attitude and commitment have been first class. We believe we have got a good foundation to build on which was evident against Tadcaster, the lads have only won twice in three months which understandably affects confidence. For us initially it’s about galvanising the lads, instilling belief and playing with no fear. There’s obviously room for improvement in other areas which will be addressed moving forward.
Finally we know what this club means to the town, your support is going to be huge going forward. Averaging over 500 fans at home is amazing and travelling in numbers to support us away gives us a huge boost on the pitch. We will be doing our upmost to bring the good times to Ingfield Stadium, a challenge that we believe by being together is achievable!
We are looking forward to seeing you all.
Enjoy the game.
A view from the Press Box...
Craig Biddlestone
I’d first of all like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year, from the two Chris’, Alex, Rob, Keith, Jon and myself.
Today see’s our third game in a row against local opposition, and following the game against Pontefract Collieries being shrouded (literally) in fog we finally returned to winning ways on Monday with a very well deserved and hard fought for 3-2 win at Tadcaster Albion, it’s been a while but from my perspective I thoroughly enjoyed the game, Wally & Killa (and Eddie Cass who was assisting Killa on the bench) certainly got the set up and tactics right, under the watchful eyes of our new management team of Jas Colliver and Mark Ward. I got the chance to speak with Jas and Wardy before the game and got a lot of positive vibes from them, despite the fact that Jas has chosen the new walk-out music, which unfortunately for me is also Leicester City’s walk out music!
I mentioned in my previous notes that local derbies are the bread and butter of clubs in non-league over the festive period, especially at the moment with so many professional games being called off due to the dreaded Covid pandemic. Football supporters this time of year love the number of games being played but with those games being called off it gives them a chance to go to watch their local non-league club, which in theory should lead to rising spectator numbers.
However, it’s the dedication and commitment of the players in non-league football that should be applauded, most of them have full-time jobs, families and other commitments all year round, this time of the year you would expect them to be especially busy and still manage to fit in 2-3 games over a short period of time, but all this is coming at a time when Premier League players, or the managers more so, are complaining about the number of games, players being exhausted and not having enough players to put a team out, despite having a squad of under 23’s at their disposal too.
For the record this is my own personal opinion and not the opinion of the club but I really do get angry when I hear the complaints from these over-paid prima donna’s, for 133 years football has been played extensively over the Christmas period, often with 3 games in a week, but all of a sudden the players who are much fitter these days and play on much better pitches don’t like the fact they have to play so much - so what happens later in the season when all these postponed games are re-arranged and then they have to play 3 games in a week?
Everybody on the entire planet knows the effect the pandemic is having on life, it’s been with us for 2 years now, but I personally would like these players to take a step back and have a think about those less fortunate (i.e. not on hundreds of thousands of pounds a week). As I said above, these players work full-time, have a family to spend quality time with and still train twice a week and play football at a decent level once to twice a week, I would also like to add that most of the complaints appear to be coming from those 6 clubs who not so long ago wanted to become part of the ill-fated European Super League, take from that what you will but it’s been annoying me now over the last couple of weeks and wanted to get these points off my chest. Rant over!
Finally, I’d like to thank our club President Neville Wigglesworth for choosing today’s half-time play list, enjoy the music and as always enjoy the game.
