Landmark Billy Mole goal salvages a point for Wakefield AFC after 23-match unbeaten run ends

In the last week they had the chance to really up the pressure on Horbury – who were five points clear of Wakefield at the start of the week – when they welcomed play-off pushing Ilkley Town to the Millennium Stadium for a midweek match for what was one of those aforementioned games in hand. That would then lead Wakefield into what looked a winnable game away to second-bottom Appleby Frodingham on Saturday, writes Austin Ainsworth.

Football has a nasty habit of throwing curve-balls at the unlikeliest of times and Wakefield’s 21 victories from 23 unbeaten games would never make another six points a foregone conclusion; particularly as Ilkley came into the game having won their last four, while Appleby had also experienced a mini revival that had seen them win their last two, with just one loss in their last five league games.

And at the most inconvenient of times, that curve-ball hit Wakefield head-on in a week that went anything-but to plan.

The evening game against Ilkley, played in front of a decent crowd of 271 fans, saw Wakefield manager Steve Bodle make changes with several players unavailable or suspended. Nana Nyarko made just his second league start in place of Igor Mlynarski, while – with Scott Smith still suspended – Jaydan Sandhu started the game in midfield. With form player Kiyani Morris also missing, Callum Brooks and Kelan Swales occupied the wings either side of striker Shay Evans-Booth.

Ilkley made a good start and applied heavy pressure to Wakefield, who were slower to the ball than usual and rushed in possession. However, home defender Chris Salt could have given his side the lead inside 10 minutes when he drew a fine, low save from the Ilkley keeper from close range, seeing his headed effort from a corner stopped before his second attempt on the rebound was deflected wide.

That was as good as it got for Wakefield from an attacking perspective, in what was a disjointed first half. They also looked less assured at the other end than they have been in their clean-sheet laden winning run. Ilkley were quick, strong and aggressive up-front, while they defended their own box well and countered quickly.

It meant Wakefield were torn between pushing high or sitting deep and they ended up doing a bit of both, which was a recipe for leaving too much space in midfield.

That meant Town had several good moments, one of which saw them take the lead in the 21st minute through Maxim Hague. The away side were afforded time to play a ball from midfield over to the left for their man to beat Nyarko in a foot-race into the box. He drilled a low cross across the face of goal, that Hague tapped in after ghosting-in at the back post.

Just minutes later, if not for the last-ditch efforts of Salt, Ilkley would have doubled their lead when he scrambled and stretched to prevent two close-range efforts on goal after Town again had free rein to run into Wakefield’s box.

The chances kept coming for an impressive looking Ilkley, with Wakefield assistant manager Lee Needham nearly losing his head when a clear offside was not given on the right and allowed the visitors another dangerous chance that, after the runner crossed, was somehow missed.

Wakefield had to be different in the second period and they were; winning more of their battles and seeing more of the ball. However, there was a desperate feel about the home side, who were guilty of rushing things, and that played into Ilkley’s hands, who looked more than comfortable in defending the myriad of Wakefield long balls into the box.

The first 20 minutes of the second half saw Wakefield pressure continuously come to nothing, either by off-target shots, blocked efforts or a missing final pass. Their task was made much more difficult in the 69th minute when, based on the flow of the second half, Ilkley delivered a real sucker-punch to the home side.

Wakefield were pushing higher and higher and, when a long ball was played out from Ilkley to the left, Nyarko was caught out trying to head the ball back towards Owen Evans in the Wakefield goal.

Toby Marriott was played in on goal by the attempted back pass and he rounded Evans, but initially looked to have run out of room on the dead-ball line to the left of goal. However, he turned and guided a shot back between Evans and the recovering Wakefield defence to make it a two-goal advantage for Ilkley.

Wakefield continued to give it everything despite the feeling that nothing was going right and they did have a glimmer of hope in the 77th minute when Billy Mole played a wonderful, lobbed pass into the box that Swales watched all the way down over his head and volleyed first-time high into the net.

Swales looked offside and the incandescent Ilkley players looked over toward the linesman, who – thankfully for Wakefield – was as oblivious as he had been in the first half. It meant Swales’ fifth goal of the season had given Wakefield the chance of a fightback.

However, that fightback did not come, with Wakefield limited to half chances in the dying minutes as Ilkley managed the game expertly for what was arguably a deserved result on the night.

