By Martin Eastwood
Alex Metcalfe missed a penalty but then scored the decisive third goal as Emley AFC claimed a ninth straight victory to comfortably beat bottom club Yorkshire Amateur 4-2.
The scoreline gave a skewed impression of the game as two goals in the last two minutes for the Ammers took the gloss off a dominant away display by the Pewits.
Emley’s penalty takers Joe Jagger and Metcalfe have been lethal from the spot this season so it was a rare failure from 12 yards. Metcalfe’s goal was his seventh in eight matches.
Emley took the game to their hosts and were 2-0 up through Junayd Cassius-Gill and Joe Clegg within the first 25 minutes but they could easily have had two or three more.
Cassius-Gill fired home the opener in the 8th minute after a corner wasn’t cleared and it was effectively game over from that point.
Emley dominated and Cassius-Gill turned provider when his delightful dinked ball to the far post was headed home by Clegg.
Into the second half and Metcalfe stepped up to take the penalty when Iyrwah Gooden was fouled in the box. Metcalfe fired straight at the keeper who collected at the second attempt.
That spurred the home side somewhat but Metcalfe put the result beyond doubt seven minutes from time when he smashed into the roof of the net from a tight angle after Gooden tormented the Ammers’ backline.
Alfie Wilkinson then pulled a goal back for the home side, weaving his way through the Emley defence before slotting past Dec Lambton.
Ned Dry, on as a sub for Gooden, then scored the third goal in a seven-minute spell to make it 4-1 to Emley.
With the game deep into stoppage time there was another goal as Wilkinson again broke through, although looking suspiciously offside, to round Lambton.
With neighbours Golcar United doing Emley a favour by scoring a last minute equaliser at Winterton Rangers it means that the race for 2nd spot – and possibly a play-off place – isn’t done yet.
Emley are now five points behind Winterton but with two games in hand. The next two games are Golcar away on Tuesday (March 21) and Winterton at home next Saturday (March 25).
