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Staveley Miners Welfare 1-0 Cheadle Town
Cheadle Town were dumped out of the FA Vase on a frustrating afternoon at Staveley Miners Welfare
Nearly 48 hours on, I'm still baffled as to how we have come away from Inkersall Road without a goal to our name.
The latter stages of the game was like the proverbial Alamo as we laid siege to the Staveley net.
Liam Tongue curled one of his specials onto the foot of the post; Rick Whyatt had a header cleared off the line; Mike Sherrington was put clean through only to be thwarted by the keeper...with the loose ball then being struck off the post by his brother Chris; Luke Hincks forces the keeper into a good save; a Chris Sherrington cross drops into the middle of the area but nobody can dig it out to score....
...all of this in the final twelve minutes of play. It was relentless. It was also relentless bad luck.
Enough of the wailing for the time being as we are in danger of doing the hosts a disservice.
They played their part in what must have been an excellent FA Vase match for the neutral. Staveley were arguably the better side in the first half and gave Ben Jupp in net plenty to do.
They were let in as early as the 8th minute after a wayward defensive header but fortunately the loose ball was lashed wide.
Their towering no4 then caused problems from set pieces, heading just over the bar twice from successive corners on the 15 minute mark.
Staveley should have been ahead just two minutes later. Ben Jupp made an excellent save to beat out a header from a corner with the loose ball falling at the feet of a Staveley forward merely a yard from goal; luckily he (somehow) chose to send it on its way to Chesterfield.
We carved out our first effort on 18 minutes when a fiercely-driven Luke Hincks ball from the left cannoned off the back of Chris Sherrington and hung in the air for Mike Sherrington to try and nod home. Alas, his effort sailed wide of the upright.
And just as we were starting to get a foothold in the game, Staveley went ahead. Adam Lee's run starting on the edge of the area, avoiding challenges galore before resulting in him keeping his head and rounding Ben Jupp to slot home.
Chris Sherrington then volleyed over from the edge of the area before we should have been on level terms. Chris' free-kick was almost inch-perfect, cannoning off the underside of the bar and bouncing temptingly for Nathan Tosum to surely head home from close range....
Staveley made a brisk start to the second half, forcing Ben Jupp to make an excellent stop down low before Nathan Tosum had another chance to level matters, agonisingly getting the ball stuck under his feet after meeting a Chris Sherrington cross.
Nathan then returned the favour for Chris with a flicked header going just over this time before a surging Liam Tongue run saw the ball squared to Luke Hincks on the edge of the area forcing the keeper into making a decent stop.
Staveley then enjoyed a good spell just after the hour mark, heading over when well placed, causing havoc with their no8's long throws into the box and forcing Ben Jupp to scramble down and claw away on the 68 minute mark.
On 76 minutes they then cracked a header off the crossbar, and that was their last foray on goal before all manner of frustrating silliness down at the other end.
All the best to Staveley in the 2nd Qualifying Round where they get to be (excellent) hosts again versus Grimsby Borough.
For us, the focus now sharpens back onto the league as City of Liverpool come to Park Road this coming Wednesday before a trip to Chadderton this Saturday. Two tricky encounters but, if a performance akin to what was witnessed at Inkersall Road is repeated, there shouldn't be any concern.
TEAM: Jupp, McLaughlin, Magida, German, Todd (Whyatt), Dunn, Hincks, Tongue, Tosum (Russell), M Sherrington, C Sherrington. SUBS: Piggott (gk), Whyatt, Russell.
Staveley Miners Welfare 3-4 Cheadle Town
Cheadle Town took one step closer to Wembley in this thrilling victory at Inkersall Road.
If anybody else would like to put themselves forward as stand-in website editor then please raise your hand now. After the antics in the 5-5 draw at Bacup and now this incredible fightback I'm not sure my cardiac system will last the season.
Just as in Bacup, the match looked lost and just as in Bacup, we didn't know when we were beaten, dug in, and came away with a result.
The win is made that little more remarkable considering how we were operating with a makeshift pairing in the centre of defence: Mssrs Dunn and Kennedy given the task of coping with whatever Staveley could throw at us.
For the first 15 minutes both sides prodded and poked at each other without threatening much with Cheadle growing steadily into the match thereafter. Darrhyl Mason looked to be through with a chance but the ball just wouldn't sit for him.
Ben Brooks - making his return in a green shirt - then had a valid penalty claim turned down as he was given a full-on body check in the box before we took the lead after 24 minutes, Luke Hincks finally finishing off a bit of pinball in the box following a corner.
Chris Sherrington almost gave us an instant extension to the lead but the keeper was equal to his drive with an excellent save around the post.
Staveley then almost got themselves onto a cross from the left that zipped across the goalmouth before we then went and had a few more chances of our own.
Ben Brooks was put through on the left on 34 minutes but rolled his shot wide, a Luke Pearson piledriver was excellently saved a few minutes later before the keeper was on hand to deny Ben Brooks yet again, palming away his shot after Ben had set himself up to score in the box.
We were left to rue the missed chances shortly before half-time. Staveley's Hastings managed to lose his markers and head home from very close range from a corner.
Despite starting the second half well a mad five minutes looked to be our undoing as the game appeared to run away from us.
