Skipper at the double as Tigers beat the Bloods

Two goals from the in-form Leon Mettam helped Tigers to a comfortable victory over the league’s bottom side Droylsden on Saturday.

The 3-0 victory was Worksop Town’s fifth league success in a row.

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Jake Scott was into the thick of it early on, first heading Tom Denton’s cross over the bar and then slamming into Domaine Rouse with a hard but fair challenge.

Denton then robbed Carlos Edmundson and curled in the perfect cross for Leon Mettam, the skipper volleying just over.

Ricardo Brandao set his sights for Droylsden and blasted miles over, then a lovely piece of play between Alex Pursehouse and Mettam saw the former drive wide.

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Tigers came close again as Scott’s ball to the back post was nodded over by Jack Muldoon - all of these chances inside the opening 11 minutes.

Scott’s ferocious tackling put Ben Shawcross out of the game, stretchered off, but again it was a fine challenge.

Worksop were passing the ball around nicely, and Adam Murray’s raking through ball sent Muldoon forward, only a deflection taking his shot off target.

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The resulting corner caused an almighty scramble in the Droylsden box, Denton with two bites of the cherry but he was unable to make firm contact.

Gareth Thomas elected to try and take some revenge on Scott with a late challenge, the referee somehow failing to deem it yellow card worthy.

The first goal of the afternoon didn’t arrive until the 33rd minute, and there was little surprise when Mettam was the man to grab it, volleying home Muldoon’s cross.

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Goalkeeper Jan Budtz had to get his timing spot on, when Steven Moore was sent clean through on goal, the big Dane winning the ball cleanly outside his area to halt the attack.

A goal-line clearance from Mark Ayres denied Worksop a second just before the break, Pursehouse storming forward and seeing his cross-cum-shot hooked out of the goalmouth.

Scott was again the victim of a late tackle, and this time the yellow card came out, Ryan Hibbert the recipient.

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The second half had a scrappy start, but once Tigers settled down there was a good chance for Mettam as Murray sent him into space, but his shot was blocked.

The Bloods looked to take advantage of Worksop’s apparent lethargy in possession, nicking the ball and counter attacking, Moore crossing to the middle where Brandao was inches away.

At the other end Denton’s towering header found Shane Clarke free, but he held his head in his hands after nodding it straight to the keeper.

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Adam Quinn got away from his marker and nodded a Murray free-kick into the path of Denton, a defender clearing off the line.

The second goal eventually came on 72 minutes, Murray taking matters into his own hands with a stirring run, and when his shot was deflected to Mettam there was only one outcome – his 24th of the season, one more than he scored in the entirity of the previous campaign .

And Jack Adams, only on the field four minutes having replaced Scott, made things much more comfortable was he fired in from 12 yards.

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Budtz and Quinn were determined to secure a clean sheet, the former saving twice in the final stages and the latter blocking brilliantly to cap a Man of the Match display.

Worksop Town: Budtz 8, Pursehouse 7, Roe 7, Murray 7, QUINN 8, Gaughan 8, Muldoon 7 (Wall 84), Clarke 7 (Barnett 84), Denton 7, Mettam 7, Scott 7 (Adams 76). Not used: Salt, Williams.

Droylsden: Andrew, Shawcross (Hibbert 15), Edmundson (Knowles 76), Ayres, Mortimer, Thomas, German, Freakes, Moore, Brandao (Horan 71), Rouse. Not used: McLoughlin, Fielding.

Referee: D. Plowright. Assistants: M. Tinsley, E. Pidduck.

Goalscorers: Mettam 33, 72, Adams 80

Yellows: Hibbert 45, German 64

Attendance: 312