Craig
Ossett United Coaching Team:
- Manager: Jas Colliver
- Assistant Manager: Mark Ward
- Physio: Emily Crispin
Ossett United Squad:
- Jake TEALE (GK)
- Mateusz ZANIEWSKI (GK)
- Ross HARDAKER
- Ross KILLOCK
- Harry GAGEN
- Prince ATTAKORAH
- Jack COWGILL (C)
- Eddie CASS
- Cameron CLARK
- Stu LUDLAM
- Josh O'SONYA
- Dec McGIVERN
- Curt SENIOR
- Oliver CHAN
- Mo ELSAYED
- Aaron HASWELL
- Marcel CHIPAMAUNGA
- Jack TANSER
- Luke HOGG
- Nathan VALENTINE
- Archie WHITFIELD
- Josh HAIGH
- George GREEN
- Louis BECKETT
- Tabish HUSSAIN
- Charlie WOOD
- James WALSHAW
- Carl CLARKSON
- Reon POTTS
- Ify OFOEGBU
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Brighouse Town
SQUAD LIST
Brighouse Town Coaching Team:
- Manager: Vill Powell
- Assistant Manager: Stacy Reed & John Francis
- Coach: Leon Wainman
- Physio: Emily Harnden
Brighouse Town Squad:
- Gio Bellagambi (GK)
- Darius Smith
- Sam Reed
- Josh Grant (C)
- Harrison Beeden
- Aiden Walker
- Javelle Clarke
- Corey Gregory
- Laurence Sorhaindo
- Zeph Thomas
- Shiraz Khan
- Jack Boyle
- Tom Haigh
- Matty Nebard
- Elliot Harrison
- Alex King
- Brett Souter (GK)
Brighouse Town History:
The club was originally formed in 1963, as a representative side of the Blakeborough Valve Company of Brighouse and their home games were played on the Woodhouse Recreation Ground, with the side competing in the Huddersfield Works League. The club gained various league honours over the years, the most successful coming in the 1968/69 season, when they won both the League Cup as well as the Halifax District Cup.
Following this success, the club took the huge step of obtaining its own ground at Hove Edge. Whilst at Green Lane, where they played for more than a decade, they achieved two more league titles before taking another major step, in applying for and achieving West Riding County Amateur League status in 1975.
The club thrived there, until their Green Lane ground was developed for housing, upon which they moved to their present ground, just round the corner, on St Giles Road. There followed a period of stagnation, competing mainly in the lower divisions of the WRCAL until 1988 when the demise of the Blakeborough Company resulted in a new outlook, as well as a new name. This change proved to be the catalyst for the most successful period in the clubs history so far.
The newly named Brighouse Town AFC won promotion to the WRCA Premier Division in their first season, as well as winning the WRCAL Division One Cup. In 1991 the Premier Division Championship was won for the first time and in 1992 soon followed the West Riding County Challenge Cup. In 1994 Town won the Premier Division League Cup and were runners up in the County Challenge Cup, and they were Premier Division Champions again in 1995.
Season 1995/96 was perhaps the most successful season in the clubs history so far. Brighouse Town once again won the WRCAL Premiership title and also completed the double by winning the WRCA League Cup. They also won the Bob Wedgeworth Memorial Trophy.
Season 2008-09, saw the club make the significant step into Semi-Professional football by entering and being accepted into the Northern Counties East League Division One. After only two seasons in NCEL Division One, the Club won promotion to the NCEL Premier Division under the guidance of Mark Brier and Daz Attwood. 2011/12 Season saw the appointment of Paul Quinn as Manager and after 4th and 2nd place finishes in his first two seasons, the NCEL Premier Title was achieved with a record points total in 2013/14 – the Clubs 50th anniversary season.
Promotion to the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Division One North brought the highest level of football in the history of the Club only six years after leaving the West Riding County Amateur League, and a new and exciting challenge lay ahead. A very respectable 15th place finish was achieved in the Club’s inaugural season, and with valuable experience gained, solid foundations have been laid for playing football at this level.
Another 15th place finish but with a far higher points tally for Paul Quinn’s side in season 2015/16 brought optimism the Club is still heading in the right direction and coming to terms with the demands of the NPL. The Club’s development side also won the Lancashire League East Division for the first time..
In what ultimately became his final season, Paul Quinn cemented his legacy at the Club with a 9th place 2016/17 finish , the highest position achieved in the Clubs history and a fitting reflection of the tremendous job Quinn and his Assistant Mark Booth had done for Brighouse Town.
2017/18 Season brought a new era with Manager Vill Powell and Assistant Nat Brown taking over the reins and starting to rebuild the squad after a player exodus following Paul Quinn’s departure. Powell’s appointment just before the start of the season meant that squad rebuilding had to be done as the season went along, never an easy job in such a competitive League. Despite spending time in the lower part of the table during the 2nd half of the season, Town hit top form in the run-in to finish the season in a very respectable 17th position.
