Emley climb into top three as Joe Jagger is spot on twice

After an impeccable minute’s silence in memory of Her Majesty an entertaining first half unfolded, writes Martin Eastwood.

Emley found themselves 2-0 up thanks to two Joe Jagger penalties and Goole’s keeper in the sin-bin within 20 minutes.

It all started routinely, both sides feeling each other out before Donae Lawrence tested the keeper.

But then the action suddenly hotted up, on 13 minutes, Scott Smith burst into the Goole area and was clattered by a desperate challenge, the referee immediately pointed to the spot, up stepped Joe Jagger to send the keeper the wrong way for a 1-0 lead.

It would only be a couple of minutes later that Emley were given a chance to double their lead, Iyrwah Gooden this time clean through and sent crashing by Goole’s big keeper Mat Zaniewski, who protested too much. The referee had heard enough, flashed a yellow card then banished him to the sin-bin.

Captain Joshua Dacre took the goalie shirt for 10 minutes, but he was powerless to prevent Jagger from blasting past him for 2-0.

It was getting a little bit feisty on the field, Gooden was booked for a dive in the box, although he probably appeared a little hard done to. Goole had their first real shot of note with a free-kick that Dec Lambton saved.

The young stopper was on hand again to prevent another attack, coming off his line superbly to reduce the angle as the shot hit the side netting.

Emley then almost made it 3-0 with a strike that was almost identical to the goal they scored at Albion Sports recently. A corner was fizzed in low, Knowles stepped over it and Jagger’s shot took a deflection just the wrong side of the post and out for a corner.

Jagger thought he had got his hat trick when a lovely bit of play between Jake Kelly and Gooden saw the top scorer nudge his shot just wide.

And then right on half time, another Emley corner was not cleared, Riordan sent a lovely left wing cross into the danger zone and Rikki Paylor thought he had made it three, but Zaniewski pulled off a superb stop.

Ossett United move to boost squad with new signings

Emley wasted little time in extending their lead in the second half. Most people were still finishing off their half time cuppas when the third, and decisive goal went in. The hard-working Lawrence harried the Goole defence, who made a hash of it, his initial shot was well parried by Zaniewski but the tall midfielder was able to nod the rebound into the net at the Warburton end.

Lawrence was in the right place at the right time again a minute or so later, but he could not convert Jake Kelly’s wicked cross in from the right. The keeper was also equal to Jagger’s shot not long after.

Although it was probably game over for the Vikings, they kept going, Lambton was called into action to make a good save as Goole looked for one back.

Gooden then had a great chance to add a fourth and must still be wondering how it did not end up in the net. After yet more good work from Kelly down the right Gooden fired a lovely shot at goal and most of the fans were already cheering as somehow the ball hit the post and away from danger.

Goole then enjoyed a few minutes spell of pressure, but Emley’s defence, superbly marshalled by Riordan, Knowles and Paylor just in front of them, rode it out. A couple of shots wide and a save by Lambton kept the home goal unbreeched.

As the game ticked down, Emley managed the game out well, a couple of decent efforts from subs Claisse and Webster could not add a fourth, but three points and a second successive clean sheet at home is good reward for a decent performance.

Emley are back on the road on Saturday when a trip to South Yorkshire and Maltby Main beckons.