Emley fail to make chances pay in narrow defeat

AFC Emley’s run of four consecutive league games unbeaten came to an end as they lost 2-1 at Hemsworth Miners Welfare.

Ashley Flynn’s 31st goal of the season cancelled out Samuel Jones’ opener, before Nash Connolly grabbed the winner for the home side.

Things started badly for Emley, who came into this game off the back of a penalty shoot-out win in the NCEL League Cup in midweek, when Jones received the ball from his captain Jason Yates, evaded the challenge of Tom Brennan and Adam Lawlor couldn’t get enough on his shot to keep it from going in.

Flynn hit the upright in the first half after a ball over the top from Kieran Ryan, who himself had a couple of efforts in the opening period, one when Jordan Coduri broke down the right and found Ryan in some space, only to fire beyond the post, and another when he got his head to Sam Scrivens’ corner, but Hemsworth goalie Chris Snaith was equal to it.

Emley, who beat Hemsworth 4-3 away in the cup earlier this season, tested the keeper again late in the first half, when Ryan played in his strike partner Flynn, and his shot towards the near post was parried behind for a corner by Snaith. The resulting corner saw Flynn blaze over without troubling Snaith’s goal.

Hemsworth centre back Jack Steers had a chance to double the lead, but he could only find the trees behind the goal from Shane Kelsey’s drilled free kick.

Captain Michael Tunnacliffe hit the post directly from a corner a few minutes into the second half, which also saw Ryan attempt to lob the goalkeeper after he came to meet the ball outside of his area, only to see his effort go wide. At the other end, Dominique Blair’s dummy and shot was unable to trouble Lawlor.

The equalizer came soon after, as a well worked passing move out of the back, which started with goalkeeper Lawlor, ended with Ryan passing the ball to Flynn, who beat the offside trap and coolly slotted home to make it 1-1.

Substitute Darcy Pugh should have put Hemsworth back in front, somehow diverting Adam Wilson’s centre wide of the post from just a couple of yards out.

Emley then had some great chances to make it two, as Flynn found some space in the area, but couldn’t direct Ryan’s cutback from the right towards goal, and the ball fell to Brennan from a corner, and his effort beat the keeper, but was somehow cleared off the line by Wilson away to safety.

The away side were punished for not making their chances pay, as Hemsworth re-took the lead when a free kick was whipped into the area and Connolly made the most of a fortunate ricochet after Lawlor managed to get a fist to the cross, and put the ball into the back of an empty net.

Emley tried in vain to find a second equalizer, with Flynn’s free kick comfortably held by Snaith in the Hemsworth goal, and efforts by Coduri and Sam Jerome going over the bar.