THACKLEY TRUMPIT JULY 2014 VIEW FROM MUPPET HILL By Waldorf

VIEW FROM MUPPET HILL   By Waldorf 

THACKLEY AFC

It is often said that the older one gets, the faster the passage of time, and once again a new season dawns for the Dennyboys. It seems only a couple of weeks ago that we were travelling down to Rotherham to play Parkgate in the final match of last season, in fact it was the last weekend in April. The scoreline, a two all draw, just about summed up the whole of our last campaign, finishing in a rather disappointing thirteenth position in the league. Although Thackley did manage to win something last season, the April Fair Play award for the Premier Division. 
A new season brings hope for something better, as always, the   ultimate aim is to win promotion to the next level of the pyramid, in Thackley's case the Evo-Stik League. There are also a number of trophies to play for, the most prestigious of which is the FA Cup, the best that club's at our level can hope for is a reasonable run in the competition and picking up a few quid on the way. However, the FA Vase is a different story, and Thackley have a reasonable chance of progressing to the latter stages and the possibility of, albeit somewhat optimistic, playing on the hallowed turf of Wembley. Again prize money is on offer for each victory, a successful run can make a big difference to a club's financial well being. The West Riding County Cup and the League Cup are other competitions that  Thackley are involved in, but these, although well worth winning, carry nothing in the way of financial reward.
New Manager, Andy Patterson, starts his first full season at the helm, having been appointed after taking charge of the final six games of the last campaign. Three defeats, two draws and a win was not the best start to his managerial career but the committee wanted continuity and Andy, being an ex player and still involved with the club, gave them that. I am sure after this rather faltering start, he will turn things around and will begin the season with a bang, only time will tell. He will be assisted by Mick Watson and Greg Beswick. Mick has been around Thackley for some time now, involved at both senior and junior level. Greg hails from York and was previously involved with the York Academy side. Pre-season training started during the final week of June, it is hoped that the majority of last season's players will be returning, and I am sure that the management team will be adding a few more names to the list. It would be nice to start the current campaign in similar fashion to last year, when Thackley won their opening seven league matches.  
There have been the inevitable changes to the constitution of the Premier Division, which last season consisted of twenty three teams. Five teams have left the league, (Brighouse Town promoted, Lincoln Moorlands and Winterton Rangers relegated, Basford United and Long Eaton United have moved to the new Midland Football League). Four teams have joined the league, (Worksop Town and Wakefield have dropped from the Evo-Stik, Shaw Lane Aquaforce and Cleethorpes Town have been promoted from the First Division), reducing the number of teams competing this season to twenty two. Worksop Town were not relegated, in fact they finished in fourth  position in the Evo-Stik Premier Division last season. However, financial difficulties, their owner and sole backer left the club and so they resigned from their league and were re located in the Northern Counties East Premier   Division. It is reported that their wage bill last year was well over £100,000, little wonder then that they are struggling now. I believe that their future is still rather uncertain, as they play their matches at Worksop Parramore's ground and there is some problems regarding their tenancy next season. At the time of writing, it is rumoured that Wakefield will not be around to start next season, it is reported that they are to be 'wound up'. Wakefield started out as the original Emley team, founded in 1903, after nearly 100 years playing at the ground in the village, they left in pursuit of promotion to a higher level, to play their football at Wakefield Trinity Wildcat's Ground, Belle Vue, in 2000. Although they did win promotion, they always struggled to get much support and after a rather nomadic few years, decided this season to return to play their games at the ground they had left fourteen years previously, sharing the facilities with AFC Emley, a new club formed in 2005 and currently in the NCEL First Division. So, some doubt at this moment in time of the exact number of teams that remain in the Premier Division, but all should be sorted out  before the season starts on Saturday 9th August. 
Thackley have rationalised the number of teams that they will be running at senior level next    season. They have dropped their Under 19 and Under 17 sides, these will be replaced with an Under 18 side playing in the Huddersfield League on Sunday afternoons at Apperley Bridge. They will, of course, be maintaining the First Team and the Reserves (Lancashire League), playing their matches at Dennyfield.
The League fixtures for next season are not yet available, but a number of pre-season friendlies have been arranged. They begin with an away trip to Durham City of the Northern League on Saturday 12th July. This is followed by three home fixtures, Colne (North West Counties League) on Tuesday 15th July; Kendal Town (Evo-Stik) on Saturday 19th July and Knaresborough Town (Northern Counties) on Tuesday 22nd July. A visit to North West Counties side Barnoldswick Town has been arranged for Monday 28th July. I believe there may be another couple of fixtures to fit in, thus ensuring that the players are fit and raring to go before the season starts for real in August.
The club's AGM is to be held on Monday 14th July in the clubhouse starting at 7.30pm.
Thackley's pre-season fixtures :-
Sat. 12th July Durham City away KO 3.00pm; Tue.15th July Colne home KO 7.45pm;
Sat. 19th July Kendal Town home KO 3.00pm; Tue. 22nd July Knaresborough Town home        KO 7.45pm;
Mon. 28th July Barnoldswick Town away
KO 7.45pm.   

