Beverley Town 3-2 Reckitts AFC

Beverley’s first home game since the return of the Humber Premier season returned 3 points to take Town back to the top of the table. An evening affair against Reckitts was tough for Town, being nervy throughout but Town managed to grind out the result to pick up the three points.

A nervous start for both sides meant very few chances in the opening minutes. Both Town and Reckitts struggled picking out teammates with their passes and mistimed tackles meant the game was very stop-start. The best chance of the first 20 minutes came from a Will Waudby free kick, who swung the ball in for the Reckitts keeper to fumble it in the box. No player in sky blue could hit it in the back of the net though and it went out for a corner.

Reckitts would respond quick though sending their forward through by exploting a gap in the midfield but their resulting effort failed to meet the target. 

A 50/50 affair of both teams struggling to create any clear cut chances finally resulted in some luck for the home side as Joe Norton pressed a Reckitts defender to pick the ball in the box, only to be clipped by the goalkeeper and a penalty to be given at the end of the first half. Captain Danny Norton would put the ball on the spot and comfortably put it in the back of the net to make it 1-0 going into the second half.

The away side would start the second half on the front foot in an attempt to equalise. Once again they spotted a gap in midfield and put the ball out to the wings for their player to attempt to finesse it into the top corner but it went just wide.

Bedford would get a chance of doubling Beverley’s lead getting his head on the end of a free kick only for it to graze the top of the bar.

An equaliser would finally come for Reckitts who won a set piece on the D. The attempt took a big deflection on the wall meaning Hitchcock was sent the wrong way and the ball trickles into the net to keep the nerves going in this game.

However, Beverley replied almost immediately. Adam Bowes went wide to pick up the ball on the left wing, he swung the ball into the box where it didn’t find a player but it bounced on the edge of the box to find Danny Norton who powered it from range into the back of the net to get his second of the game and restore the lead.

Dunkerley and Bowes would make way for Tom Waudby and Olly Baldwin and this swap brought the energy to change the tie from a nervy affair to a game with an injection of flair and skill. Baldwin would have an instant impact getting the ball to Will Waudby who shot from the edge of the box to give the home side a 2 goal cushion to take into the final 20 minutes.

Olly Baldwin was unlucky not to score minutes after, successfully dribbling past two Reckitts player, cutting inside from the right wing only for his shot to go wide of the opposite post.

The final few minutes would give Reckitts some hope as they let their forward through 1 on 1 with an impressive ball to cushion the ball past James Hitchcock to make it 3-2 to potentially give hope of a comeback.

This wouldn’t come though and overall, this was a result Beverley had to grind out with becoming calmer in their passes and possession as the game progressed. The 3 points from this game send Beverley back to the top of the league following Westella’s draw against Sculcoates earlier in the week. Town’s next tie is away to top 5 chasing Driffield JFC at Allotment Lane in a 2pm kick off on Saturday 24th April.

Beverley Line Up: James Hitchcock, Ry Holmes, Dean Larvin, Mike O’Connell, Zak Oakshott, Kurt Bedford, Joe Norton, Danny Norton, Adam Bowes (Tom Waudby), Will Waudby, Charlie Dunkerley (Olly Baldwin)

Thanks to Riley Somerville for the match report