Another win on Penalties for Worksop Town Reserves

It seems Worksop Reserves love taking penalties and, after the League Cup win on penalties last week, the lads ‘engineered’ a 4-4 draw with visiting Huddersfield League side Holmbridge, in the County Cup, so that they could have another penalty-taking session which ended up going to sudden death.

Holmbridge turned out to be a decent village team, a good mix of older heads and youngsters, who set about the game with every intention of winning.

They went a goal up on 15 minutes when Worksop Keeper Rodzos struggled to hold on to a cross ball and the ball went in off luckless defender Liam Betts.

This was a warning to Worksop which wasn’t heeded as on the 34th minute Sean Hazelden rifled in a second goal for Holmbridge.

Could Worksop hang on until half-time? Well actually they did better than that as Jamie Mudd fired in a reply a minute before the break.

The teams emerged for the second half and Worksop had made two changes bringing Sinclair on for Musariri and Chukwujama on for Yakyi.

The score was all square on 55 minutes as Harry Roddis gleefully scored the equaliser.

Just five minutes later Worksop were ahead as Mudd grabbed his second goal.

Worksop made two further changes as Bradshaw replaced Clarke and Brennan replaced Mudd.

However, Jordan Saville crashed in anequaliser for Holmbridge on 65 minutes to make it 3-3, and it was very nearly 4-3 to the visitors moments later but Rodzos brought off a fine save.

Within moments Savile scored his second and Holmbridge’s fourth as the visitors re-took the lead on 75 minutes.

But Tigers were not done and with five minutes left Jamie Purkiss made it 4-4, the remaining minutes were played out without further score and straight to penalties.

After their showing a week there was a confidence that Worksop would win.

The spectators gathered behind the clubhouse end goal and Holmbridge won the toss to start first.

Their No.9 scored and Ethan Slater levelled. Holmbridge converted their next four and Oscar Clarke, back on as a ‘rolling substitute', Harry Roddis, Liam Betts and Kirk Bradshaw nervelessly made it 5-5 so it was on to sudden death.

There was a sigh around the ground as the Holmbridge No.7 missed the goal and along came David Chukwujama to finish it.

There was no sign of nerves and his whoop of delight as he wheeled away after scoring would have been heard in the town centre.

So it was a 6-5 win on penalties and onto the quarter-final in which Worksop will visit Stocksbridge Park Steels Reserves.

Worksop now face an away League game at Yorkshire Main at 2pm on Saturday, before returning to Sandy Lane on Saturday, 23rd November when Staveley MW will be the the visitors.