Bumper crowd sees Horbury Town's fast start give them edge in Wakefield derby

It was sixth against second in the Toolstation NCE Division One and there were more than bragging rights at stake with Wakefield keen to make up ground on their fellow promoted club whose start to life at this level has been even more impressive than theirs, writes Austin AInsworth.

Unsurprisingly, Gabe Mozzini stuck with what had been successful in previous matches, although he was forced into changes with Lloyd Horridge coming in to play in goal and Mason Rubie in for Josh Craig at wing-back.

In front of a huge crowd of 503 – easily the largest attendance of any match in the league – Wakefield got off to the worst possible start when the visitors took an early lead through Samuel Kyeremeh who cut into the box too easily to fire off a shot that sneaked in at the near post.

Wakefield, slightly off the pace, were struggling to get out of their own half and Horbury capitalised by doubling their lead in the 18th minute through their top scorer James Cusworth with a low shot from a free-kick that appeared to take a slight deflection.

Albeit too late, Wakefield did grow into the game after that fateful opening 18 minutes and Rubie was only denied by a great save.

PICTURE SPECIAL: Horbury Town earn bragging rights in first local derby with Wakefield AFC

Wakefield had a mountain to climb after the break and for all their improvement they could have conceded again as Town hit the crossbar.

Both sides then saw red moments later as Wakefield’s Morgan Butcher – never far away from conflict – found himself coming together with Luke Playford after being tussled to the ground.

Whether the referee had seen or heard something not obvious to anybody else, both received straight red cards when, on the face of it, yellow cards may have been more appropriate for what was essentially the two briefly squaring-up to each-other.

Although neither side were at a numerical disadvantage, the delay and subsequent disjointed nature of proceedings did not play in to the chasing Wakefield’s hands.

Nonetheless, they did have an argument for a penalty shortly after the hour mark when substitute Harley Blankley provided a great pass through to Hernandez up front. He ran on to the ball and when just about to shoot, was robustly shoved from the side.

Although soft, the Horbury defender was nowhere near the ball and similar decisions have been given in the past.

Ultimately, Wakefield were unable to set up a tense final 10 minutes for Horbury and even had their own crossbar to thank again when a cross-cum-shot by Gibril Bojang looped over Horridge and struck the woodwork.

Perhaps too little too late, Wakefield should have at least pulled one back in the dying stages when defender Tom Booth dove to the near post to meet a Wakey free-kick; his header glanced just wide of the post.

Billy Mole, Wakey man of the match having ran himself into the ground, then went even closer with almost the last kick when he received the ball in space 25 yards out.

He took a touch to control before curling a wonderfully arced shot across the face of goal, beating the keeper but striking the inside of the far post. The ball somehow stayed out as it rolled across the line and Horbury’s clean sheet, and win, were preserved.

The result sees Wakefield drop back to eighth on 22 points, in a congested area of the league table where just five points separate fourth and tenth.

Horbury, meanwhile –continuing their awesome start to the season – remain second, six points behind an imperious Campion side who have two games in hand.

Although Horbury took the spoils on this occasion, Wakefield will reflect on a poor opening 18 minutes that lost them what was largely an evenly contested match.

With players back from injury and their overall level of play returning to previous high standards, Wakefield will take the positives as they head into another midweek fixture, this time at home to Athersley Recreation, tonight (Tuesday), kick-off 7.45pm.