Barnsley chop for Panthers

SHELF PANTHERS MATCH REPORT 25 APRIL 2010
Silkstone 10 Shelf Panthers 2
The Panthers’ end-of-season slump continued as they suffered a heavy defeat on the outskirts of Barnsley to the league’s second-placed side.

It was all very different from the teams’ last meeting at Hipperholme in October, when Toby scored a double hat-trick to help maintain Shelf’s 100 per cent record and open up a six-point gap at the top of the table.

This time, Silkstone piled on the early pressure and raced into the lead after four minutes with a low shot from the right-hand edge of the area.

The Panthers had three chances to equalise in the space of two minutes. First Tom Mann’s free kick was cleared to Tom Wood, who struck the ball well but saw his effort saved by the keeper. Then Tom Wood’s free kick was volleyed just over the bar by Toby at full-stretch, and the Shelf front-man again went close when his close-range shot was saved by the keeper after good work by Robert on the right.

If one of those chances had gone in, perhaps the Panthers might have rediscovered some of their early-season form and confidence. Instead, within seconds Silkstone had charged down to the other end of the pitch and gone 2-0 up through a fine cross and header.

And by the interval, the score line had reached an embarrassing 6-0 as the home side helped themselves to four more goals in the last 20 minutes of the first half.

After a half-time talking-to, the Panthers began to play with more spirit, and they pulled a goal back after 46 minutes when good battling by Sam inside the area eventually set up Toby to poach a goal from close-range.

Seconds later, Luke pulled off one of the saves of the season, flinging himself across his goal to tip the ball one-handed round the post – but he could do nothing about Silkstone’s seventh goal in the 52nd minute.

That ushered in an eventful five minutes for Jonny, who was named Man of the Match for a committed display in the Shelf rearguard. First he hit a goalbound thunderbolt from the centre circle, which the surprised Silkstone keeper could only parry, setting up Robert to stab home the Panthers’ second. Then he gave away a penalty with a Paul Scholes-style mis-timed tackle, and heaved a sigh of relief as the spot-kick was blazed over the bar. And two minutes later he saved a certain goal with an athletic clearing header under his own crossbar.

As Shelf ran out of steam, Silkstone hit them with three goals in the last six minutes, including another penalty (awarded after William had a Scholes moment) which Luke dived to get his fingertips to but couldn’t keep out.