Garforth Town 2-0 Penistone Church

Match report by Samuel Bannister

Jason Davis scored his first two goals since returning to Garforth Town in the summer to give Paul Marshall’s side a fourth home win on the bounce, this time against Penistone Church.

In a game that could be described as one of two halves – not in the sense that one team was better than the other in one half and vice versa, but rather that all the drama seemed to be stored for after the half-time whistle – Davis came off the bench to score the only two goals of the 90 minutes in quick succession.

During a barely eventful first half, chances were at a premium for both sides, with most shots being blocked before they had built up any kind of momentum.

Nathan Keightley fired the first half-chance of the game over the bar for Penistone on the half-volley, while there were a couple of opportunities for Tabish Hussain – who had come in for the unavailable Jordan Emery in an attacking reshuffle as the only enforced change from the Garforth lineup that had beaten Barton Town at the weekend – at the other end.

Nash Connolly’s volley was also kept out, before the same player later saw an effort from outside the box saved by Christopher Snaith.

Moments later, another chance for Keightley trickled wide. Later for Garforth, Rinor Ejupi had an attempt blocked by a defender, not for the first time on the night.

After there being little to separate the two sides by half time, in the second half there was more in the way of goalmouth action. First, Harry Flatters claimed a cross before Garforth went down the other end in a move that culminated with Dan Coupland heading over a cross from Alex Zachariou.

A minute after, Keightley aimed wide with a right-footed effort from the left-hand side of the box.

Then, Garforth had their biggest chance yet when Connolly’s attempt from the middle of the box was ultimately guided away from the goalline. Shortly after in another chance, Hussain volleyed the ball over on the bounce.

As the hour mark approached, substitute Jamie Barkway turned behind for a corner a low cross from Penistone. The resulting set piece saw Flatters smartly tip over a header by James Stafford.

Despite that chance, Garforth began building some pressure from this point onwards. A low cross by Ejupi – now on the right-hand side after starting at left-back until the introduction of Jack McGahan – for Coupland resulted in the captain’s shot being saved and pressure from the resulting corner dissipating.

Penistone were then down to 10 men when the referee showed a red card to Keightley after he made late contact with Barkway.

Once play resumed, Garforth looked to the channels again, with the ball dropping wide after a diving header by Coupland in an attempt to latch onto a wicked, inviting cross from Ejupi.

For the final quarter of an hour, Garforth changed their shape; Lee Turner (a hero from the bench against Barton, looking to get in on the act again) coming on for Ejupi meant a move to a back four.

In the 80th minute, the deadlock was finally broken after Snaith spilled a cross from the right into the path of Davis, who pounced to put Garforth ahead.

The lead was doubled in the next minute, when Turner and Sam Barker both flicked headers on after a throw in to put Connolly through down the right channel. Connolly’s cross teed up Davis for a sweetly struck volley to make it 2-0.

In the aftermath, Snaith was sent off, which prompted one of Penistone’s outfield players to have to go in goal.

During seven minutes of stoppage time, Davis had a shot blocked on the edge of the box to ensure there would be no hat-trick, before the deputy Penistone keeper did well to thwart a later chance for Turner.

And that was that – as Garforth kept a clean sheet for the first time this season, preserved a promising spell of home form and climbed into the top half for the first time in 2023-24.

The attention quickly turns to Saturday’s trip to face Pickering Town. Garforth are next at home on Tuesday 10th October against Albion Sports and then host Silsden on Saturday 14th.