Report: Pickering (H)

Emley extended their unbeaten run in the league to 9 games as they ground out a 1-0 win against Pickering Town in a scrappy affair at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground.

The Pewits struggled to dispatch any of their frequent chances until late in the second half, and after the first 45, the Emley home support were left desiring more.

Pickering looked better in their defensive third than their league position and goal difference would suggest. Despite sitting second bottom, The Pikes were impervious to the sheer attacking firepower in Emley’s arsenal for the majority of the game.

Inside the first minute Emley were on the front foot to get the crowd going. Gooden drifted inside and skipped past a midfielder before threading it through for Jerome. He wound up to unleash the first shot of the game, but a Pickering defender combatively threw himself in front of it.

Emley’s early warning shot set the pace for a frantic, yet frustrating half of football from the home side. Walker was the next to go for goal, as he lined one up from 20 yards that was once again charged down by a yellow Pickering shirt for a corner.

Walker wasted no time in taking the resulting corner, and from it came Emley’s first big opportunity of the game. His delivery couldn’t have been much better, as the inswinger dropped at the far post where a couple of Emley shirts had queued up, but a Pickering defender was the one to meet it and clear the danger.

The tension of the game began to build as Emley grew more wound up by their inefficiency in attack. Frustration began to creep in, and The Pewits did not look to be their normal selves for swathes of the game. This was only aggravated when a huge shout for a red card against the Pickering keeper was waved away.

After a period marred by poor discipline from both sides, Gooden had been played through and was onside. The ‘keeper rushed outside of the box and dived at Gooden’s feet, bringing him down without taking the ball. Screams from all corners of the ground were waved away and not even a foul was given. Richard Tracey ran up in arms to the linesman for support to no avail and Emley bitterly trudged on.

Emley kept their heads and began to play some intricate football at the back end of the first half, as Kenny played a one-two, receiving the return pass as he bore down on goal. With only one thing on his mind, Kenny put his laces through the ball, but it whistled just wide of the left post and into the shed end.

HT: EMLEY 0-0 PICKERING

The second half was a matter of unlocking the visitors’ defensive barricade for The Pewits, who spent the vast majority of it camped in Pickering’s half.

Emley started fast again. Metcalfe, after bursting down the right flank, cut an inch-perfect ball back to Lawrence, who didn’t quite get a hold of the shot. A defender blocked and cleared to safety.

The home side’s attacking play had become stagnant, as they held onto possession but failed to connect the dots in attack. As the game approached the 60th minute Emley needed inspiration, and Richard Tracey called upon reinforcements with a triple substitution.

Taking advantage of fresh legs, Emley managed to test the Pickering ‘keeper once more through Jerome, who was played through with a dinked ball. He darted in behind the defence and took the shot on his left across goal. The ‘keeper couldn’t gather the effort and the ball was momentarily loose, but nobody was following Jerome up to capitalise. Better from Emley, but the opening goal was proving to be elusive.

Hardaker was next to try and pick Pickering’s defensive lock with a trademark cross that found Knowles who fired his shot with venom straight into a defender and out for a corner.

Emley then won a string of corners that led to the eventual breakthrough. Hardaker swung in a third corner in a row into a crowded six-yard box. The Pickering defender got his head to it, but could only clear as far as Donae Lawrence, who finished into the far-left corner with a swivelling half-volley. The Pewits were ahead with little over 15 minutes to see out the fixture.

There was significant concern for the Emley bench as Jerome and Lawrence went down with injuries shortly after the opening goal. Having already used 4 of the 5 allotted substitutions, Jerome was replaced by Rowley, leaving Lawrence to play through the pain barrier for the rest of the game.

The final portion of the game was managed well by Tracey’s Pewits, who kept hold of the ball well and had a chance to finish it through Gooden, who tore away from his marker down the right before shooting into the side netting.

Pickering Town launched a high ball forward in the closing moments in a final attempt to nick a point from the game. Lambton leapt high to claim with confidence, much to the frustration of the previously booked Pickering attacker, who lashed out at Emley’s number 1 before a skirmish broke out in the Emley box. The Pickering forward was sent off in the dying moments and Emley had secured 3 points once more.

Emley certainly did not make matters easy for themselves, having enjoyed far more possession than the visitors. Nonetheless, The Pewits were dominant and now sit 2nd in the NCEL Premier Division, 5 points adrift of league leaders Campion with 3 games in hand.

Emley will welcome Yorkshire Main on Tuesday night (19:45) as they begin their defence of the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Cup.

FT: EMLEY 1-0 PICKERING
ATTENDANCE – 405
EMLEY – Lambton, Pashley, Hardaker, Metcalfe, Knowles (c), Barks, Walker, Kenny, Jerome, Lawrence, Gooden; Subs used – Haigh, Curtis, Kelly, Clegg, Rowley.
GOALS: Lawrence 75’
Moxon and Co. Man of the Match – Donae Lawrence