Young Tigers stroll to victory at Welfare side

Worksop Town’s young side eased to victory in their penultimate pre-season friendly of the summer at Staveley.

Goals from Shane Clarke, Mitch Husbands, Jack Muldoon and an own goal gave Mark Shaw’s men the win.

The hosts made a bright start, breaking from an early Worksop attack to run at the Tigers back four, and the resulting shot hit the outside of the post.

For Worksop, Josh Davies’ clipped free-kick into the area almost found Kern Miller, but a defender nodded behind for a corner.

A few sharp touches from Muldoon aside, the game was relatively scrappy in the opening quarter of an hour, Chris Salt brightening affairs with a header that drifted just wide.

Husbands then drove at the Staveley defence and dribbled a shot along the ground, before Jack Watts tried his luck and stung the hands of the keeper.

Seconds later Watts had another sight of goal and his left foot effort was palmed round the post.

The resulting corner was sent to the near post by Davies and his midfield partner Clarke nodded home the opener.

Davies provided the second goal as well, winning the ball in midfield and setting Muldoon off on a run, before taking it back and feeding Husbands who finished calmly.

Muldoon made it 3-0 on 53 minutes, as a quick corner allowed James Cottingham to swing in a dangerous cross, the striker rising to head into the corner.

A stirring run from Muldoon saw him drift past a number of home players, earning a free-kick just outside the box that he clipped just over.

Substitute Reece Twell’s run down the right took him by the full-back, and when he crossed to the middle, a defender was there to steer it into his own net for number four.

The fifth goal should have arrived when Muldoon split the defence and sent Watts clean through, but he slid the ball past the far post.

Staveley were denied by the woodwork as the game entered the final 20 minutes, and another Worksop replacement Ellis Wall drove a shot wide.

Jack Barnett’s raking crossfield pass gave right-back Brad Kilburn the freedom and space to get to the byline, andhis cross almost embarrassed the goalkeeper, coming off the bar.

With only Miller and Salt remaining on the pitch from the starting 11, it was a very young Worksop side who finished the game, but they played with a freedom and passed it around nicely, almost scoring a fifth as Jon Walufa lobbed the keeper but cleared the bar.