THACKLEY TRUMPIT JUNE 2014 VIEW FROM MUPPET HILL By Waldorf

VIEW FROM MUPPET HILL   By Waldorf 

THACKLEY AFC

Another season comes to an end, one that started so well for Thackley, but now one that has fizzled out like a damp squib. In mid September, the Dennyboys were at the top of the league, opening the season with seven victories. At the end of November they were still in the top two, with matches in hand of most clubs around them, things were going pretty well, and it looked as if this could be the year that Thackley made a serious attempt to win promotion. (Thackley's last real push for promotion was in 1994, when they lost out on being crowned League Champions, on goal difference, to Stocksbridge Park Steels. If they had finished as league leaders at the end of that season, they would not have been promoted, because Dennyfield had not got all the facilities required for the step up to the higher league.) Alas the wheels came off the wagon sort of speak, with just one win during December, they dropped to fifth place in the league. January and February were hit by the weather, and just four matches were possible throughout the two month period. The rot then really started to set in, and since the beginning of March, Thackley have managed just three victories from sixteen games, which is relegation, rather than promotion form. Thackley are the only club in the Northern Counties East League that have remained in the Premier Division since it was formed in 1982. Other teams have come and gone  but only the Dennyboys have  neither been promoted nor relegated during the league's thirty two year existence, and next season will see them make another attempt to move up.   

Thackley finished the season in thirteenth place, they have won 22, drawn 4 and lost 18 of the 44 matches played, accumulating 70 points for the season. Although this is one of the highest points total they have achieved, it is their lowest finishing position in the league since 2008.  

So, Thackley need now to start to plan for next season, and they will be doing that with a new management team. For at the beginning of April they parted company with co managers, Lee Clapham and Dave Morgan. Lee had a disagreement with the committee, and Dave, who for health reasons, was going to leave at the end of the season anyway, also decided to step down. Andy Patterson was initially asked to take charge until the end of the season, but has since been appointed as Manager on a permanent basis. Andy, started his footballing career as a YTS player at Bradford City, he never made a senior appearance but was a regular in the Premier League Reserve Division side. After his release from the Bantams, he came to play at Thackley before moving on to play in the Scottish League. On his return to the area, he worked alongside Mick Watson in charge at Eccleshill United, then at Dennyfield with the Reserves. This season, Patty returned to play a couple of games with the reserves before being asked to take over as first team boss. Assisting Andy, will be Greg Beswick, he has been with York City Academy, and Mick Watson. 

The end of the season brings with it some interesting facts, below are a number concerning local and other clubs in the NCEL from the   current season.

Brighouse Town have finished as NCE League Leaders, being crowned as Champions with two matches remaining. They won 32 of their 44 matches and finished with 101 points, scoring 138 goals on the way. Next year they will be playing in the Northern Premier League (Evo-Stik North).

