Emley keep promotion dream alive with four star display at Yorkshire Amateur

Although the scoreline suggests an even sort of game, it was anything but with Emley simply dominating to keep their promotion bid from the NCE League alive, writes Martin Eastwood.

On a fairly muddy and bumpy pitch, the Pewits soon found their wings, a remarkable opening quarter in which Emley could quite feasibly had been five up instead of two.

Ross Hardaker almost scored direct from a corner in the second minute and from the next corner skipper James Knowles headed wide.

It was no surprise that a corner did bring the opening goal as the ball was not cleared and was recycled by Callum Charlton who set up Junayd Cassius-Gill to score.

Knowles put another header wide from another corner and it was wave after wave of Emley attacks. Joe Clegg saw a shot blocked, Alex Metcalfe fired a stinger that the keeper saved, Cassius-Gill was inches away from his second when a snap shot was cleared.

It really was only a matter of time before Emley got a second and it came on 25 minutes, again, great build-up play involving Joe Kenny, Sam Pashley, and Iyrwah Gooden ended with Cassius-Gill’s delightful dinked ball to the far post where Clegg was waiting to head past the keeper.

It was a mystery how Emley did not to their tally before half-time as Kenny saw a shot saved and Charlton was unlucky with a volley that fell agonisingly wide.

Cassius-Gill had another shot blocked, the keeper saved well from a Pashley header and then another great chance before half-time saw Cassius-Gill set up Gooden who shot narrowly over.

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More near misses followed after the break before the Ammers keeper had to go off with a shoulder injury to warm applause from the visiting fans who appreciated his efforts between the sticks.

Elliot Harrison replaced Clegg and was immediately in the thick of the action, playing a part in the game’s next big moment, as the ball was moved left to right, Gooden was played in and was unceremoniously dumped over from behind for an Emley penalty.

Metcalfe, who has stepped up to spot kick taker since Jagger’s injury stepped up, fired straight at the sub keeper who did well to collect at the second attempt and it was a rare sight indeed, a missed Emley penalty.

It seemed to spur on the hosts who managed to look fairly lively up front. They created a decent chance, but it was blazed well over and into the gardens behind the ground.

More changes for the Pewits saw Charlton and Cassius-Gill applauded off, replaced by Jake Kelly and the returning Jimmy Eyles, and the subs were right into the action, combining well but the keeper got a hand to Kelly’s shot.

The game was finally put to bed on 83 minutes. Gooden teased and tormented the defence then played a lovely weighted pass into the path of Metcalfe who, from a tight angle, smashed into the roof of the net to make amends for his earlier penalty miss and make it seven goals from his last eight games.

Gooden was then replaced, his job done, and probably to the relief of the home defenders by Ned Dry who would play his part in the win shortly after.

But then the hosts nicked a goal back with two minutes left and a cracker it was too, Wilkinson weaving a path through the defence before slotting past Lambton.

It was a shortlived celebration for the small band of home fans as Emley netted again when Dry found space in the box before firing home for his first goal for the club.

And with the game deep into stoppage there was another goal as Wilkinson again broke through, although suspiciously offside, to round Lambton and slot home.

With Golcar doing Emley a favour by scoring a last minute equaliser at Winterton it means that the race for the second and possibly play-off spot is not done yet.

Saturday’s win took Emley to within five points of Winterton, but with two games in hand. They now face a trip to Golcar tomorrow night (Tuesday) and then play Winterton in a six-pointer at home this Saturday.

Moxon and Co man of the match at Yorkshire Amatur was Ross Hardaker.