Sport Good start, but fade after break
The Vikings were pointing the wau in the first half of Tuesday's Otisdale Cup match, but thet lost their way after the break.
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Selby Town 1
Goole AFC 0
Goole AFC's hopes for the coming season will rest very much, it appears, on their recruitment of a commanding centre-half in the 16 days before the season opener at Kidsgrove Athletic.
This is on the evidence of Tuesday night's single-goal defeat in the Otisdale Cup match at Flaxley Road, where a single goal by Adam Russell on the hour settled the game.
However, in truth, and had it not been for three terrific saves by reserve keeper Mike Winstanley, it might well have been more, especially in the second half as manager Nigel Danby chopped and changed.
It is not all gloom and doom, though, and with fine tuning in the midfield and up front, the correct partnerships here and there, and there's an excellent chance that the Vikings can overcome the expected deduction of 10 points for entering into a CVA and make a good impression in UniBond League One South.
For half an hour on Tuesday it was all Goole as they swarmed all over the Robins in the midfield. With better finishing, or should one say more sharpness in front of goal - which was displayed against York last week - they would have been well ahead.
Andy Parton and Karl Rose combined well in the first ten minutes and the latter saw a well-hit shot unfortunately go straight at Arron Reid.
And with James McDaid and Jason Blunt combining down the right, Danny Buttle quick on the left, they pinned the Robins back.
Brad Hill should have done better with a shot in front of goal and Jason Blunt cut inside to unleash a fine effort just over the top.
However, the Robins settled and Goole's defensive frailties were put to the test in the last third of the half, with Russell breaking away to force a fine block from Winstanley. The back four were stretched in conceding three successive corners as the pressure increased.
And the second half was a different story, with Winstanley to the fore with three more impressive stops before his luck ran out and he allowed a soft goal from Adam Russell to beat him after 61 minutes.
Winstanley was deputising for the injured Craig Parry, who is expected to be fit for the season opener.
Goole tried to the end and Chris Tate, playing in a variety of roles, was unlucky with a header from one of Danny Buttle's many crosses.
Tate probably looked the best of the Goole strikers on view, and Duncan Bray came through his first 45 minutes looking a little one-paced.
Plans to give an outing to a former Barnsley and Gainsborough Trinity defender on the night floundered when the player opted to go on trial at Stalybridge, and that is the main priority now for manager Danby ahead of the league start.
The Vikings are at West Yorkshire League side Aberford tonight, and will be hoping that their set of trialists don't come adrift as they did at Whitkirk last Thursday, a 3-0 defeat. They will have a sterner test against Frickley Athletic at the Pleasure Grounds on Saturday, kick off 3pm, and then next Tuesday where they travel to Northern Counties East Premier Division side Armthorpe Welfare.
Business as usual
Meanwhile, despite the news last week that the Vikings faced their winding-up order for unpaid taxes to HM Revenue and Customs, it is business as usual, with chairman Des O'Hearne upbeat about the season to come.
"It is a relief that it is out in the open, and it has been on my mind for some considerable time.
"The club owe nothing else, and although this could have been avoided had I been made aware when I came to the club, we can look ahead, but we need the support of everyone."
Published on 31st July 2008 in Sport.
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