Winterton Rangers and Lincoln Moorlands Railway will be relegated from the Premier Division. Lincoln have won just 2 of their 44 games, conceded a massive 214 goals (they have a goal difference of -187) and finished with just 8 points. Winterton have fared a little better, winning 5 matches and finishing with 21 points. Long Eaton United will also be leaving the league, transferring to the Midland Football Alliance.   

Wakefield have finished bottom of the Evo-Stik North League and will be relegated. However, they had already resigned from the league some weeks ago because they are moving away from their current home, Wakefield Wildcat's Belle Vue Ground, and going to ground share with AFC Emley. Their new home does not have the correct facilities for the higher league.

Cleethorpes Town and Shaw Lane Aquaforce are to be promoted from the First Division. This means that four clubs will be leaving the league and with only three coming in, the number of teams is reduced from twenty three to twenty two.

Heanor Town player, Kevin Debrouwer has set a new record, being the only player in the NCEL to score over fifty goals in a season. He has netted a total of 56 goals (43 in the league and 13 in the cup). His tally included two four goal hauls and hat tricks in seven other matches.

In their first season in the Premier Division, Albion Sports will finish in a very respectable sixth position, with 80 points. The other Bradford based club in the division is Liversedge, they have struggled a bit this season and they have finished in twentieth position.

Eccleshill United have had an interesting season, they have excelled in Cup competitions as well as just missing out on a promotion place, finishing fourth in the table. Thackley knocked them out of the FA Vase, with the only goal of the game, but in two other competitions they have reached the  final. They won the West Riding County Cup at Valley Parade (forget all that Coral Windows    Stadium malarkey) in April, beating Conference North side Harrogate Town with a penalty in the last minute. To get to that final they had beaten higher ranked teams in all the previous rounds, Armthorpe Welfare, Farsley, Brighouse and  Guiseley, truly a great achievement. They also got through to the final of the NCE League Cup, the competition that Thackley have won for the last two years. Another visit to Valley Parade was their reward, but they could not complete a double, and were somewhat surprisingly beaten by fellow first division side Knaresborough Town, in a game that went to a penalty shoot out. 

Mick Lodge, the Thackley Secretary, has tended his resignation, so the club is desperately seeking a replacement. If you are interested in getting involved with one of Bradford's leading non league football clubs, you can contact Mick at mick.lodge@btinternet.com or ring the club for details. 

Finally, I would like to sign off, by thanking all the supporters that have made it to Dennyfield during the season and look forward to seeing them, and hopefully, a few more next season.