Powell used his first proper pre-season at Brighouse Town to strengthen his Managerial team; confirming Leon Wainman and Stacy Reed as his Assistants, and had the majority of his playing squad already in place for the first training session of the new 2018-19 season.
This resulted in a fantastic season, firstly qualifying for the end of season Play-offs, and then going on to win the Play-off final with an emphatic 3-0 victory against Pontefract Cols. The promotion place to the Premier Division that this would usually have brought, was denied to Town due to having an insufficient points-to-games ratio during the season which was the criteria to decide who got promotion, due to a lack of promotion places available for all the Play-off winners!! Despite this disappointment, the season had brought the highest ever League position in the Clubs history.
Season 2019-20 saw Town’s late push for a Play-Off place brough to an abrupt end due to the Covid 19 outbreak and ultimately the season being declared null and void.
Manager Vill Powell has added experienced Coach and ex-professional John Francis to his coaching team and is happy with the squad of players he has assembled for the 2020-21 season.
Season 2020-21 came to an even more abrupt finish than the previous season with the majority of teams not getting into double figures for games played before Covid 19 forced the season to be curtailed. FA restructuring has created an extra Division at Town’s level, with Vill Powell still at the helm looking forward to 2021-22 season in the newly formed NPL East Division.
We are pleased to confirm the signing of Ify Ofoegbu.
Manager Jas Colliver had this to say on the new signing:
‘Ify is someone I’ve admired for many years having watched him make his league debut at Chesterfield FC and followed him ever since. Ify was unfortunate to be released from Chesterfield, which was down to a change of manager at the time. Ify will add a lot of pace to our attacking play, plus he can also play in a number of positions. He’s a player I know will excite the supporters, another youngster with a real appetite for the game.’
Book Review: Imperfect 10: The Man Behind the Magic by Tony Currie and Andy Pack
In June 1976 Tony Currie left Sheffield United to join Leeds United, ending an eight-year association with the Bramall Lane club. It says much about the talent, esteem and regard of the player during his time in the red and white part of the Steel City, that 38 years later, in September 2014, as part of the club's 125th Anniversary celebrations, ‘TC’ as he was affectionally nicknamed by the Blades faithful, was named Sheffield United's Greatest Ever Player. Indeed, at the other two clubs where he played the majority of his career, Leeds United and QPR, Currie was also a fans favourite, one of a creative generation of players such as, Stan Bowles, Charlie George, Alan Hudson, Rodney Marsh, Duncan McKenzie and Frank Worthington, who entertained the footballing public during the 1970s and early 1980s.
Imperfect 10: The Man Behind the Magic, by Currie and former Sheffield United media manager Tony Pack, tells the story of the Blades legend both on and off the pitch. The book title is in itself interesting to analyse, with it reflecting the contrast of Currie the player and his flamboyant on-field persona and that of his shyness and struggles away from playing and in his domestic life. Quite simply, the perfect No: 10 (the numbered shirt most associated with Currie’s playing days) on the field, but an imperfect character away from it.
In terms of the football side of the book, readers are taken through Currie’s career from being released as an apprentice at Chelsea, and his first professional contract at Watford in 1967, to his final days in a brief stint as player/manager at non-league Goole Town in 1987, taking in Watford, Sheffield United, Leeds United, QPR, as well as his 13 England U23 appearances and 17 full International caps.
That Currie was most comfortable on the pitch, is readily apparent as he recalls his playing time with warmth, acknowledging and praising many of those that he played alongside. Indeed, his only real criticism of anybody within the game, is reserved for ex-Leeds United and England manager, the late Don Revie. Currie was very much part of Sir Alf Ramsey’s final squads, including playing in the infamous 1-1 draw with Poland at Wembley in 1973 which saw England fail to qualify for the 1974 Worlds Cup Finals. However, when Revie took charge of the Three Lions, flair players such as Currie were very much marginalised, with organisation, and work-rate favoured by the manager, meaning Currie earned just a solitary cap under Revie. However, with Ron Greenwood’s appointment in 1977, Currie returned to the fold, appearing ten times, including a standout performance in a 1-1 draw against Brazil in 1978. Alongside his 17 England caps, Currie won two promotions with Sheffield United, reached two League Cup Semi-Finals with Leeds United and played in the 1981-82 FA Cup Final with QPR, losing 1-0 in a replay, scant reward for a man of his talents.
