New twin strikers fire Wakefield AFC to crucial success in 11-goal fest
Wakefield AFC were back to winning ways in a remarkable NCE Division One game that saw 11 goals scored.
At home to bottom side South Leeds, the Falcons went into the match needing a win after two losses away from home – and got it by the unusual scoreline of 7-4, writes Austin Ainsworth.
Manager Adam Lockwood continued with the same back three from the previous two games, but moved Kenzie Dillon to the right wing-back position. That was chiefly to provide space for new signings Miguel Casssama and George Birley – the former making his debut for the club – as they lined up as a front two, with Harley Blankley operating as the number 10 behind them.
The tweaks appeared to work, with Wakefield making a confident start, hogging the ball and in a first half that saw 11 shots on goal they were immediately on the attack, with Cassama almost grabbing a debut goal after fine play by left-back Callum Charlton played him in on goal, but the keeper made an excellent save at his near post.
It was Cassama’s partner Birley – in his second game for the club – who opened his Wakefield account in the 16th minute. Initially captain Owen Thomas, following a driving run, saw his rocket of a shot saved, but the fast-reacting Birley pounced on the rebound.
Ten minutes later Blankley doubled Wakefield’s lead, turning impeccably after receiving Callum Nicell’s pass from midfield, then curling his shot to the far post.
The attacks kept coming as Dillon went close and Blankley and Birley continued to pepper the outstanding South Leeds goalkeeper.
If it was a puzzle as to how Wakefield only had a two-goal lead. what happened either side of half-time was an anomaly not of this world.
Just before the break, out of nowhere, South Leeds halved the deficit when a long ball up the right hand side saw Warren Carr’s quick feet sit the Wakefield defence down, before his neat finish inside the box made it 2-1.
Then, after the break, the unfathomable shift in momentum continued as a shot from distance deflected to James Law at the back post for an easy finish.
A shellshocked Wakefield then found themselves behind when Law doubled his tally with a curling finish.
After a good first half away to LIV last week was followed by a second half collapse, fears may have momentarily grown of the same thing happening again. Instead, the Falcons were instantly awoken from their slumber and moved the brilliant match back to 3-3 just a minute after their opponents had scored.
Quick play through midfield saw Nicell elegantly control and turn, before his impeccable vision and execution allowed him to play a reverse pass through for the run of Charlton. The defender had a couple of stabs at the ball under pressure from the onrushing goalkeeper, but eventually saw his effort into the net for his first strike of the season.
Wakefield were back on the attack and, on a night where many of the attendees were in Halloween fancy dress, it was the home side who were inflicting the biggest terror on South Leeds.
Birley doubled his Wakefield account when a wonderful, lofted ball out from Thomas was met by a well timed run and a superb lob from an impossible angle.
Then it was over to his partner Cassama to grab the goal his performance deserved. Throughout the match he had expertly occupied the South Leeds defence, making excellent runs and holding the ball up impressively to feed those around him. Now it was his turn to get in on the action when another dangerous run from Charlton on the left initially saw his cross fly past goal, before Dillon on the other side drilled a low cross back in for Cassama to tap home at the near post.
Blankley then levelled with his closest competitor for man of the match Birley, when the two combined with a slick one-two on the edge of the box for Blankley to smash in his second of the game from an angle.
Wakefield weren’t finished, Harry Shepherd became the fourth player on the night to score their first goal of the season when he cut inside and executed a give-and-go with Jordan Chippendale on the edge of the box.
The seven goals were the least an electric Wakefield deserved, though on a crazy night that wasn’t yet finished South Leeds did pull a goal back in stoppage time from an excellently delivered free-kick that saw Adam Hayton head home at the back post.
The game finished 7-4 in Wakefield’s favour as a ghoulish fog engulfed the pitch.
The result saw Wakefield back up to sixth in the league, one place and three points off the play-off spots. Next up for Wakefield is a home game against Goole, directly below them in the league, on Tuesday evening.