NPL First Division East

18 April 2023

Carlton Town’s battle against relegation took another twist this evening as their game against Pontefract Collieries was abandoned following a serious injury to Niall Davie.

Davie collapsed to the floor on 31 minutes with suspected concussion as the result of an earlier incident and was treated on the pitch for around 40 minutes before being stretchered off to the clubhouse bar to await transport to hospital.

Pontefract were leading 1-0 at the time in a tight encounter but following consultation with the managers the referee abandoned the game.  With the season due to end on Saturday the likelihood is that the Millers will travel back to Pontefract on Thursday to complete the fixture.

Managers Mark Harvey and Tommy Brookbanks made three changes to the side which had lost at Lincoln last time out.  Into the side came Lawrence Gorman, Lewis Durow and Kyle Tomlin with Jared Holmes, Danny Elliott and Charlie Marzano on the bench.

The Millers started with much greater sharpness than in the Lincoln game but it was Colls who had the first opportunity when Dan Brown did well to block a Cody Cromack effort.

Davie then sprinted down the right and put over a dangerous cross that was cleared.

Pontefract took the lead on 11 minutes when a long throw from the right was only half cleared and Mikey Dunn struck a half-volley into the corner of the net.

Niall Hylton almost levelled within a minute when his fine run down the right led to a corner.

Shortly afterwards Davie went down following what looked like a flailing elbow to his head.  He was treated for some time but eventually got back to his feet and made it clear he wanted to play on.

Gorman then sent a superb ball into the area which was met by a Nat Watson header that drew a fine save from Lloyd Allinson before Davie himself put a deep ball into the Colls area leading to a neat turn and shot from Watson which Allinson also saved.

On 31 minutes Tomlin flicked the ball into the path of Hylton who darted forward only for the goalkeeper to clear.  Davie had run forward to support the attack but then fell to floor on the edge of the box under no challenge.  The referee immediately stopped the game and physios from both sides rushed on to treat him.

It became clear fairly quickly that Davie had suffered a significant injury and would need medical assistance.  An ambulance was called and Davie was cared for on the pitch with players from both sides returning to the dressing rooms.

After about half an hour a paramedic arrived and shortly afterwards an ambulance arrived at the ground.  Davie, understood to be conscious throughout albeit severely dazed, was stretchered off to generous applause from supporters of both sides and was taken to the bar area of the clubhouse for initial assessment before being taken to Wakefield hospital, accompanied by Harvey and Brookbanks.  By that stage the crowd had been informed that the match had been abandoned.

With the league campaign having to conclude on Saturday and Carlton in the thick of a relegation battle, it seems there is little alternative but for the game to be rearranged for this coming Thursday 20 April.  In the meantime the best wishes of the 40 or so supporters who made the trip tonight and the many more who were following the game on the internet are sent to Niall, one of the most popular players ever to wear the yellow and blue shirt.  We wish him all the very best in his recovery.

Carlton Town: M Emery, L Gorman, L Durow, D Brown, D Freeman, K Sargent, K Tomlin, N Davie, A Troke, N Watson, N Hylton. Unused substitutes: R Stainsby, J Holmes, D Elliott, Z Hill, C Marzano

Goals: Mikey Dunn 11

Att: TBA

NPL First Division East

15 April 2023

Carlton Town suffered a damaging blow to their hopes of step 4 survival as they lost 1-0 at Lincoln Utd.

The Millers’ destiny remains in their own hands thanks to a combination of other results and the fact that their fellow relegation battlers have to play each other but there was no escaping the fact that this was a hugely disappointing performance.  The side have done well in recent weeks to even get themselves into a position where they can climb out of the bottom four but if they perform like this in the remaining two games they will be plying their trade at step 5 come August.

Tommy Brookbanks and Mark Harvey made three changes to the side which had lost at Worksop last time out.  Into the team came Charlie Marzano, Danny Elliott and Nat Watson, back after his three game ban.  Out went Lawrence Gorman, Lewis Durow and Kyle Tomlin.

Lincoln featured former Carlton supporters player of the year Jack Steggles in goal.

Both sides came into the game level on points in the relegation play-off zone.  Lincoln had the much better goal difference but Carlton had a game in hand.  The winner would go a huge way to securing step 4 safety.

Backed by a tremendous away following approaching perhaps 100, including fans from Manchester, York and Dorking (Dorking!), Carlton got off to the worst possible start and were a goal down after less than two minutes.  A long ball played to the left wing position ricocheted into the path of Tobias Liversidge who had all the time in the world to pick his spot from the edge of the box and fire low past Mikey Emery.

If conceding an early goal might have operated to give some spark to the Millers it didn’t work as they virtually sleepwalked through the first half.  Khyle Sargent and Watson combined midway through the half only for Sargent to overhit a cross while Dean Freeman headed a Niall Davie corner just over the bar.

But in truth Steggles was as much of a spectator as the vocal support behind his goal.  At the other end Matt Cotton hit a long range effort just wide and Liversidge drew a decent save from Emery as he got onto the end of a cross from the right.  But in truth neither side created anything of note in the half after the early goal.

Emery did well early in the second half to tip a Jake Park header over the bar as Lincoln threatened to secure the win with over half an hour remaining.  Moments later Leo Priestly hit a fierce drive across the face of goal with no one on hand to tap home.

Carlton had their first shot on target on the hour mark when Alex Troke hit a fairly tame effort straight at Steggles before the same player fired just wide of the post after some good work from Watson.

With 25 minutes remaining it seemed as if the visitors had finally woken from their stupor.  Niall Hylton, pushed forward after Durow was brought on, advanced down the left and crossed to Watson in space but he mis-controlled and the chance was gone.

Sargent then fired just wide after some decent play from Watson and Troke before Hylton once again ran at the Lincoln defence almost single handed but was blocked at the last.

By now it was all Carlton pressure and the Millers should have been awarded a penalty on 80 minutes when Harry Millard, already on a yellow card, bundled over Watson in the area after another fine run and cross from Hylton.  The referee waved away the claims and the Lincoln manager, who after the game fairly conceded it was a clear penalty, reacted by substituting Millard almost immediately.

Substitute Tomlin lifted a late shot just over the bar and in added time Freeman saw a goalbound shot deflected wide of target but in truth Lincoln defended solidly and were good value for the points.

The Carlton support didn’t let up for the entire game and the players thanked the fans at the end.  They will know they have two games to show that they mean it.

Carlton Town: M Emery, K Sargent, N Hylton, D Brown, D Freeman, J Holmes (K Dixon 57), C Marzano (L Durow 57), D Elliott (K Tomlin 68), A Troke, N Watson, N Davie. Unused substitutes: R Stainsby, L Gorman

Goals: Tobias Liversidge 2

Carlton Town Supporters Club MOTM – Niall Hylton

Att: 281