Rock-bottom Athletic lose again despite flying start

Jack McGahan, left, found the net after just 47 seconds against Field. Picture: Peter Arnett

Jack McGahan headed the West Yorkshire Football League Premier Division’s bottom side ahead in the very first minute, but the visitors recovered to claim a 4-1 success.

“We started the game very well and scored a great goal that should have paved the way for the rest of the game,” Tangerines boss Mark Forster said.

“We know Field are a good side and we expected them to come at us and have the ball.

“We’re bottom of the table and everyone expects to beat us, but I thought we took the game to them well. We then fell foul of the softest penalty you will ever see.

“I couldn’t believe it. It was then 1-1 and it’s hard to take.

“We played well in spells in the second half, but we still need to work on our fitness as we tire too easily at the end of a game and in the end, we gave them two goals.

“We had a great chance to make it 2-2 with Joe Whiteley and Josh Forster, but in the end it wasn’t to be.”

In a blistering start, Wetherby shocked the team 11 places above them in the league standings when Josh Wilson latched onto Andrew Graham’s high ball and his cross was headed home by McGahan with just 47 seconds on the clock.

After a decent first-half showing, it looked as if Athletic would take their lead into the break, but five minutes before the interval Emmett Gallagher went down theatrically in the box under minimal contact from Josh Buckley.

Field levelled from the resulting penalty and then took the lead seven minutes into the second period, despite appeals from the Tangerines players for offside.

Wetherby pushed hard to get back on terms and almost did so when Wilson beat his man and flashed a shot past the visiting goalkeeper but also the far post.

Athletic then had a glorious chance to equalise in the 75th minute when Matty Forster’s cross found its way to Whiteley whose shot was deflected into Josh Forster’s path by the legs of the Field gloveman.

Despite getting plenty of power to beat both the keeper and a covering defender, Forster’s drive went a foot wide of the post and the opportunity was gone.

Two goals in the last 10 minutes then wrapped up the points for the visitors, leaving Wetherby 11 points adrift of safety at the foot of the Premier Division table.