Steels 2-1 Sheffield FC
Stocksbridge Park Steels ended the year the way they started it, by beating Sheffield FC.
The game started as well as it could have for Stocksbridge. A poor pass was intercepted by Tomas Poole on the half way line and he pushed forward before putting the ball across for Luke Rawson. He held off his defender before deftly lifting his shot over former Steel Edd Hall to give an early lead to the home side.
Stocksbridge had some chances to double their lead as well. Jack Watson was looking to get two goals in two games but his powerful effort from the edge of the box went just wide. Rawson wasn’t far off his second either, his looping header seemed to be going over but dropped suddenly, cracking off the bar.
Ben Townsend was also on form at the other end of the pitch as well. Cameron Johnson broke into the box but his narrow angle shot was well saved by the goalkeeper. Johnson tried to go one-on-one with Townsend later on, but Charlie Oglesby made a great sliding tackle to stop him advancing any further.
Townsend had made some good saves in the first half but that seemed to make Hall at the other end want to up his game. He made a solid stop as Alex O’Connor looked to add a goal to his man of the match performance, the former Brighouse midfielder’s long range effort stinging the palms of Hall. However, more impressive was when Kurtis Turner cut inside the box to get into the six-yard box and had a shot from close range, which Hall was also able to stop.
But Stocksbridge were able to get the second to ease the nerves of the fans at Bracken Moor. Poole’s corner was going further away from the goal than expected but Oglesby read it well, moving onto the ball and heading it into the bottom corner through a melee of defenders.
Sheffield did push to get back in it, but it would be too late. Johnson’s shot was pushed over the bar by a flying Townsend and then the Oldest Club were not able to break through a stern Steels defence. They did get a consolation when Luke Mangham hit a powerful shot into the bottom corner, but Stocksbridge got their win, meaning Sheffield still haven’t won at Bracken Moor since 2018.
