Pikes could be back in FA Vase after investigation (From Gazette & Herald)

Pikes could be back in FA Vase after investigation

3:08pm Monday 24th December 2007

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THEY think it's all over - but it might not be if Winterton Rangers are found guilty of fielding a player while under suspension in their third round FA Vase victory against the Pikes on December 8.

Pickering Town have received a letter from the Football Association competitions department stating that they were investigating such a claim.

Pikes are now waiting to hear the outcome of an FA Vase sub-committee meeting on Friday, January 4. If found not guilty Winterton Rangers will remain in the competition, if found guilty Winterton Rangers will either be expelled from the competition or the game with the Pikes replayed.

If Winterton are eliminated the Pikes will travel to Merstham who play in the Combined Counties League. Merstham is in Surrey at Redhill. The scheduled date for the fourth tie is Saturday, January 19.

The Pikes now have a nervous wait and just to add interest, they are at home to on the following Saturday, January 5 - to Winterton Rangers.

Pickering Town 2 GlasshoughtonWelfare 0 The Pikes had a two-goal home victory against the side next to bottom in front of a crowd of 101 on Saturday.

The Pikes had plenty of possession in the first half but the visitors had the better chances as the Pikes were badly let down by their final pass.

After 12 minutes Glasshoughton's Richard Batley took a free kick to Colan Leung who crossed the ball to Nathan Smith, whose header hit the crossbar, rebounded down and was cleared off the goal line by the Pikes home debutant defender Lyle Hillier. Two minutes later Darren Leech had a 35-yard right foot shot which went just wide. After 15 minutes Chris Coupe linked up well with Leugh and Coupe's 25 yard left-foot shot was saved by the Pikes keeper Kevin Martin.

Glasshoughton's Richard Batley supplied a superb through ball after 23 minutes but Hillier's alertness saved the day for the Pikes with a timely interception. Martin saved well from a Leung left-foot free kick after 32 minutes.

The last 10 minutes of the first half saw the Pikes improve. After 35 minutes Dean MacAuley's deflected 20-yard right-foot shot was saved by the visitors' keeper Lee Cowell at the second attempt. Three minutes later Steve Baxter supplied a lovely through-ball for Richard Whitfield to race on to but his 12-yard foot shot went a bit wide of the goal. A minute later Danny Brunton crossed from the left wing for Wayne Aziz to shoot over the crossbar from 12 yards with his left foot. Two minutes before the interval Ricky Greening had a good chance which Cowell saved at the second attempt.

The second half improved a little. After 47 minutes Glasshoughton's Batley supplied an excellent through ball to Smith whose right foot shot went just wide from 20 yards.

The Pikes took the lead after 50 minutes when visiting keeper Lee Cowell gifted Wayne Aziz the easiest of goals, a six-yard tap in after the ball appeared to go under Cowell from a Mark Swales move.

The Pikes had Mark Swales cautioned after 66 minutes for a very late tackle.

Substitute Liam Salt scored the Pikes' second goal after 72 minutes when Ricky Greening broke clear and cut in from the left wing supplying a quality ball for Salt to score from six yards.

In the last 15 minutes of the game Salt and Steve Roberts went close to adding to the Pikes score-line, but overall it was a case of three points from a below par performance.

After the game the Pikes manager Mark Wood said he was thrilled to get the points but admitted his team had not been at their best. "Their performance lacked the normal fluency," he said. "Glasshoughton defended superbly, getting men behind the ball and broke well."

The Pikes are away at Glasshoughton Welfare on Saturday, kick-off 3pm.

The Pikes team on Saturday was : Martin, MacAuley, Brunton, Hillier, Eeles, Rose, Greening, Aziz (Gildea 75) Whitfield (Salt 55) Swales (Roberts 68) and Baxter.

The referee was Tony Peart of Sowerby near Thirsk.

Man of the macth for the Pikes was captain Rob Eeles who led by example from his central defensive position, with impressive displays by defender Lyle Hillier and in midfielder Wayne Aziz.

The Pikes were missing suspended duo Joe Connor and Chris Batchelor.

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