THACKLEY TRUMPIT MAY 2014 VIEW FROM MUPPET HILL By Waldorf

VIEW FROM MUPPET HILL   By Waldorf 

THACKLEY AFC

Thackley's season concluded on Saturday with a trip to Rotherham to play Parkgate. The Steelmen were a couple of places above the drop zone and Thackley had beaten them at Dennyfield at the turn of the year. Could they finish the season with a double and a victory? Ross Daley and Mike Garrod were both available for the match, but Paul Whiteley was missing. The Parkgate pitch looked very green and in good condition for the time of year. 
A good break in the opening minute, saw Mike Garrod's shot clear the bar after Matt Mathers had headed the ball into his path. It was a bright start for the Dennyboys, but they were forced into making a change just seven minutes into the game, Adam Sharkey replacing Matt Morgan (groin strain). Keeper, Ben Higginson, came out to block a Luke Johnson shot on ten minutes after the Parkgate forward had latched onto a long ball. The game was being played in a pretty relaxed atmosphere, the players probably aware that the result would have little effect on the final table. Thackley were knocking the ball about well and first Mathers, then Luke Hudson had shots deflected for a corner. On twenty three minutes, the Dennyboys took the lead from a well worked move which ended with Mathers crossing in front of goal, Garrod, coming in from the left, shot, keeper David Reay parried the ball back into the Thackley forward's path, he netted at the second attempt. Straight from the restart, Parkgate were level. The ball was played long to Ben Langford on the left, Higginson came out and he crossed for Scott Whittington to slot in from close range. A minute later, the home side could have been in front, Danial Abdulla getting clear but Higginson saved with his legs. The goal had given   Parkgate impetus, and they were looking quite dangerous, especially from throw ins, which were launched into the box. Just after the half hour the Steelmen took the lead. Abdulla got the better of Liam Hudson just inside the away half, the Thackley defender raced back to stop his run, and was adjudged to have brought him down unfairly just outside the box. Scott Lowe deceived the wall, firing low into the bottom corner. It was not long before the Dennyboys were back on level terms. Garrod rode one tackle by defender Reece Wesley as he entered the box, but the home defender upended him with his second, and the referee pointed to the spot. Chris Davey took responsibility and hammered the ball past Reay for the equaliser. Langford got clear and Higginson did well to save whilst at the other end Garrod volleyed over and Mathers miscued after Garrod had work hard to provide the cross. The half ended all square.
Half Time : Parkgate 2 Thackley 2.
The second half started with both sides still hoping to bag maximum points. Davey fired just wide from outside the box and Higginson managed to push an Abdulla shot around the post for a corner. Play was even, neither side really looked likely to break the deadlock. Again Parkgate's main threat was coming from long throw ins, whilst Thackley's build up was slow and seldom created much in the final third. Both teams made changes, Josh Eastwood replacing Davey for Thackley. Home  substitute, Oliver Graham, was in action almost immediately, his shot had Higginson scrambling to save. More changes were made by both teams, for the Dennyboys Mohammed Rizwan coming on for Pat McGuire. It was the home side that finished slightly the stronger, Langford having his shot blocked and Lowe firing over from a free kick. The game ended rather tamely, it had been a typical end of season game with nothing at stake for either of the teams.
Full Time : Parkgate 2 Thackley 2.
So, the curtain comes down on another season, one that started so well for the Dennyboys, but finished so poorly. I am not really sure what went wrong from the end of November, at that time Thackley was second in the league with 45 points from 20 matches, and had games in hand of most teams around them. Since then they have picked up just 25 points from the remaining 24 games. The final points total of 70 is one of the highest achieved by the Dennyboys, having said that there are now more teams in the league, so more points available, but their finishing position of thirteenth is the lowest since 2008.
Yesterday the season ended, today a new one starts.

