Steeton AFC 4 v 0 Leeds City (Pre-Season Friendly)
Since the end of last season there have been a number of changes at Summerhill Lane, firstly the club has gone from an amateur club into a semi professional club playing in the North West Counties League One North. The latest change saw Steeton AFC welcome Leeds City Football Club to Cougar Park for the clubs first game at their new home.
The Cougar Park era started well for Steeton as they forced the visitors into a number of errors in the opening few minutes, then on four minutes Briggs latched onto a mistake to lob the ball over the advancing Forbes from the edge of the area to make it 1-0.
On nine minutes, Andy Briggs then played a defensive slipping pass through to Callum Meade, but Forbes rushed from his goal to beat him to the ball and clear it up field.
Just eight minutes later, an Elliot Scott cross looped over the goalkeeper before the ball bounced off the crossbar to find Briggs inside the area, but his effort was blocked and the Leeds defence eventually cleared the ball to safety.
Just three minutes later, the home side could have extend their lead when a Leeds City defender handled the ball which lead to a direct free-kick in an excellent position. The visiting goalkeeper was equal to it and made a good save to keep the score at 1-0.
Steeton extend their lead on twenty-five minutes, when a trialist is sent clean through on goal before slotting the ball past the on rushing in on goal keeper coolly into the bottom corner to make the score 2-0.
The second goal seamed to bring Leeds to life as Joe Tasker made a great run through the centre of the pitch, before laying the ball off to his teammate but his effort is sent soaring over the bar. Then on thirty-four minutes, they forced the home goalkeeper into his first save a neat one-two is played back through to the striker, he is adjudged offside but not before bringing an excellent stop out of the keeper.
The final effort of the half fell to the home side following an excellent flowing move through midfield the ball found its way out to right-back Joe Mason, who’s deep cross was met at the far post by Andy Lee but he is denied by a superb stop by Matty Forbes to make the half-time score 2-0.
The second half started much the same as the first as the home side extended their lead in the first minute, Alistair Morgan was left unmarked in the middle of the area and he headed the ball home from a corner to make the score 3-0.
On fifty-six minutes, a Steeton free-kick is headed wide by a Leeds central defender as Alistair Morgan waits at the back post, but the ball is cleared and goes out for a corner.
Just after the hour, some more excellent football from the hosts as Mason and Driscoll link up down the right-wing, a back heel into the path of a trialist who sent over a cross that was met by Ben Clarkson but his turn and shot was well saved and held by Forbes.
Steeton added a fourth on seventy minutes, when an excellent ball from Angus Manley found winger Gary Driscoll who slipped the ball under Matty Forbes into the goal.
The final effort of the game fell to the visitors on eighty-three minutes, as Joe Mash leaves his mark on the game. Leeds City attacked down the right-wing and the shot is smartly saved by substitute Mash at his near post, to make the final score 4-0 to Steeton.
Speaking after the match manager Roy Mason said, “I was very pleased with the team’s performance today, the way we kept our shape throughout the game. It was good to get Callum Meade involved after his injury niggle, the lads who have come to the club in the last seven days have done very well given we haven’t had much time to work with them.
At the moment it’s still work in progress and I would still like to sign a couple of players with a bit of experience at this level. Andy Lee will be a great addition to our team not only on the park but in the dressing room. He knows what it’s all about and he has that bit of quality to unlock defences. We will continue to work hard on the training ground to get things right before the first game of the season on the 4th August.
Finally, I would like thank the ground staff of James Yeadon and Rob Tosney who have got the pitch into far better condition that I thought possible a week ago.”
Match Details
Steeton AFC – Neale, Mason, Scott, Morgan, Leach, Rawcliffe, Trialist, Trialist, Meade, Briggs, Lee (Subs) Manley, Mash, Driscoll, Hird, Clarkson, Walker
Leeds City – Forbes, McGurk, Woodhouse, Lumley, Liddell, Hockstrasser, Tasker, Fowler, Smith, Pattinson, McRriss (Subs) Tierney, Fitzpatrick, Hunt, Rotoe, Barry
Goals – (Steeton) Briggs, Trialist, Morgan, Manley
Attendance – 100
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