town lose lead in last minutes

Brian Davey’s men dominating possession and chances for long periods of the game and their early efforts were rewarded when 17-year-old Mitch Hamilton found the net after two minutes.

Despite Worsbrough equalising after 25 minutes, Hamilton restored Knaresborough’s lead from the penalty spot just after the half hour mark following a foul on Ben Parkes.

A steady stream of chances then followed for Knaresborough but Hamilton and Brad Walker, handed his debut by Davey, saw their efforts on target denied.

Knaresborough’s inability to fashion a third goal proved costly as Danny Cawley grabbed his second of the game in the 86th minute, to the dismay of the Town manager.

He said: “We’ve played really well, scored a great first goal from Mitch and hit the bar. But if you don’t get that third goal you could be in trouble.

“They scored with their first attack of the half and it was just from a total lack of experience.

2Our centre half has gone for a ball that maybe the goalkeeper should have claimed and it was a little bit of a mistake.

“We’ve been working so hard for 87 minutes and nobody had put a foot wrong. The young lads are going to make mistakes but as long as they keep their heads up and keep improving, we will keep playing them.

“After the initial shock of conceding in the last four minutes, we were sat in the changing room and were saying how well we have played and I was really pleased with that, especially after Christmas and New Year.”

Davey stuck with his youth policy on Saturday and left a host of experienced players and said they will need to show the same commitment level of the younger players before earning their starting place.

He said: “I got the five substitutes in before the game to have a big chat and told them the responsibility was on them.

“The young lads deserve to be in the team because they turn up week in, week out when they are missing. They have to turn up to training on Thursday and the away games on Saturday before I contemplate putting them in from the start.

“Every one of them put their hands up and said that they wanted to stay and fight for their place.”

Knaresborough travel to Sheffield on Saturday to play 18th placed Hallam.