Rout Signals Successful Start To Defence Of Cup.

Wetherby recorded their first victory in a competitive match to end a winless streak that had lasted twelve games and had stretched back to last May. However, despite scoring ten without reply, Manager Mark Forster still wasn’t satisfied with his side’s lack of clinical finishing in front of goal.

The hosts took to the pitch wearing the white shirts that had made its debut during the John Moore/John Fairweather tribute match. This was due to the visitors wearing a red kit that was deemed to clash with Wetherby’s usual orange shirts.

Due to injuries, Max Landau started the game in the right side of defence as Joe Garside had been ruled out with a twisted ankle. Jadey Ibrahim dropped down to the bench as Warren Clarke returned to spearhead the attack.

Starting the match in almost blinding sunshine, it was Josh Kirk and Josh Wilson who combined well. Striding into the area, Kirk unleashed a low shot which was diverted clear by a sliding defender.

Wilson took off on another mazy run down the left flank and let fly with a shot from the edge of the area, however his effort was more a danger for the photographer sitting near the byline than the goalkeeper!

Wetherby won two quick corners and the ball slammed into a defender following Andy Graham’s flick on, however despite several attempts to force the ball home, Monk Fryston defended resolutely and eventually the ball was cleared.

Wilson and Kirk were having almost free reign down the wing and bursting into the box, Wilson’s pull back was intercepted at the last moment and unceremoniously hammered cleared.

Fryston managed to venture into Wetherby’s half in the seventh minute, but Graham stood tall and took the ball away from the oncoming forward with ease.

Wetherby took the lead in the 13th minute when Arran Horton crossed into the area, Joe Dorkings played the ball back across the area and Wilson fired home, with the aid of the crossbar.

It was the combination of both Wilson and Kirk that nearly afforded chances to Kirk and Dorkings, but each time, the ball bounced out of play.

A clever chip by Clarke released Wilson and as the teenager strode clear of the defence, he was stopped by a long blast of Mr George’s whistle. The decision proved to be an instantly unpopular one and shouts from Wetherby and the spectators let the official know what they thought of it.

Fryston broke up the pitch and forced a corner, but yet again it was Graham who headed to the edge of the area where the shot was returned, but high and wide.

Whiteley played a delightful through pass to release Kirk down the wing, whipping the ball in, Dorkings forced the ball wide to Horton who sent in a low cross that Dorkings stretched for, but just couldn’t connect with.

A minute later, Horton made it two when Clarke’s original ball was cleared out of the area. The clearance caught Horton and spun up but a wonderful dipping shot arced over the keeper and flew just under the bar.

Bobby Stevenson, Joe Whiteley and Kirk were producing some raking balls across the pitch and these lead to several breaks, including a goal-line clearance from Clarke’s full bodied shot, but despite throwing bodies forward, Wetherby couldn’t convert.

Finally the third goal did arrive in the 36th minute after Kirk played in Whiteley. Twisting and turning in the area, Whiteley beat two men before fashioning space and his low shot beat the keeper at his near post.

Fryston were being forced back continuously and chances fell to Dorkings, Clarke and Horton with Kirk, Whiteley and Stevenson all being instrumental in the play.

The second period saw the introduction of Ibrahim for Stevenson and the half was barley three minutes old when the muscular forward leapt to meet Dorkings cross and steered his header downwards, past the stricken goalkeeper.

Fryston managed to get into Wetherby’s half and some snappy passing allowed the number 10 to shoot, however James Webster, who had practically been a spectator, caught the ball without any trouble.

Clarke was rapidly gaining the unluckiest player on the pitch tag when he timed his run and sprung the visitor’s offside trap. However, rounding the keeper, his touch was heavy and he forced back out when it looked like the ball was destined for the net!

Wetherby had a half-hearted claim for a penalty turned down after Josh Buckley was impeded in the area. Despite a collection of shouts, Mr George just turned away.

Ibrahim struck again in the 51st minute when he controlled a cross area ball before opening his body up and placing his shot low past the on rushing keeper.

Fryston just couldn’t get out of their half and Ibrahim nearly completed his hat-trick when two bites of the cherry forced good blocks from the defence and keeper.

Both Dorkings and Landau produced surging runs into the area, but despite getting crosses in, there were no white shirts able to produce a finish.

Forster shuffled his pack again on 58 minutes when he withdraw Dorkings and replaced him with John Tehrani.

Whiteley showed his skill on the ball when he beat three Fryston players during a great run, shooting hard, the ball cannoned off a red shirt and spun out for a corner. From the kick, Buckley flicked the ball on and Landau steered the ball home.

Two minutes later, Landau had his second goal of the afternoon when he headed home Horton’s free kick, after Clarke had been fouled on the edge of the area.

The pressure on Fryston’s goal was now constant and Ibrahim could only growl in frustration as his shot went just wide of the post.

The biggest cheer of the afternoon came in the 71st minute when Whiteley’s skill set up Clarke and the striker drilled his shot low past the keeper. Whiteley was at it again minutes later when a cheeky lay off fooled the Fryston full back and Landau was able to run into the area, before crashing his shot into the side netting.

The Fryston keeper pulled off a superb save to deny Whiteley his second of the match, when he bravely dived at the feet of the midfielder to divert the ball out for a corner. However minutes later, he was unable to stop Whiteley from laying the ball across the area and Wilson finished low past the stranded custodian.

With the Fryston goal under constant bombardment, everyone was wondering if Wetherby could make it a perfect ten! That question was answered in the 86th minute when Wilson completed his hat-trick after controlling Buckley’s chip into the area and steering his shot past the keeper.

With seconds remaining on the clock, Buckley intercepted a throw out from the keeper and took a shot from distance, however his aim was off and the ball flew out for a goal-kick.

So a win that should not only inspire confidence in the team, but also proves that we can score. Should we have got more – definitely, but it was nice to see the lads relax into a game and boss it from start to finish and gain the right result. Let’s hope we can now do it in the league!

Report by Pete Arnett

Location

LS22 5HA