Greens Crash to Frustrating Defeat

Sleaford Town crashed to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of United Counties League Premier Division North league leaders Sherwood Colliery on Saturday afternoon – despite playing more than half-an-hour against nine-men.

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The game looked to have tipped in the Greens favour when Jamie York and Carter Widdowson were dismissed within two minutes of each other midway through the second half, but the Greens were unable to take advantage and ultimately shipped goals from Ewan Robson and Bradley Wells to slip to a frustrating defeat.

With three-and-a-half weeks passing since the Greens last took to the field in any competition, joint-managers Tom Ward and Nathan Arnold made four changes from the side that defeated Holbeach United in Lincolnshire FA Senior Trophy action. The headline switch saw an eagerly-anticipated debut for striker Connor Pilbeam after he joined the Greens from Holbeach in the aftermath of that cup meeting last month. Elsewhere there were returns for dual-registered duo Sebastian Robbemond and Akeel Francis whilst there was also a place in the starting line-up for Ryan Lennon who made his first start since returning from an injury picked up against Harrowby United in mid-October. Those changes saw midfielders Dominic Kew and Finlay Armond drop out of the squad altogether, whilst there were places on the bench for player/manager Tom Ward and also for Jacob Fenton who stepped up his recovery from a hamstring problem picked up against Holbeach. Opponents Sherwood Colliery meanwhile made five changes of their own from the side that fell to their first league reversal of the campaign at Loughborough Students a fortnight ago. Jacob Pearce, Ethan Wiesztort, Marley Grant and Ricky Starbuck all dropped to the bench while Josh Waldram was absent from the side altogether – their replacements on the day saw Kieran Knight, Oliver Lobley, Will Norcross, Craig Westcarr and Jake Wright all return to the starting eleven.

It was visitors Sherwood who began the half in dangerous fashion and they called Liam Flitton into early action as he was required to collect Craig Westcarr’s effort from just inside the area. That was followed up 10-minutes later when Kieran Knight glanced Jamie York’s freekick just wide of the post. Despite that though, the Greens always looked a threat when the counter attack prevailed and some neat football saw Seb Robbemond release Ryan Lennon whose cross was cut out by Sherwood keeper Louis Kinnerley with Conner Pilbeam lurking.

Back at the other end and the half’s best opportunity arrived from a Carter Widdowson corner, with captain Jobe Shaw forcing a fine diving save from Liam Flitton, before the Greens number one bravely denied Will Norcross at his feet after the forward man had broken through. The visitors continued to create the best of the opportunities but they again found the Greens in disciplined form, Charlie Ward this time producing a brilliant covering tackle after Westcarr had neatly released Knight forward.

The visitors were again on the offensive early in the second half and they forced Liam Flitton into another fine save on 49 minutes, when he denied the onrushing Knight well with his feet. Despite that enterprising start though, the game looked to have got away from the Nottinghamshire outfit during a mad ten minutes that saw the visitors reduced to nine men as well as seeing manager Wayne Savage dismissed from the touchline. Jamie York was the first to see his marching orders for a stamp on Lewis Daff before Carter Widdowson followed him down the tunnel just two minutes later when he flattened Akeel Francis with a high lunge.

That was all too much for Sherwood manager Savage to take and his frustrations boiled over when he was dismissed from the touchline a few minutes after his two players and the Greens looked odd-on for a positive result. That was not to be the case though and things began to go downhill when Charlie Ward was adjudged to have hauled Jake Wright down in the box on 82 minutes and Ewan Robson stepped up to coolly dispatch beyond Flitton and put the Wood into an unlikely lead.

The Greens, now facing the prospect of defeat, turned up the pressure and substitute Danny Horton worked space well before seeing his effort trickle agonisingly across goal. That was swiftly followed by fellow replacement Jacob Fenton sweeping an effort wide of the far post – probably the Greens clearest chance all afternoon. Then, with the Greens advancing, they were hit with the sucker-punch on the break when Bradley Wells swept a fine effort into the far corner beyond the despairing dive of Liam Flitton to condemn the Greens to an eighth league defeat of the campaign.

The Greens will now look forward to their final United Counties League Premier Division North contest before Christmas when they travel to face Skegness Town at the Vertigo Stadium next Saturday afternoon. Kick-off on the Lincolnshire coast is scheduled for 3PM.

Words: Oliver Atkin