Main_v_Armthorpe_Welfare_22_03

Main were looking to put their 3-1 away defeat at Arnold Town behind them when the entertained local rivals Armthorpe Welfare. Main manager Robbie Barron had a selection nightmare with several players unavailable before the game and young defender Alex Wilson still struggling with a back injury unable to take his place on the bench. Barron gave full debutes to Ryan Davenport and Danny White and gave Nathan McHale and Ian Hemingway their home debuts.

Main started the stronger with Paul Staniforth curling his shot just over the bar after nine minutes and, a minute later, Staniforth fired a long range strike wide of the goal.

On the fifteen minute mark McHale flicked Davenport’s throw into Danny Payne’s path but his shot flew wide of the post, before, at the other end, Liam Radford’s shot bounced narrowly wide of the Main goal following his run down the wing.

Main skipper Staniforth continued to show the way as he forced Leigh Graves into a save low down in the thirty second minute with a long-range strike.

With five minutes remaining in the half Danny Reilly was called upon to clear the danger when Steve Little managed to cross the ball into the area from the left wing having beaten Davenport for pace.

White almost opened his account with Maltby when he pressured Muirhead into a mistake and fired a shot low past Graves but it hit the post and Muirhead cleared the danger.

On the stroke of half time Staniforth stepped up and curled a free kick over the bar from 30 yards out as the first half remained goalless.

Ten minutes after the restart the visitors came inches away from taking the lead in when Little curled a thirty yard free kick wide with Gerrard Bowtell-Harris scrambling to his near post.

Main youngster Ryan Welsh flashed a shot wide of the post in the sixty second minute following David Buck’s weak clearance of Jovan Maric’s freekick.

Staniforth was on hand to clear danger in the sixty fifth minute after a goalmouth scramble following Little’s corner from the left but Main took the lead in the seventy second minute. Danny Payne raced onto Staniforth’s through ball and sidefooted past Graves into the far corner.

The visitors were level six minutes later when Stuart Preston fired a shot into the top corner of Bowtell-Harris’s goal and they took the lead in the eight fourth minute when Liam Muirhead’s free kick beat everyone and flew into the goal.

In injury time Preston sealed the points for Armthorpe when his strike was deflected into the far corner.

Main: Gerrard Bowtell-Harris, Ryan Davenport, Jovan Maric (Little 89), Paul Staniforth (Capt), Danny Reilly, Scott Rushton, Danny Payne (David Alder-Heaver 78), Nathan McHale, Ryan Welsh, Danny White, Ian Hemingway.