However, against the background of his playing career, Currie reveals the struggles he had to deal with and still does to this day. For this there is much to credit co-author Andy Pack for, in being able to be trusted enough to extract and reveal the inner turmoil and dark parts of Currie’s life as his career ended against a background of divorce, depression, increasing isolation, drinking and money problems. However, you feel that Pack would have had to work hard to get the story he wanted as at just 239 pages, this is a short book compared to most biographies/autobiographies, which leads at times to certain events seemingly skimmed over and covered too quickly.
Despite this, Currie is very open in being very critical of himself, whether detailing his inability to be authoritative, for instance in wage negotiations during his playing time, describing his crippling shyness and nervousness away from his playing days, or the reasoning behind not seeking professional help now and in the past. What is evident though is the part that Sheffield as a city and United as a club did to bring Currie back from the brink in getting him back on his feet, starting with a testimonial game in 1986 which drew over 20,000 to Bramall Lane. Since then, Currie has worked at the club in various roles, beginning in 1988 on the Football in the Community scheme, later becoming a Director and in recent years as a Club Ambassador. Currie’s place in the Blades history was further cemented in 2018 when the South Stand was named the Tony Currie Stand – not bad for a lad from London, who has earned a special place in the hearts of those who call Bramall Lane home.
(Publisher: Vertical Editions. November 2021. Hardback: 239 pages)
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Match Report: OUFC 1 - 3 Pontefract Collieries
They call it ‘Mad Friday’, but you don’t have to be crazy to come to Ingfield for a floodlit Friday feast of football. After the recent Friday night local derby experiment with Liversedge that attracted a bonkers 1,000+ attendance, local rivals Ponte Colls would be next up for football Friday.
To be honest, Ossett United haven’t really recovered from the drubbing administered by high-flying Liversedge on that previous Friday. Confidence is clearly low after a run without success. Three points would be imperative tonight against a Ponte side hovering around the wrong end of the table. Once again, Wayne and Chick fielded a strong-looking side, Archie Whitfield coming in at number 8 for Nathan Valentine and Ross Hardaker starting at left-back. Up front, James Walshaw and Roy Fogarty would be ably assisted by the busy Aaron Haswell, skilful Reon Potts and industrious Whitfield in what looked like a very attack-orientated line-up. Louis Beckett, loan-signing from Hull City, came straight onto the United bench.
‘It’s pantomime season, Neville, so I reckon I’m going to pepper this week’s match report with panto jokes.’
‘Oh no you won’t,’ countered the Ossett United club president.
Oh yes I will, Nev.
Another great crowd of 552 packed the auditorium, the Ossett ultras taking their place in the stalls at the bonfire end. The Ingfield faithful welcomed back old favourite Jack ‘And the Beanstalk’ Vann, now at Ponte, as well as Nick ‘Whittington’ Guest on the Ponte bench. As the game kicked off on a misty mad Friday we were hoping for an Aladdin’s cave of footballing delights rather than the Puss in Football Boots of recent weeks.
The initial pressure would come from Ponte though, a poor clearance on 11 minutes resulting in a long-range effort by Greenhough. Matt Zaniewski couldn’t quite hold onto the ball as he dived to save and the rebound was bundled in. ‘It’s 1-0 to Ponte,’ I thought. ‘Oh no it isn’t!’ indicated the lino’s flag for offside. Speaking to Ponte fans at half-time who had been closer to the action, they felt aggrieved. But, anyway, phew.
A minute later, another Ponte chance and a header floating goalwards, though thankfully Matt ‘the Cat’ tipped over for a corner at the bus station end.
It had been a wishee washee start for Ossett, with Ponte looking most dangerous, the Blues struggling to piece passes together through the midfield. Then, on 33 minutes, out of the blue, James Walshaw went through on goal, his effort saved by Ponte keeper Lloyd Allinson. Following in was Ossett’s principal boy and Prince Charming for the evening, ReonPotts, who tucked the ball away to give the home side an unexpected lead. 1-0 to the boys in blue.
