Unicorn go top with win over Richmond Town Reserves

Unicorn will go into the weekend sitting top of the Scotts for Storage Wensleydale League after a narrow win last night over Richmond Town Reserves.

Liam Reeves scored the only goal of the game when he headed in a high-quality Bailey Proudlock cross.

Town had the chance to level from the spot on 73 minutes, but Thomas Gilroy’s penalty was saved by David Mutch.

Unicorn were awarded a spot kick of their own with ten to go but Reeves dragged his spot kick just wide.

Down the road, Catterick Garrison lost their top spot after being held to a 1-1 draw by visitors Carperby, with Michael Dent scoring for the Wensleydale team.

Richmond Mavericks moved second with a 7-2 win over Askrigg, James Kelly scoring five just days after getting a double hat-trick in a 7-5 win over Spennithorne.

Spenni have been struggling for players in recent weeks but in an unprecedented move, the league agreed that several players who had originally signed on for Askrigg, could join their Wensleydale rivals for the rest of the season to ensure fixtures got fulfilled.

Askrigg, who only re-entered the league at the start of the season after several years of no football in the village, also loaned several players to Reeth, who are have also been struggling with low numbers in recent weeks.

Joseph Carruthers got Mavs’ other goal on Saturday, while Spenni speedster Jack Crook got two.

Hawes are further back in the table than Mavs but with the mid-week, end-of-season fixtures often throwing up some unexpected results, the Dales team could still be there or thereabouts at the end.

They did their cause some good with a routine 5-1 win against Reeth.

Hawes missed some good chances before going one-up on 40 minutes with a rare goal from Ryan Richardson.

James Wallace drew the Swaledale team level with a 30-yard effort after the break.

But Kory Spink put Hawes back into the lead after a good run from Tommy Calvert on 70 minutes.

Luke Wilkinson made it 3-1 on shortly afterwards after he connected with a good ball from Brandon Acton

Kory Spink got his second and Hawes’s fourth on 77 minutes from a Tommy Calvert cross, before Acton completed the scoring when he lobbed the Reeth keeper from long range.

Carperby got an early lead in their game against Askrigg on Saturday when Sam Lambert finished clinically after a long ball from keeper John Pickard.

Carperby were keeping the ball well and looked likely to get a second when Askrigg broke and got an equaliser from marauding full-back Jack Fawcett.

Carperby kept putting the pressure on the home defence but couldn’t get a breakthrough before half-time, coming closest when Paul Stephenson’s strike came back off the crossbar.

The second half started much as the first had ended with Carperby seeing plenty of the ball, but Askrigg battling hard and making it a competitive game.

Carperby got back in front when Michael Dent played it through to the dangerous Lambert to finish. The visitors got some breathing space after great work and strength from Lambert saw him see off the ageing Alan Middleton before pulling the ball back for Michael Dent to smash it home.

Lambert deservedly got his hat-trick when Tim Weatherald’s through ball was dispatched past the oncoming keeper Lewis Williams.

Askrigg had a couple of chances of their own after Jonathan Champion flicked on for Rich Sunter but the forward’s effort came back of the post.

Carperby got their fifth when Dent was double teamed by Middleton and Fawcett in the area, and the Carperby number ten picked himself up to convert the penalty into the corner.

There were further key fixtures on Wednesday night which came too late for the D&S deadline, with leaders Catterick entertaining Carperby, Unicorn taking on Richmond Town Reserves and Mavs hosting Askrigg.

Results

22.4.23

Askrigg 1-5 Carperby

Hawes 5-1 Reeth

Richmond Mavericks 7-5 Spennithorne

26.4.23

Richmond Mavericks 7-2 Askrigg

Catterick Garrison 1-1 Carperby

Unicorn 1-0 Richmond Town Reserves

Fixtures

29.4.23

Carperby v Spennithorne