By Martin Eastwood
Emley AFC slipped to a first league defeat in five games on Wednesday when they went down 2-1 to NCEL Premier Division league leaders Grimsby Borough in a hard fought fixture.
The match saw young Pewits striker George Doyle grab his 10th goal of the campaign in what is his debut season.
Both sides hit the post in the early stages of the fixture. Emley’s Sam Pashley was lucky that a sliced clearance hit the woodwork rather than the net after only four minutes.
After weathering the early storm the Pewits showed their teeth with good play by Dominic Riordan and Pashley to get downfield. The ball went to Joe Jagger who unleashed a crashing 20 yard shot that went out of play via the woodwork.
Just as Emley looked to have settled into the game they conceded the first goal. A back pass was intercepted by Lewis Collins who was professional enough to tuck it past Sam Kelly to make it 1-0 Grimsby in the 25th minute.
Emley equalised five minutes later when the ball was played into Doyle who was 20 yards out. He hit a sweet shot which curled into the top corner and it was 1-1 at half-time.
Deep into the second half and Emley thought they were about to take the lead when Jack Bennett was through on goal. He shrugged off the keeper with a firm shoulder, only to be prevented from firing home by the referee’s whistle.
Possession was handed to the hosts via a free-kick as Emley protested that Bennett was well within his rights to use a legal shoulder challenge, but to no avail.
Grimsby went down the other end and Danny Trott poked the ball past Kelly to give the home side a 2-1 lead in the 73rd minute. That is how the game ended.
Emley are away again on Saturday when they make the trip to Silsden who currently sit mid-table in the division.
