Brad McGowan strikes twice as Wakefield AFC cruise to eighth win in succession

That had been a game Wakefield were cruising in, 2-0 up against – at the time – second-placed Dearne, who were also down to 10 men. The Falcons were denied the statement victory however, when the match was stopped midway through the second half due to floodlight failure, writes Austin Ainsworth.

The game was not restarted and is now to be replayed in full at a later date, with all Wakefield having to show for the outstanding performance an emotional cocktail equal parts confidence from the performance and anger at the outcome.

The key for the Falcons would be to carry the momentum of that, and recent performances, into the weekend’s match at home to Dronfield Town. Manager Steve Bodle named an unchanged line-up from the game that did not happen, as Paul Cooper continued in goal in place of the still suspended Owen Evans. The back four and midfield three showed consistency from previous games and now seems to pick itself, but there were official debuts – after last weekend’s annulment – for Curtis Morrison on the wing and Shay Evans-Booth up-front.

On a boggy and bobbly Featherstone pitch, Wakefield overcame the elements to absolutely dominate their opposition, who came in to the match 18th in the league with no wins in their last five. Conversely, Wakefield were looking for their eighth league win in succession, and the contrast in both sides’ recent fortunes showed in a game that was played almost exclusively in the Dronfield half.

Wakefield quickly began peppering Dronfield’s goal and looked particularly dangerous when they opted for a more direct approach; the Dronfield defence looking suspect every time they attempted to clear.

The Falcons did not do that enough in the first period and as a result attacks often came to nothing with perhaps one pass too many or the wrong choice in the final third.

Nevertheless, the home side did take the lead midway through the first period through new man Morrison. He initially delivered a deadly, in-swinging corner from the right that had Dronfield at panic stations. The ball was half-cleared as far as Mo Gashi, who, with great vision, popped the ball over his head back out to Morrison. Curt found the perfect angle when he chopped inside and then whipped a curling cross-cum-shot towards the back post. One way or another, the quality of the ball seemed certain to lead to a goal and it took the direct route, sailing all the way in to the far corner for a debut goal for Morrison.

Wakefield’s other wideman Callum Brooks was also always threatening down the opposite wing and he had Wakefield’s best chance in the remainder of the half, when he drifted inside to shoot at goal, only for the ball to be deflected wide by the desperate, dangling leg of a Dronfield defender.

Although Dronfield were limited to just one shot off target in the entire match, there were moments of danger for Wakefield in the second half with balls in behind. However, on several occasions Cooper was off his line excellently to sweep up. Similarly, the increasingly imperious partnership of Chris Salt and Brad McGowan in central-defence won almost every battle and seemed intent on preserving their clean sheet.

The latter in particular had an excellent game and put in a true captain’s performance, not just for his defensive work, but his composed use of the ball. He capped that off with two second half goals, the first a timely intervention on 66 minutes to settle any creeping Wakefield anxiety and all but seal the points.

Dronfield always appeared vulnerable from crosses into the box and assist-king Jaydan Sandhu exploited that weakness with a sublime, in-swinging free-kick from the left wing that was met by McGowan, timing his movement perfectly to lunge in to the six yard box and divert the ball home.

Wakefield repeated the trick 10 minutes later, this time from the right wing with another perfectly executed Sandhu free-kick. Evans-Booth, whose general hold-up play and aerial prowess was a feature for Wakefield throughout the game, nodded the ball down for Brooks to race in and stab a shot into goal – his fourth of the season.

Minutes later McGowan added his second, with Evans-Booth assisting again. The striker drifted out to the left and curled a cross down the throat of the Dronfield defence. Their vulnerability reared its head again as the defender got a head to the ball but could only glance it back towards goal, where McGowan repeated the outstanding timing and awareness of his first goal to race in for a tap-in.

With a total of 22 efforts at goal, 11 of those on target, the eventual 4-0 scoreline did not at all flatter Wakefield, who made it eight league wins in a row – a run in which they are averaging more than four goals a game. Wakefield are starting to seem like a different beast under Bodle’s tutelage, with a threatening attack matched by a growing air of resilience, composure and solidity.

The result leaves Wakefield just outside the play-off spots in sixth, but with several games-in-hand that will surely see them aiming for second place in the near future and maybe just posing the question of whether leaders Horbury Town could yet be caught. With that in mind Wakefield will just want the games to keep coming, as they continue their relentless pursuit on the upper echelons of the league.

However, in a rarity for the festive period, Wakefield unusually have a free midweek and will have to wait until next weekend to get back into action, when they visit 12th-placed Glasshoughton Welfare on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.