Finally, some confidence started to shine through the Ossett team and we finished the half on top. In fact we almost went in 2-0 up, as Aaron Haswell stole in from the left, shooting agonisingly just wide across the face of goal.
During the interval the fog descended further across the Ingfield turf, with visibility deteriorating for the second half of the play.
Early in the second period came, for me, the turning point in the plot. If you were there and you are reading this, I imagine you’ll think I’m talking about a red card. Oh no I’m not. Ponte manager Craig Rouse rubbed his Aladdin’s lamp and out popped a genie called Joao Rangel, replacing Rob Guilfoyle from the bench. Rangel would go on to cause havoc down the Ponte right flank for the rest of the play.
On 51 minutes a cross from said right flank was bundled infor a Ponte equaliser. In the puff of smoke (well, fog really) the goal has been credited to several Ponte players but we’ll give it to Luke Hinsley. Please correct me if my 50-year-old eyes deceived me in the mist. It was definitely 1-1 though and, on reflection, deservedly so.
Rangel continued to work his magic down the Ponte right, with a succession of great crosses, the best of which found Matt Rothery, whose goalbound effort brought an excellent save from Zaniewski to keep the Blues in the game.
Aaron Haswell attempted to break away down the left, cynically brought down by Shepherd before he could reach the danger area. Shepherd saw yellow for his efforts, but another card produced by referee Dane McCarrick soon afterwards would prove to be the next big twist in the plot.
A 50-50 ball in the centre of the park, Ossett midfielder Luke Hogg slid into the tackle full force. Hoggy got the ball 100% cleanly, but the Ponte player went down in the challenge. A melee ensued, the Ponte players surrounding referee Dane McCarrick. It’s a tricky one, this. A tackle like that is always risky, with no room for error. Yet, Hogg won the ball. A red card was produced by the ref, who generally had a good game. Pantomime Dane or Pantomime Villain? I’ll let you decide.
From that point on it was all Ponte, Rangel causing problems again and again down their right flank. On 72 minutes a cross from the right found Rothery, who calmly controlled and slotted home for the visitors. 1-2.
Worse was to come for Ossett, with a corner from the Ponte right on 79 minutes. It seemed like Sleeping Beauty for a few seconds as the corner was whipped in. With the near post crowded you wanted to scream, ‘He’s behind you!’ Luke Hinsley had ghosted in, finding himself somehow alone six yards out. Trapping the ball, in slow motion Hinsley picked his spot and hammered home for 1-3.
The game petered out with Ponte playing possession football,toying with the ten men. They were good value for their win, as difficult as it is for this partisan to admit.
I used to have a job as a pantomime horse, but I quit while I was a head.
Thanks for reading, merry Christmas and see you at Taddy. And it should be a merry one at a town with two breweries. Cheers.
Match Report: Tadcaster Albion 2 - 3 OUFC
Walking to the football. I’ve got Luke Swinden, Chris Bowker and the lads and lasses from Ossett United Supporters’ Club to thank for this little quirk. I joined them on the charity walk to Mossley last year and had a great time. After two curtailed seasons and looking at the fixture list, the away game at Taddy would be a nailed-on walk for me.
From where I live Tadcaster is a ten mile walk through woods and across fields, with virtually no proper roads at all, but some good country pubs punctuating a gentle amble through the countryside. What better way to blow away the cobwebs on Boxing Day (well, the day after Boxing Day), followed by hopefully three points for the Blues in Beertown?
A one o’clock kick-off scuppered the idea of a pint in the Arabian Horse in Aberford. And a second at the Hare and Hounds in Stutton. The relentless drizzle, the thick fog, the deep mud scuppered the idyll of the stroll across the fields.Hopefully, Ossett United would enjoy a walk in the park today instead, but no local derby is going to be an easy three points, particularly when your last win was yonks ago at Pickering.
If you haven’t been to Tadcaster Albion’s ground I’d highly recommend it. It’s full of contrasting beauty. It doesn’t get more non-league than walking through John Smith’s Brewery yard to get to a ground. Looking at the massive stockpile of kegs I decided that this would be one town the Ossett United ultras wouldn’t drink dry!
