FA Youth Cup Result. Garforth Town 4 v 0 Harrogate Railway Athletic

Garforth Town Team:
1. Dan Booth
2. Enoque Matondo -debut
3. Aiden Croft
4. Joe Colley - captain
5. Ryan Noon - debut
6. Jaydon Armstrong
7. Josh Prince
8. Jack Downes - debut
9. Wesley Gibrill - Keating - shown pictured
10. Seth Hartley
11. Lucas Abusine - debut
12. Harry Pickup
14. Harvey Winkley
15. Sam Ola
16. Sam Sharman
17. Finlay Bailey - Hague
Garforth Town Man of Match - Wesley Gibrill - Keating
Garforth Town Goal scorers - Wesley Gibrill - Keating (2) Seth Hartley Josh Prince
The Garforth Town youngsters ensured that the Club progressed to the 2nd Round Qualifying of the FA Youth Cup for the second time in the last 3 years with this splendid win over Harrogate Railway Athletic. Well not just a win, more of a controlled demolition of the opposition to be honest. Our youngsters can feel very proud of themselves for Harrogate Railway arrived with what looked like to me a strong side on paper. Ally that to the fact that the Railway arrived at Cedar Ridge on the back of an impressive 4 - 2 away win at Steeton in the previous round and one can deduce just why our boys were expecting a stern test. It never materialised - Garforth were back to their splendid best - playing keep ball in a patient manner until the right opportunity came to carve open the opposition. And carve open the opposition they did - at regular intervals - I counted a goal scoring chance total of 21 - 6 in favour of Garforth! The 4 Garforth goals epitomised the Garforth approach, patient, keep the ball football (at one point I wondered had the Chairman given them a pre - match pep talk, you know, along the lines of 'Look boys money is a bit tight here - look after the ball - we've only got the one') and strike when the time is right. Goal number one arrived after 30 minutes. Seth Hartley 'set' the lively Jack Downes (on his debut - what a smashing player he looks). Jack unleashed man of the match Wesley Gibrill - Keating in behind with a cunning first time pass. Wesley still had much to do but he did really well to travel about 20 yards with the ball, keeping his body between the ball and the chasing defenders, before coolly slotting it past the keeper. What a beauty! Goal number two arrived on 42 minutes. Joe Colley, taking a short break from his recent first team duties, stood over the ball at a Garforth free kick in a central position about 40 yards from the opposition goal. The visitors set up their defences expecting a launched ball. Instead Colley played it out to his left to Josh Prince. Josh took one touch out of his feet before delivering a peach of a ball onto Seth Hartey's head. Seth headed it past the keeper from about 8 yards out. What a beauty. 2 - 0 to Garforth at half time and both my head and heart were in parity at this stage - I'm thinking 'we can do this'. ( I know I'm just an old Fate tempter). Garforth put the game to bed on 61 minutes. A clever short corner routine got Jack Downes into what the FA might describe in a coaching manual as 'an area of potential maximum beneficial outcome'. Jack instantly knew it - perhaps he has read the said manual - and delivered a peach of a delivery into the penalty box . Wesley Gibrill - Keating ran fully 10 yards to meet the ball with precision to power a header past the keeper from about the penalty spot. Another beauty! Or was it a belter? Well one of those - or perhaps both. Josh Prince completed the demolition on 84 minutes. Joe Colley got his head up in the opposition half and picked out Aiden Croft, what a super game he had as well, with a 40 yard, driven, switched ball. Croft sucked in his defender before sprinting past him, with the ball, to the bye - line where he duly picked out Seth Hartley in the penalty box. Seth's first time shot was well saved by the keeper but the ball rebounded to Josh Prince who clipped it into the corner of the goal. 4 - 0 to our boys at the final whistle. Harrogate had put in a better second half performance and Garforth had to be thankful that keeper Booth has the ability to pull out a 'top drawer-er' - which he did, just the once, in the second half. Commiserations to the Railway - good luck to them for the rest of the season. For Garforth its onto the next round - a plum draw - a home tie against Conference outfit FC Halifax Town. 'Team GT' (and for those of you who are not in the know 'Team GT are the super Garforth Town staffing team) have already sprung into action. The administrative arm of 'Team GT' will be planning a warm welcome for the staff, players and supporters of FC Halifax Town. And the coaching arm of 'Team GT'? Expect them to be plotting a hot reception - for the Halifax players - on the pitch! Exciting times ahead for the young Miners, staff and supporters? 'You'd better believe it sister!'