AFC Emley 2 - 1 Penistone Church

AFC Emley went eight points clear at the top of the Toolstation NCEL Division One table on Saturday after coming from behind to beat Penistone Church 2-1 in a top of the table clash, extending their unbeaten run to eleven games.

Brett Lovell prodded in from a goal-mouth scramble midway through the first half, but goals from Aaron Joseph and Ashley Flynn inside nine minutes ensured all three points stayed at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground.

Kieran Ryan and Ryan Johnson were both sent off following a mass brawl but Darren Hepworth believed that worked in the hosts’ favour, despite losing his captain to a three game ban.

Ryan will miss crucial games against Grimsby Borough and Pontefract Collieries in the coming weeks but the strength in depth that Hepworth has in forward areas will please the boss.

Those two fixtures are games that Emley will have to start brightly and the home side’s start was far from bright against a well organised Penistone side who had clearly done their homework.

Their hard work was rewarded in the 36th minute when defender Brett Lovell stabbed home when the ball fell to him in the midst of a goal-mouth scramble.

The Penistone players wheeled away in celebration, but not for long after the game took a sour turn.

A mass brawl resulted in the dismissal of Ryan and Johnson for either side, mirroring the FA Vase Second Round tie against Cleethorpes Town when Joe Brennan and Liam Davis were given their marching orders following a violent altercation.

Emley’s second half didn’t start the way Hepworth would have liked to but encouraging signs began to become clear when the hosts’ superb fitness levels took control.

Liam Schofield’s marvellous run allowed him space to dart into the box and pick out an unmarked Joseph at the back post. On the day where his partner gave birth to twins, the midfielder didn’t need a second invitation.

Talking of players who don’t need a second invitation, Flynn soon fired Emley into the lead with 20 minutes to go. Ash Scully’s wonderful flick was met by the league’s top scorer, who held off his defender and lashed into the top corner.

Emley held onto a precious three points despite a nerve-racking finale and subsequently went undefeated in the league since October 18th.

In the week that marked the nineteen year anniversary of Emley’s FA Cup trip to Upton Park to face West Ham United, goalscorer on that day Paul David, as well as ex player Neil Lacey were amongst the 418 at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground yesterday and they will have certainly been pleased with what they saw.

The attendance went into the record books as the league’s highest attendance of the season, fittingly to watch the league’s top scorer Flynn take his tally up to 37.