Worksop Town 1-2 Prescot Cables (Northern Premier League) 08.10.24

Worksop Town lost only for the second time this season as they missed the chance to go a point behind Northern Premier League leaders Macclesfield in a home defeat to Prescot Cables at Sandy Lane.

In the rain it was a game they should never have lost, dominant from the early stages they fell to a fifteenth minute John Murphy goal after a long ball was misjudged and a mix up between defender and goalkeeper allowed the Prescot number nine to tap home to an unguarded net.

That goal provided an unlikely advantage for the away side as the game continued in much the same vain in the first half until the lively Daniel Bramall cut in and let fly a low shot from outside the area which spurned into the top corner after goalkeeper Mendes dived right and could only get finger tips to it.

Parity restored on 28, it was Worksop who continued to pass and probe, dominating the midfield battle their possession stats were through the roof but Cables defence proving resilient and to Worksop’s domination they had little real opportunity inside their opponents box.

That changed early in the second half as Starcenko went down inside the area on 55, with regular net bulger Liam Hughes on the bench, Vaughan Redford stepped up to take the penalty and his hard low shot to the goalkeepers right was saved and held firm by Mendes.

Worksop brought on Jacob Gratton and Hughes and it was Gratton who’s pile driving effort from outside the area clipped the crossbar. Starcenko then went close with a header inches wide but it was at the other end where the home teams defensive frailties proved costly, caught out again on the counter attack with ten minutes remaining a forward ball found Murphy with space to run into and slot home as out of position defenders sprinted hopelessly back.

With that goal Prescot provided themselves an unlikely winner but they did have a spell early in the second half where they peppered the Town penalty area with a succession of corners, with ten minutes remaining however it was set up perfectly for them to defend for their lives which they did, Wilde swinging his shot across goal late on inches wide before Mendes saved from point blank range a header from the same player, sometimes the rub of the green is against you and tonight, it wasn’t to be the Tigers night.

That result costs second spot Worksop closing the gap on Macclesfield at the top of the table, the league leaders managed by Robbie Savage still four points clear of Craig Parry’s men with both teams now having played eleven games.

Tigers: Malkowski, Atherton, Wilde, Starcenko, Bencherif, Shields, Hawkridge, Redford (Gratton 56), Burrow (Hughes 60), Bramall, Hall.

*Article provided by Daniel Peacock (Editor).

*Main image @dannypea action between Worksop Town and Prescot Cables.