PILSLEY GO TOP

PILSLEY COMMUNITY 3 HATHERSAGE 0

HOPE VALLEY LEAGUE A DIVISION AT RUPERT STREET

15 OCTOBER 2022 --- 2PM

JAMES BACON WONDERFUL PENALTY SAVE IN PILSLEY COMMUNITY V HATHERSAGE

Pilsley put in a hard working and comprehensive performance to earn this victory and in due course sit top of The Hope Valley League A Division for the first time this season.  

Saturday often means Pilsley for one format of sport or the other although it didn't last weekend with that long foot slog to Sleetmoor, today would be a much needed ease up in the miles stakes.  Although no footy fan should complain about goals after the last two weeks producing nineteen I was grateful for a little bit of an ease in proceedings today.

In need of a change of walking route the option of adding about ten minutes onto the journey was taken the early part would by pass the north of Clay Cross and in the process also by pass McDonalds.  Passing the former Clay Cross Works ground with the pitches a distant memory as the houses have taken over much like the works site just over the road, indeed the only memory is now a token gesture with the decorative fencing showing a footballer, cricketer and bowler.  On along Coney Green and its split between industrial units and of course housing the turn was taken to Lower Pilsley passing the former site of the Parkhouse Colliery before we arrived on familiar territory.

RHYS WALLHEAD IN FULL FLIGHT

Good to be back at the ground but with a brisk wind elsewhere 'the ridge' was as usual giving up a very strong variety.  Thankfully I think they had waited for me because more or less on arrival we were under way just shy of ten minutes early.  This may have been a chance for the boys from Hathersage to clear Clay Cross before it got dark.

STEP OVER TIME AS BRADLEY SAINT SKIPS DOWN THE WING

The first half saw Pilsley somehow go in just one goal to the good when their possession and near misses would have warranted a bigger advantage, much of the attacking play down the right by Bradley Saint was threatening the Hathersage defence and even though Shane Marriott hit the post with a free kick it would just be that one goal that was the home sides tally at the break.  The credit would go to Rhys Wallhead who on 32 minutes drove an edge of the box shot goalwards only for a deflection off an Hathersage defender to wrong foot his keeper for the ball to roll over the visitors goal line.

SAINT TAKES ON THE DEFENCE AGAIN

Community continued to press and their hard working resolve was to the fore and they soon doubled their lead just after the hour mark when Hathersage failed to clear their box and Matt Parnham curled in a sweet 20 yard effort into the bottom corner of the visitors goal.  Their was a brief spell of doubt when the Hathersage received what looked a soft penalty award but justice seemed to be served when keeper James Bacon pulled off a superb save diving to his right to claw the ball away in mid air.

CALLUM BAKER GETS A CROSS INTO THE HATHERSAGE AREA

Pilsley were reinvigorated by this and somehow were denied a third when George Evans saw his back post header remarkably hooked away off the line.  But they were not to be denied a third when they were awarded a penalty of their own when Kian Barlow fired in the spot kick.  

PILSLEY CHALLENGING BRADLEY WARSOP

Pilsley deserved a third in this game and they had seemed to double their efforts in the second period it was a game partly spoilt by the strong wind but overall there could be no argument with the result.  A result that would see the boys in tangerine sit at the top of the division for this weekend with a trip next weekend to Winster Darley Lions.

MATT PARNHAM CELEBRATES HIS GOAL

So by 3.30pm it was all over so quickly for another week and the return journey was identical to the inbound one.  A different route today taking in some industrial and sporting history in an area that now seems to be developed with mainly houses to brush away the former working sites of the areas past.

KIAN BARLOW PUTS AWAY THE PILSLEY PENALTY

An arrival just over an hour later at base was achieved in good light and of course with the clocks going back in a few weeks the dark evenings will add to the interest of selecting local fixtures but for now I'm going to enjoy this fantastic little victory for Pilsley Community.

MATT PARNHAM GETS A HEADER IN