The half was only a couple of minutes old when Anthony Trucca flicked a Pearson corner goalbound but saw his effort cleared off the line before Rick Whyatt's turn and volley in the box was tipped over the bar.
On 56 minutes the hosts took the lead when we lost possession in midfield and Hastings headed home the resulting cross for his second of the match before Jamie Brown latched onto a through ball in the box and crashed home just after the hour mark to give Staveley a 3-1 advantage.
Steve Piggott then went and made two consecutive saves in as many minutes to prevent the home side extending their lead any further, the second of which was the pick as he got down low to turn a volley around the post.
Perhaps that proved to be the turning point.
Luke Hincks then gave Staveley a reminder that we were still there by cracking a shot off the foot of the post on 65 minutes before the match started to turn on its head.
On 71 minutes Darryhl Mason went on a surging run down the right and was upended in the box - Luke Pearson slotting away the resulting spot kick - with matters rendered all-square just two minutes later when a well-worked move saw Rick Whyatt tuck home from close range after Ben Brooks had unselfishly squared the ball to him.
Ben then was through on goal yet again a few minutes later but was to be denied yet again by the keeper and Anthony Trucca clipped an effort inches wide with seven minutes of the game remaining.
The next goal, if there was to be one, would be the winner.
Steve Piggott scrambled an awkward header around the post with five minutes remaining with the winning goal coming from us, to complete a quite remarkable turnaround, just a minute later: Rick Whyatt's lob from the edge of the box seemingly taking a day and an age to drop into the net to spark scenes of wild celebration.
And so we'll have to do it all again, with the "it" being the crossing of Woodhead or Snake Pass, as we travel to Handsworth Parramore in the next round on Saturday 3rd October.
Our heartfelt thanks to Staveley Miners Welfare for their wonderful hospitality, not to mention their excellent ground, clubhouse, club shop, pies etc. and giving the warm welcome they promised us on Twitter.
For us next is the visit of Eccleshall this Wednesday evening, 7.45pm KO.
September Preview
A full rundown of what September has in store for our First XI.
In writing this preview to our fixtures in September it has dawned on me that one wasn't written for August, for which we apologise.
September is traditionally when the FA Vase kicks in, and that's where we start....
Saturday 5th
Staveley Miners Welfare (away)
FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
The road to Wembley starts here.
Find Chesterfield on a map, run your finger north-east on the page and you'll very quickly come across Staveley, home to our opponents in this years' FA Vase campaign.
As the team's moniker would suggest, Staveley's history lies heavily within the mining industry with several pits situated around the area. Staveley Miners Welfare is also the name of a building on Market Street so, should you ever find yourself in Staveley looking for a football game, specify which "Miners Welfare" you're looking for as you may be directed to the old market hall!
The "other" Miners Welfare in Staveley
The football club was founded in 1962 as a Sunday League outfit with their history in the Northern Counties East League starting only as recently as the 1996-97 season.
We find them in the Premier Division which technically puts them one level higher than us in the pyramid system, so we're expecting a testing afternoon at Inkersall Road.
SMWFC's Inkersall Road ground
What we're also expecting - and what we have been promised by those at SMWFC via a series of tweets - is a warm welcome, good playing surface and quality food and ale.
Pies and pints at the ready!
Hopefully what sounds like a good away-day already will be complemented by a win and a place in the next round at Handsworth Parramore or AFC Liverpool.
Wednesday 9th
Eccleshall (home)
NWCFL First Division
Assuming that no replay will be required we will then be in action at Park Road against Eccleshall. We haven't faired too well against our Staffordshire opponents at Park Road of late (see below) with them running out winners by the odd goal in four of their last five visits here. Can we put that right on Wednesday 9th?
Last five seasons at Park Road....
2014-15: lost 2-3
2013-14: won 3-1
2012-13: lost 1-2
2011-12: lost 1-2
2010-11: lost 1-2
Saturday 12th
Ashton Town (away)
NWCFL First Division
Towards the start of last season we travelled to Edge Green Street and were defeated by a single, late goal thus prolonging our stuttering start.
We've started much better this time around...and so have Ashton Town at the time of writing so this should be an interesting contest.
Last five seasons at Edge Green Street....
2014-15: lost 0-1
2013-14: lost 1-4
2012-13: won 2-0 (LC1 replay), drew 3-3
2011-12: drew 0-0
2010-11: won 2-1
Saturday 19th
St Helens Town (away)
NWCFL First Division
At the time of writing St Helens Town are just above us in the league table so by the time this fixture comes around the result could mean a swap-of-positions. One of the relegatees from the Premier Division last season this could prove to be another testing away day.
We haven't faced St Helens away in recent seasons (not since the turn of the century) but it will mean a first return to Brocstedes Park - where they groundshare with Ashton Athletic - since the end of the 2007-08 season.
Brocstedes Park
Saturday 26th
Stockport Town (home)
NWCFL League Cup 1st Round
Aren't cup draws wonderful? There's always a nice little local issue in there somewhere and the First Round of the NWCFL League Cup has delivered.
This will see the return of Nathan Neequaye, our top scorer from last season who now wears the red-and-white stripes of our geographical neighbours.
A tie away at Premier Division Alsager Town awaits the winners.