With Wakefield’s run finally ended and an opportunity to make ground in the league missed, the disappointment was only soothed by the knowledge that, with six games remaining in the league, things were still in Wakefield’s hands despite there now been even less room for error.

That took Wakefield to Saturday’s away trip to Appleby Frodingham, that was to be played concurrent to leaders Horbury’s own home game to bottom side Yorkshire Amateur. With the likelihood of a Horbury win almost certain, Wakefield themselves were under great pressure to return to winning ways.

Bodle brought Mlynarski, Smith and Morris back into the side to start with what is arguably his first choice 11. On a decent pitch, Wakefield were the dominant side and looked noticeably calmer and more patient on the ball.

However, there was little by way of goalmouth action, with Wakefield struggling to convert their superiority into goals. Time and again the away side worked it nicely, particularly down the right-hand side occupied by Swales and Mlynarksi, but teasing crosses would go across the six-yard box only to miss an outstretched boot by a matter of millimetres.

It was in fact Appleby who had the better chances to score, good opportunities coming early on; first when Evans could not hold a corner and was forced into a brave, reaction save down low just feet from goal and then when his pass out from the box was cut-out by an Appleby player who then could not guide his shot into what was a near open goal.

Wakefield’s first, and best, effort in the half came in the 40th minute when Morris won a header in his own half that played Mo Gashi in on the left wing.

Gashi controlled superbly with his head to nod the ball dow, and beat two Appleby players before looping a cross back over to the far post. Smith took the ball down and turned to shoot, only for a fine save to deny him what would have been a brilliant goal.

That effort may have brought optimism for Wakefield that the chances would start coming and their superiority would eventually pay-off, however with the last kick of the half, Appleby changed the narrative with a shock goal.

Adbdulrahamn Alghamdi pounced on a loose ball in midfield and raced past the wrong-footed Mlynarski toward the Wakefield box. He then checked back inside onto his right foot, before using the recovering Wakefield defence as a shield to guide a shot just inside Evans’ right post.

That meant for the second time in a week, Wakefield found themselves behind at the break. They upped the ante in the second half, however, and looked to have restored parity early on when Salt rose to head Evans-Booth’s cross into goal. Inexplicably the referee ruled the goal out for what he deemed to be a foul by Salt, something only he seemed to see.

An early goal could have changed things for Wakefield, who threw the kitchen sink at Appleby as the half wore on but could not find a breakthrough.

Bodle introduced Sandhu and Brooks and shifted Wakefield to a very attacking 3-4-1-2 formation. That brought immediate benefit when Brooks broke free down the left to square for the now centrally positioned Swales. However, the Appleby goalkeeper made another fine save to deny Wakefield.

The system change brought continued joy for Brooks and Morris on the wings, with the latter embarking on several eye-catching runs down the left, on one occasion forcing the keeper into a good save and on another crossing for Smith to narrowly miss the goal with a header at the back post.

The game then creeped into six minutes of injury time with it looking increasingly likely that things would just not fall into place for Wakefield. That was until Mole – Wakefield’s all-time top-scorer – finally bagged his 50th goal for the club with the last act of the game.

It was an opportunistic moment as Mlynarski’s flighted ball into the box was initially headed onto the crossbar by Evans-Booth, with Mole well positioned to head the rebound into goal to rescue a draw for Wakefield.

His 50 goals have come in just 85 appearances, an astounding statistic, particularly when you add his 20 assists into the mix and consider the fact nearly all of those efforts have come from midfield.

In the wider context, the goal also looked to have provided a lifeline for Wakefield in their hunt for for the title, with Horbury initially going a goal down to Yorkshire Amateur and, on the completion of Wakefield’s game, still only drawing 1-1.

However, the no doubt countless Wakefield fans checking Horbury’s own social media feed were eventually disappointed as news of a late, late winner for Horbury meant Wakefield ended the week seven points adrift of the leaders with two games in hand.

Any disappointment for Wakefield has to be tempered by the fact that just a couple of months ago winning the league was out of the question with the aim – which has been achieved – of recovering to a play-off position. Secondly, there are still six games left for Wakefield to play with plenty of time for more twists in the title race.

So, Wakefield must dust themselves off and show all of the attributes that have brought them this far, with the next opportunity to do so when they revisit Dearne and District to replay the previously abandoned game tonight (Tuesday), kick-off 7.45pm.