Glasshoughton Welfare 2-3 AFC Emley

It was a foggy and sometimes dark night in Glasshougton. Towards the end of the first half, half of the floodlights failed and caused a brief stoppage in play.

Ironically, the gloomy pitch seemed to fit the occasion as the game never produced a sparkling affair.

Despite winning their last three games and scoring a combined 27 goals, Emley didn’t always look comfortable and showed the other side to their game as they grinded out the 3 points which sees them move to 4th in the table.

The first 10 minutes of the game were frantic and Emley had the first sight of goal through eventual match winner, Ashley Flynn. Emley though, will have been thinking what might have been when Glasshoughton went up the other end of the pitch and took the lead through former player Nathan Perks.

Flynn hit the bar with a curling free kick from the edge of the box and from the resulting goal kick, Perks scored his first of the game. The striker latched onto a long ball to slot past a helpless Adam Lawlor.

The advantage didn’t last too long as Emley hit back in the 23rd minute. Flynn was involved again when he sent Alex Hallam down the right hand side and the winger produced an inch perfect cross for the impressive youngster Sam Scrivens to slot home.

Emley continued to have the better of play and after the short break due to the floodlight failure, they went 2-1 up on the stroke of half time.

Scrivens was typically at the centre of the play as the winger dazzled Glasshoughton’s fullback with an abundance of trickery. The skills soon led to an end product as he whipped a cross into the back post which centre half Tom Brennan headed past the rooted 'keeper.

This wasn’t the last event of the first half however. Glasshoughton were reduced to 10 men when their number 8 saw red for violent conduct. Players on both sides were involved and Emley escaped with just a yellow card that was collected by goal scorer Brennan.

Emley could have opened up a two goal lead early in the second half when Flynn was brought down inside the box. The striker dusted himself down and took the penalty, only to see it crash off the post. The game was still poised at 2-1.

After picking up a yellow card for kicking the ball away, manager Darren Hepworth decided to bring off Man of the Match Scrivens.
The substitution maybe injected extra confidence into Glasshoughton’s play and they made Emley pay for some lacklustre play. The scores were back level when birthday boy Perks got his brace.

A share of the spoils seemed to be going to both of the teams as the game headed into stoppage time.

Emley, and of course Flynn, had other ideas. Hallam grabbed his second assist of the game and the winger continues to build his reputation of being a provider. The number 11 was let loose down the right hand side and he floated the ball into the six yard area where Flynn met the ball with a diving header.

A dramatic ending will make the win seem more than just 3 points and the clarets have now won 4 games on the bounce. The gritty victory will show the rest of the league they are more than just a gung-ho team.

Emley will now look forward to their home game back at the Welfare Ground this Saturday when they host Selby Town.
Nothing but 3 points will be on the agenda.