THACKLEY TRUMPIT APRIL 2014 VIEW FROM MUPPET HILL By Waldorf

VIEW FROM MUPPET HILL   By Waldorf 

The end of the season is nigh, which brings with it the inevitable  promotion and relegation issues. At the start of every season, most teams are looking for progression and are striving to be the one that finishes as champions and moves up to the league above. In the professional game the parameters are known at the beginning of the season, (i.e. top two clubs promoted, there are play offs for the third club to gain promotion). In the   Northern Counties East League the system used is quite different. There is normally only one promotion place available from the league, this will automatically go to the club finishing top of the league provided that they have met the entry  criteria and wish to be considered for promotion (i.e. they have a choice, they need not take promotion). If they do want to be promoted, they have to have made an application by the 31st November, and have the correct ground grading. If the top club does not fulfil the above criteria, then the promotion place can be offered to the club   finishing second, if they are not eligible, the club in third place will be considered. Relegation from the league also has its complications, the bottom club normally does get relegated, but other criteria take over when the second relegation place is under consideration. This is one of the major reason that in the non league system, leagues insists that all matches are completed before the end of April, so that the they have time to look at the constitution of the leagues, both above and below, for the following season. 
From Thackley's point of view, the chance of promotion this season has gone and they are now playing to finish as high up the league as possible. This is quite disappointing, because up to November, they had high hopes that this could be their season, having started by winning their first seven matches. However, a bad run in December, just four points from a possible fifteen, and an even worse run in March, with just four points from eight matches, has seen the Dennyboys plummet down the league to eleventh place. If Thackley could have maintained their early season form and finished as League Champions, they had in place all the other     requirements needed to win promotion. Their ground was recently inspected and following a few minor requirements, which were completed within the timescale, it was given the 'thumbs up' for moving up to the next league. Unfortunately, the team were not good enough and they will have to try again next season.   
Looking at the league, there appears to be four teams contesting top spot, local club, Brighouse Town look to be the current favourites to win, but they need to get maximum points from their matches in hand if they want to overtake the current league leaders, Tadcaster Albion. Barton Town Old Boys are also in the reckoning, along with Worksop Parramore, who like Brighouse, need points from matches in hand of their rivals, if they are to get to a promotion place. Of the four contenders, Barton Town had their application for promotion rejected by the FA, because it was made after the deadline date, so it looks as if is between the remaining three. There is some doubt at present whether Brighouse and Tadcaster have got the correct ground grading to move up, both have had inspections carried out recently.
So, to Thackley's recent fortunes, as mentioned, March has been a dismal month for the Dennyboys. The month opened with five consecutive defeats, four in the league, the other in the League Cup. This was a particular blow, because it was the competition that Thackley had won for the last two seasons. The defeat by Heanor Town was their first in the competition since November 2010, they were in the game until twenty minutes from time, after taking a first half lead, Thackley were then hit by four late goals. Two away defeats, at Long Eaton, then at Bridlington Town, where Thackley deserved to get something, but were undone by another couple of late goals. In the Bridlington Town match, both sides were reduced to ten men at the start of the game, the incident causing the dismissals being timed at just 36  seconds, which must be something of a record. The home defeats were against Garforth Town, again a game that Thackley should have won, and a very good Retford United side that deserved their victory. A bit of a revival followed, a hard earned draw against promotion favourites Brighouse Town and, although deserved, a somewhat fortunate victory against Glasshoughton Welfare. Thackley scoring the only goal of the game in the ninetieth minute, then conceding a penalty in the final minute of time added on,  fortunately the ball hit the bar and rebounded to safety. The Dennyboys suffered a further two defeats after this temporary revival, both at home and against teams above them in the league. Albion Sports beat them at  Dennyfield for the second time this season, they had knocked them out of the West Riding County Cup in October. Worksop Parramore inflicted their latest defeat, completing a double over the Dennyboys, in their bid to win the League Championship.  
The season concludes on the 26th April with an away match at Parkgate, Thackley have five other matches to play in the month and their   target is to register their biggest ever points tally in the league, beating the 76 they collected in the 2009/10 season, when they finished in fourth   position.

Thackley fixtures for  April

Sat. 5th Apr. Barton T OB home KO 3.00pm;
Sat. 12th Apr. Liversedge away KO 3.00pm.
Tue.15th Apr. Nostell MW away KO 7.45pm;
Sat. 19th Apr. Pickering home KO 3.00pm;
Sat. 26th Apr. Parkgate away KO 3.00pm.

