Wakefield AFC stretch unbeaten run to 15 matches to keep pressure on top three

And, even when performances have not quite reached the desired level, a steely resolve and desire to win have ensured the points keep stacking up, writes Austin Ainsworth.

The wins have not come so easily in the last week, but wins they have been as they followed up a narrow 2-1 success at Nostell MW with another 2-1 victory in a quick rematch in midweek then a 1-0 result against Selby Town.

Assistant manager Lee Needham was still in charge for the second game with Nostell and he opted to freshen things up. Kenan McKenzie-Grey made just his second league start at left-back and Sebastian Losa started on the wing for the first time since November, as Kiyani Morris moved into the central-striking position; Jaydan Sandhu and Shay Evans-Booth dropping to the bench while Callum Charlton was unavailable.

From the first minute, Wakefield were noticeably improved from the previous game, both in terms of intensity and their use of the ball.

Scott Smith, also returning to the heart of the side after missing the previous match, fired an early tester towards goal from distance, before Losa capped his return to the team with his fifth goal of the season in just the eighth minute.

McKenzie-Grey, who excelled first at left-back and then in the opposite full-back position in the second half, started the move with quick feet to pounce on the ball and drive from deep.

After beating a man, he played a short pass to Smith who instantly turned the ball around the corner for the run of Curtis Morrison down the left-wing. The winger played a teasing, low cross into the six-yard box that looked destined for the boot of Morris.

A sliding Nostell defender denied him with a timely interception, but could only touch it as far as the lurking Losa who was on hand for the simplest of finishes.

Wakefield continued to press and had further chances to score, before a melee erupted in Wakefield’s right corner after a bad challenge on full-back Aaron Pilkington.

He saw yellow for his response, as did two Nostell players; Pilkington playing on well in to the second half only to discover after the match that he had in fact broken his foot.

Whether that incident caused a brief loss in focus for Wakefield is unknown, but Nostell did find an equaliser moments later in the 24th minute.

The goal came from nowhere, as a cross found the unmarked Charlie Austerfield, who executed a good, side-footed finish low past home keeper Owen Evans.

In the previous game Wakefield started poorly and fell a goal behind, before equalising against the run of play, just as Nostell did here. However, The Falcons ensured any similarity ended there as they returned to the front foot and continued to press forward, peppering Welfare’s goal.

Goal-line clearances and some wayward finishing meant the scores remained level at half-time, but Wakefield did not wait long after the start of the second period to re-take the lead.

The home side were a constant threat from corners, thanks to the excellent delivery of Morris and Morrison. It was the latter who stepped up to deliver an inswinger from the right, with captain Brad McGowan – a defender with an unlikely poacher’s instinct – placed perfectly to get a stretching shot off on the six-yard line.

His effort was blocked, but only as far as Mo Gashi, who fired an eye-catching shot into the roof of the net for his fourth goal of the season.

Wakefield could, and should, have extended their lead, not least when Morris excellently finished a swift attacking move to score what he thought was a third.

However, the referee had been too quick to blow his whistle for a foul on Smith just before he teed Morris up. As such, Morris got a second chance to bag his goal from the spot, but almost comically fired his penalty so far over the bar he may be billed for damage caused to the roof tiles on the terraced houses the other side of the ground.

Saturday then saw another home game for Wakefield, only this time played back at the home of Nostell MW, who kindly provided use of their facility with the Millennium Stadium unavailable.

Eighth-placed Selby Town were the visitors, who themselves are chasing a promotion spot in what has been a competitive season for them so far.

Returning Wakefield manager Steve Bodle made three changes to the side, with Charlton back in at left-back and Billy Mole making his first start since returning to the club. He played behind Evans-Booth, who also returned to the attack.

The game was nowhere near as memorable as the early-season reverse at Selby, a crazy 1-1 draw that saw 10-man Wakefield bag a late equaliser against the eight players of Selby, amid a further three red cards for Selby’s coaching staff.

Nonetheless, the calm control Wakefield exerted over proceedings was likely a welcome change for Wakefield’s fans from the absolute carnage of the previous meeting between these two sides.

That control manifested itself into a workmanlike performance from Wakefield in the first half, who weathered a few early half-chances from Selby before taking the lead in the 19th minute from their first effort at goal.

Wakefield took advantage of the scrappiness of the game on what was a heavy pitch to win the ball through Gashi in midfield. He immediately drilled an inch-perfect pass through for the run of Evans-Booth, who muscled in on goal and finished superbly around the goalkeeper – his shot bouncing in off the inside of the far post for his second Falcons goal.

The goal seemed to spark Wakefield, who should have gone in at half-time with more than just the one goal lead after good chances for Mole.

Wakefield’s all-time leading goalscorer – just one away from 50 goals for the club – has been stuck on 49 for a while now and seemed cursed in front of goal for Wakefield earlier in the season.

He again got so close to reaching the landmark here, first when he timed his run perfectly to meet Gashi’s cross just two yards from goal, but could only head straight at the Selby keeper; then when he latched on to Smith’s brilliant, first-time cross-field pass to race in at the near post, only to be denied by the outstretched leg of the goalkeeper.

With the mercurial forward looking back to his best in this game, he will no doubt break down the barrier between him and the milestone goal soon.

It was more of the same in the second half, with Wakefield even more dominant and carving out a number of opportunities. Things just did not quite go as planned in the final third, with the second goal that would have secured the points proving elusive.

Mole saw a looping header go just the wrong side of the crossbar, while Evans-Booth and Morrison both stung the palms of the busy Selby keeper.

That was amid a flurry of chances that came mainly from the excellent wing-play of Morris and Morrison, who both created a number of chances for themselves and others.

With a slender lead, nothing is ever certain and inevitably Selby did have late chances to equalise, with Evans making a smart save one-on-one from what appeared to be an offside run for their man and then when their striker raced through on goal on the counter, only to see his shot go inches past the far post.

Those chances aside, Wakefield were again comfortable on their way to another clean sheet and a 14th win out of 15 games unbeaten.

That incredible run has seen all of the hallmarks of a great side; defensive solidity, winning when not at their best, late goals and a good number of free-flowing, dominant performances.

It is form that now sees Wakefield fourth in the league, with a number of games in hand on those above them that could take them to second place and breathing down the neck of league-leaders Horbury Town.

However, the mantra for Wakefield will be to keep taking each game one at a time and treat each one as a cup final. The next one comes with an away trip to 15th-placed Shelley on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.