Steels 1-0 Sheffield FC

Stocksbridge Park Steels finally took one of their chances to seal a 1-0 win over rivals Sheffield FC.

The only reason Stocksbridge weren’t ahead in the first half was thanks to the heroics of Jordan Pierrepont in the Sheffield goal. The Steels got through with some great play which allowed Lewis Macaskill to put the ball into the box. Tomas Poole moved onto it and volleyed the ball goalwards. Pierrepont moved quick and with a stunning acrobatic save kept the game goalless.

Pierrepont had to be at his best shortly after this big chance to keep Sheffield in the game. Making his first return to Bracken Moor following his departure in the summer, Reece Fielding had been playing well but slipped, allowing Poole to rob the ball off of him and advance on the goal. He looked to curl the ball around Pierrepont but he stretched his leg out enough to deflect the ball away from the goal.

At the other end, Sheffield grew into the game and weren’t too far off when a good ball to Marc Newsham was sent just wide at the near post. Their biggest chance came later on when a ball was played forward and Nathan Modest knocked it away from Ben Townsend, who’ll have thought he had both hands on the goal. Modest then had the goal at his mercy but he put the ball across the goal and onto the far post, wasting a great opportunity. This meant the first half would end goalless.

Stocksbridge got off to a good start and one of their former players almost gave the Steels a big helping hand. A wonderful ball was sent in from the left wing and it was Rory Coleman, someone who scored plenty of goals for Stocksbridge when he played for us, who came close to turning it into his own goal. It was Pierrepont who made a late diving save to stop an embarrassing own goal.

The Steels continued to press forward and a resolute Sheffield FC defence would continue to frustrate them. In the end, Stocksbridge’s attackers ended up having to take shots from distance. Poole and Macaskill were two players that ended up having goes from distance but they ended up going well over.

Eventually though, Stocksbridge were able to break down the defence. Macaskill was having a great game with Sam Greenhouse really struggling to deal with his ability to change direction on a dime. This time, it finally ended in a goal as Macaskill cut inside from the left wing and curled the ball into the back of the net, though it required assistance from the far post.

Sheffield tried to push and get the equaliser and at one point, they did come close. The Oldest Club had some success from set pieces during the game and this was their best one as Fielding almost punished his former side after winning the header. However a relatively untested Townsend made the clutch save, confirming Stocksbridge’s derby win.