THACKLEY TRUMPIT MARCH 2014 VIEW FROM MUPPET HILL By Waldorf

I am sure everyone is aware that it has been the wettest January and February, if not ever, definitely for a very long time. This part of the country has been fortunate as far as flooding is    concerned, our friends down south have certainly had to endure the brunt of the major disruptions caused during this period. From a football point of view, the consequences of above average rainfall is the postponement of matches. This leads to a backlog of games, and with a deadline to meet to complete all their matches, teams will have to play at least twice a week, and many three times, for the remainder of the season. Since the beginning of the year, that is throughout January and February, Thackley have managed just four games, only one of which has been possible at Dennyfield. They are not alone in this respect, as most other clubs have suffered similar postponements, and some have fared much worse. It is at times like these that the age old question is asked, 'Should artificial grass be used by football clubs?'
Artificial grass being used for football turf has      always been a controversial subject. Synthetic pitches have been used by some professional clubs in England in the past, Luton Town, Oldham Athletic and QPR have all played on them. However,       because some felt that this sort of surface was    responsible for players collecting injuries, clubs were prohibited from using them in the late 1980's. Times have changed and technology has improve significantly, which has seen a resurgence, particularly on the continent, in the acceptance of synthetic pitches. In the UK, quite a number of clubs in the lower Scottish Leagues now play on artificial       surfaces and the FA have permitted the use of this type of turf for FA Trophy matches. FIFA, also permit artificial surfaces to be used for Champion League ties.
The obvious benefit of using an artificial surface is that very few matches would need to be postponed during a season. There are of course many other pluses, one being that the surface suffers       virtually no damage, it therefore can be used constantly, most are utilised for up to sixteen hours a day. As well as playing matches, players would be able to train on the pitches, they could also be hired out for many different sports, which would bring in extra    revenue for clubs. Add to this, the lower maintenance costs involved and it makes quite a lot of sense for smaller clubs to adopt this sort of synthetic playing surface. The Northern Counties East League will allow matches to be played on this type of turf provided it meets the FIFA standard.
There are some drawbacks of course, the major one being the   capital cost of installation, which is likely to be over £250,000.    Technology has improved the surface and players are much happier playing on it, but many feel that they are more likely to sustain an injury than on a normal grass pitch. I am from the old school, and for me, watching a match on an artificial surface takes something away from the game. Football grounds have a        certain personality, their size, their surroundings and the playing surface. I know I am a bit of a dinosaur, but I say, let us stick with what we have got and suffer a few        postponements.
Although the weather has caused problems with the fixture list over the past couple of months, Thackley suffered a rather embarrassing floodlight failure during the period, for whilst maintenance work was being carried out, contractors dropped one of the pylons as it was being lowered to the ground to replace a bulb. The work needed to be done to enable the floodlights to be tested, a requirement for  Thackley's application for promotion to the Evo-Stik League. Some other minor work needs to be   carried out at the ground, to make sure that the ground meets the required standard for promotion to the higher level. The work has all to be completed by the 31st March, then all the Dennyboys have to do is finish the season as champions.
From the few games that have been played, Thackley have had a reasonably successful opening to the year, with just one defeat and three victories from the four matches that have been possible. The defeat came against local rivals Brighouse Town at their ground, 4-2 seemed to flatter the hosts somewhat, but overall they deserved their victory. Three wins against clubs struggling a bit in the league, Winterton Rangers, Parkgate and Maltby are all in the lower reaches of the table, but all the victories were pretty comfortable. Maltby were in a rather false position, they had twelve points deducted from their total for playing an ineligible player on four occasions.
March is going to be a busy month for the Dennyboys, with ten matches already programmed, which means mid week games throughout the month, normally just one, but two are scheduled for the week commencing 24th March, four games in eight days. Thackley are still in the League Cup, their opponents in the 3rd Round are Heanor Town, this is one of the mid week games programmed for March. The clubs have already met twice this season in the league, and so far the honours are even, both recording home victories. The tie is likely to be a close affair, especially as it is to be played at their ground