Inside the ground there’s a cracking little clubhouse on the half-way line, a seated stand behind the goal, the industrial landscape of the brewery at one side and a tree-lined fence to the other, hinting at the countryside beyond. A whiff of malt occasionally wafts across the ground, just to remind you of those beers you missed because of the bloody one o’clock kick-off!
It was all-change on the pitch and in the Ossett dugout. The departure of Wayne Benn and team was a sad one. More likeable, honest and hard-working managers you won’t find. They came in during difficult times, got us playing some quality football as the season commenced, but it had been a long run without a win. The very promising new incumbents,Jas Colliver and Mark Ward, did the rounds during the game, meeting the large contingent of travelling Ossett supporters in what was an otherwise disappointing Bank Holiday crowd of 325. In the dugout for one game only would be senior player Ross Killock, with joint interim boss James Walshaw running things on the pitch in his usual talismanic role up front.
There were quite a few changes on the park too. Aaron Haswell took up a more central role to bounce off Walshaw’s graft and guile. Tabish Hussain and new loanee Charlie Wood occupied the wide roles, with another recent loan signing Louis Beckett joining Archie Whitfield in the centre of midfield. Prince Attakorah came in at right back, joining an otherwise settled back line.
It was a much brighter start from Ossett, crisp attacking football showing more fluency than previous outings. Aaron Haswell won the first corner on five minutes, the resulting cross finding Walshaw’s head. Alas, just over the bar.
United continued to show promise and on 19 minutes Haswell again stole into left hand side of the box, shooting just over. Three minutes later Walshaw connected with a cross, volleying just wide of the target.
With 29 minutes on the John Smith’s brewery clock the deadlock was finally broken, Haswell again breaking into the box, composing himself to slot the ball home past Bottomley in the Taddy net. A deserved 1-0 to the visitors.
On 32 minutes Mat Zaniewski was tested in the Ossett goal, a long-distance effort seeing the keeper at full stretch to save acrobatically.
Five minutes later another Ossett attack resulted in James Walshaw going down under a challenge just inside the Tadcaster penalty area. Walshaw, who put in a great shift for the Blues, stepped up to take the spotkick, blasting it towards the centre of the goal. Bottomley managed to get his full body in the way, saving the day for Taddy. Would this be a turning point of the game after so much dominance?
As half-time approached a substitution was enforced for the visitors, Tabish Hussain clearly struggling with a strain. On came Reon Potts for the remaining seconds of the first half.
Wow. What on Earth happened in the Tadcaster dressing room at half-time? The previously lacklustre hosts looked a different side as the second half commenced. Almost immediately a cross from the right found Jack Carr unmarked. Carr waited, then scissor kicked an unstoppable right-foot volley into Zaniewski’s net. 1-1. All of Ossett’s hard work of the first half snuffed out by a piece of brilliance from the Brewers.
It was all Taddy for the first ten minutes of the second half, culminating in a second hammer blow. On 55 minutes former Ossett United player Eddie Church beat the offside trap to fire Tadcaster into the lead. 2-1 to Tadcaster and United were somehow now up against it yet again.
Those ten minutes turned out to be a Taddy purple patch, with Ossett showing far greater resilience than of late, this time stamping their authority back onto the game. Haswell was the first to come close, shooting agonisingly just wide across the face of goal.
On 65 minutes the Ossett following found some Christmas cheer, the ball reaching Louis Beckett around 20 yards out on the right. His shot took a slight deflection off Reon Potts, the resulting goal claimed by the United substitute.Whoever….whatever….just get in!!! 2-2.
As Ossett continued to press, the comeback was complete on 75 minutes. Beckett was again involved, his free-kick won by McGivern in the air, the ball falling to loan signing Charlie Wood, who stroked the ball home on his debut to send the Ossett travelling army ecstatic.
Tadcaster fought back for the final ten or fifteen minutes, with end-to-end football adding to the afternoon’s entertainment. It was a deserved 3-2 victory though for the Boys in Blue and hopefully the sign of better times ahead.
Happy New Year and bring on Briggus!
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Credits:
JonHuntPhotography Keith Wood