Pickering Town precede Goole triumph with dramatic Bottesford draw

Under the vastly experienced Rudy Funk, many expected the Pikes to be challenging at the top of the table when they were moved laterally from the Ebac Northern League at the beginning of the season.

But after seeing their charismatic boss sacked just two matches into the campaign and initially struggling to find their feet in their new league, Pickering seem to have turned a corner this week, backing up a dramatic 3-3 draw against fellow strugglers Bottesford Town with a 4-1 victory at Goole.

Those results move the Pikes up to 17th place, level on points with North Yorkshire rivals Tadcaster Albion, but having played three matches more.

In his first interview in permanent charge, Hackworth stressed that having implemented some positivity around the dressing room, his side were working hard to improve things on the pitch.

“I’m delighted [to have secured the role full-time],” he told the club.

“I was asked to come in for an initial month just to get some positivity around the changing room. I think that I’ve done that, and I’ve had a great reaction from the lads.

“Okay, results haven’t quite gone our way, but we’ve been working our socks off to improve things, and long may that continue going forward.”

The Pikes headed into their crunch match against last-placed Bottesford last Tuesday knowing that gaining at least a point was vital, with the encounter a thrilling contest for the 123 spectators in attendance.

It was the hosts who crucially drew first blood, former Tadcaster forward Nathan Dyer spectacularly opening the scoring with a thunderous strike from 22 yards.

Luke Ayris came close to an immediate response for the visitors, but they were level four minutes later, Jack Griffin heading the ball past Harrison McGuire from a teasing Joe Simpson corner.

Pickering though poked their noses back in front just before the half-hour mark, an outrageous run down the right wing leaving Kieran Stares with the simplest of tap-ins to ensure his side led narrowly at the break.

McGuire denied Simpson with a stunning fingertip save as Bottesford came out firing after the interval, the visitors squandering another fine chance before again drawing themselves level just after the hour mark.

Pickering failed to clear their lines, with Simpson poking the ball into the back of the net during a goalmouth scramble.

That set up a tense final 15 minutes of end-to-end action, with the visitors seeming to have claimed the points in dramatic fashion in the sixth minute of injury time when a wicked delivery from the right wing was headed in by Reece Moody to send the away team into pandemonium.

But Pickering ensured that a share of the spoils would remain in Ryedale with the last kick of the game, substitute Matty Dawes firing into the bottom corner to seal a point for his side at the death.

Buoyed by that result, the Pikes went one better at Goole on Saturday, an outstanding first-half performance seeing them run out worthy winners in East Yorkshire.

New signing Matty Robinson was handed his debut in their defence in place of Joe Carter, whilst assistant manager Jamie Poole and Matthew Garbutt were replaced by Blake Drury and Dawes respectively.

Pickering started like a train, Dawes’ pressure on Ben Hall paying dividends as the defender helped the ball into his own net just three minutes into the contest.

And things improved for the visitors midway through the opening half, Stares’ low free kick deceiving the Goole defence as it nestled past Jody Barford at his near post.

Two became three for the Pikes from the restart as Goole failed to clear a loose pass to Wayne Brooksby, Dyer stealing in to finish past a stranded Barford.

Pickering completed the rout in first-half stoppage time, Brooksby turning provider for Dawes to fire home from 15 yards to put his side in complete control at the break.

Goole had to wait until the final minute for their solitary reply, a goalmouth scramble denying the Pikes a much-needed clean sheet.