THACKLEY AFC

Match Report - Thackley v Retford United - Saturday 8th March 2014 - NCELP

Thackley 2  Retford United 5


This was Thackley's first Saturday match at home this year, the visitors, Retford United, were eleventh in the league, two points adrift of the Dennyboys, a win would lift the Badgers above the home club. With two defeats in their last two games, any realistic chance the Dennyboys had of gaining promotion this season had gone, the team badly needed a win after a couple of below par performances. Callum White was unavailable, James Firth and Damian Hopkins had picked up injuries in the mid week match against Garforth Town. Craig Tonkinson and Matt Mathers came into the back four, Mike Garrod was selected to lead the attack.
A Matt Morgan free kick, from just inside the Retford half, caused some consternation in the away defence, showing that it was vulnerable. That vulnerability was highlighted on four minutes, Nicky Matthews scoring a great individual goal, rounding full back Graeme Severn, before hitting a low drive past the Retford keeper, Jody Barford. The Badgers pressed from the restart and Ben Higginson punched clear, before Gav Cooper had a shot which went wide. Retford were passing the ball well, and got on level terms on twelve minutes, with a goal that had a certain amount of luck about it. Reece Thompson firing across goal from the right, the ball seemed to take a deflection before entering the net. They should have increased their lead five minutes later, but Higginson did well to push Cooper's shot away for a corner. Retford were on top and were causing an overworked Thackley defence problems. The Dennyboys had a couple of half chances, Mike Garrod stretching to get to a Matt Morgan cross, put the ball wide, then saw his fierce drive just clear the bar. Higginson came out to the edge of the box to deny Jake Stannard, before the Dennyboys took the lead for the second time. It stemmed from a move down the left, Matthews and Luke Richardson combined well, the ball was crossed, and Garrod had plenty of time to slot it past Barford. The lead lasted less than two minutes, Gav Cooper converting Bobby Johnson's cross with his head from close range. Both sides were looking to score again, and the game was end to end. Matthews was denied the chance of a shot when the ball bobbled in the area, and Matt Morgan was wide with a long range effort. In the final minutes of the half, the home side's defence came under pressure, Thompson fired over from inside the box and Ben Muirhead was wide with a shot across goal. The half finished all square, the visitors had played the better football in the first half.
Half Time : Thackley 2 Retford United 2.
Retford started the second half the better and took the lead  on fifty minutes. Higginson had already made a good save, pushing Thompson's shot over, after his good run into the box. It was the same player that made the goal, taking the ball to the bye line, before pulling it back for Cooper to slot home. The Badgers looked in control, but on the hour, Paul Whiteley skimmed the bar with a shot from outside the box. Five minutes later, Matthews had his shot blocked after Matt Mathers had headed the ball back across goal, but it was the Badgers that increased their lead. It came from a Barford goal kick, the ball cleared the Thackley defence, leaving Thompson with just Higginson to beat. The Thackley keeper then saved from Cooper, before Retford made a change, Paddy Mullen replacing Thompson. Five minutes of Thackley madness followed, Lewis Morgan got caught with the ball, he brought down Stannard, as he was getting up their was an altercation and he was shown a second yellow card, he had picked up the first for kicking the ball away earlier in the game. Richardson picked up what turned out to be a significant yellow card for protesting, Matt Morgan and Rob Sanderson were also cautioned after a coming together shortly afterwards . Down to ten men, the Dennyboys made a change, Luke Hudson replacing Chris Davey. Thackley were looking to push forward and Richardson beat two defenders before his shot was blocked, but Thackley were leaving themselves short at the back, and Higginson did well after Cooper turned before shooting. Mathers picked up a rather harsh yellow card, before Richardson was shown a second for an unnecessary challenge in the Retford half. Down to nine men for the second time this season, it was no surprise when the away side scored again. Substitute Mullen got clear and slotted past Higginson to complete scoring. Matthews brought a save from Barford in the dying minutes, before the referee called time on a disappointing afternoon for the Dennyboys.
Full Time : Thackley 2 Retford United 5.
From the off, Retford looked like a good team going forward, but the early goal showed frailties in their defence. The away side appeared to want the ball more than Thackley and deserved their victory. Frustration got the better of some players in the second half, which did the team no favours. The defeat drops the Dennyboys to 12th in the table, their lowest position of the season.
Two very difficult away games next week, at Heanor Town in the League Cup on Tuesday, and Bridlington Town next Saturday.


Thackley team : Higginson; Tonkinson; M Morgan (C); McGuire; L Morgan; Mathers; Davey (Luke Hudson); Whiteley; Garrod; Matthews; Richardson. subs not used : Jones; Liam Hudson; Sharkey.
Retford United team : Barford; Smith; Severn; Jarvis; Sanderson; Dorgon; Johnson (C); Stannard; Cooper; Thompson (Mullen); Muirhead (Hutchinson). Subs not used : Walkden; Hitchcock.
Thackley scorers : Nicky Matthews 4 mins; Mike Garrod 27 mins.
Retford United scorers : Reece Thompson 12 and 66 mins; Gav Cooper 29 and 50 mins; Paddy Mullen 88 mins.
Attendance 111.
Referee : Martin Rawcliffe.