Emley 3-2 Barnsley Under 21s, Wednesday 22nd January 2025

Emley 3-2 Barnsley Under 21s, Sheffield and Hallamshire Cup, Welfare Park, att. 275

This week’s midweeker is an easy one to choose. My team Barnsley’s under 21 side are playing at Emley, one of the most local sides to where I live. I also enjoy Emley, a tidy little ground with a tallish main stand that commands good views, a social club, and a local real ale pub (shut tonite). It’s also an adventure, criss-crossing the countryside along back roads I couldn’t navigate without a satnav, despite the village being next to the tallest freestanding structure in Britain (Emley Moor transmitter station, to give it its proper title; Emley Moor mast to the rest of us.)

The original plan involved meeting up with a mate who’s just been given his cards…but he’s forgotten/is too busy dealing with employment agencies. Another mate later tells me he’d forgotten too, though he hadn’t committed. He’s got a commitment phobe. So it’s just me and nearly 300 other folk with nothing better to do. I get there 15 mins before KO and park on the street outside the ground, nice and easy. (Turns out I could have parked in the football club’s car park, numbers being down on a typical league fixture.)

4 quid in, bargain, and programmes to boot. For once, they’ve not sold out on me. I should probably have consulted the line ups, as I spent the game wondering who was playing for the Under 21s, beyond a couple I recognised. However, I prioritised my hands’ warmth. The programme did though confirm one thing...the big name player this evening would be the referee...the Premiership, and Sheffield’s, very own Craig Pawson. (It’s the County Cup.) The discussion next to me revolves around whether it’s him, as two of the lads don’t believe their mate. I could intervene, but I’m enjoying it, as well as their refusal to buy a programme to find out. Eventually one relents and toddles off. ‘See! I told you it was him!’

As for Craig’s performance...I was intrigued by the crowd and players’ reaction. Barely a murmur to any decision, I guess the players thought ‘well, he must know best, he’s a Premiership referee.’ Pawson definitely wanted to keep his cards in his pocket, ignoring 2 blatant yellows for fouls on the kids, while I don’t know how it wasn’t an Emley penalty when their centre forward headed a ball off the bar as the Reds keeper flattened him. Where’s VAR?

I spend the 1st half in front of the Main Stand, by the perimeter fence. Barnsley are constantly attacking down their right, in front of me. For half an hour, Emley barely see the ball. The Reds take the lead, a move orchestrated by stand-out performer Vimal Yoganathan, whose last start for the first team was away at Old Trafford (lost 7-0). Yoganathan, at 6 foot 4, is literally head and shoulders above anybody on the pitch. His run, his pass, a shot blocked and it falls to Nzondo to sidefoot in from just inside the box. Cruising!

However, I’ve seen this before, and I know how it turns out. It does. Early second half, as I stand behind the opposite goal, Emley win a corner. It’s man v boy as its headed home from what looks like 2 yards. Minutes later, a repeat. This time the corner is swung to the back post for a big man to score. The Reds all look like little boys (as does Yoganathan, who, despite his height, is one of the skinniest footballers you’ve ever seen).

Still, the Reds fight back to equalise. The move of the match (involving Yoganathan switching the ball from right to left) sees Nzondo sliding in the resultant cross. By now though, Emley are looking the stronger side and they grab the winner. More naivety from Barnsley as they lose it in Emley’s half (I’ll be honest, it was that kid Yoganathan again). Right back Ziggy Kozluk (son of Rob) is caught miles out of position, the ball is played behind him and an Emley player runs 60 yards down the pitch, clean through, before finishing. I guess nobody wanted extra time, least of all the players.

The Damage:
£4 ent
£2 prog (x2, one for a mate)
= £8