The season of good cheer returned to Inkersall Road as a valiant Trojans performance saw Staveley Miners Welfare close the gap on the league leaders of the NCEL Premier Division.
The last time Staveley played at Inkersall Road was October 19th and welcomed the only side who had beaten them in the league this season, third-placed Grimsby Borough.
It didn't take long for the visitors to continue where they left off the last time the two sides met, Dan Trott's effort from 25-yards out squirmed under Myles Wright to give Borough the lead.
Shortly after, Joe Pugh's fantastic first touch beat two Borough defenders before his thunderbolt effort rattled the crossbar as the home side tried to find their way back into the game.
As Staveley resorted back to the football that got them to where they are in the league today, frustrations boiled over for the visitors when James Atkinson and goalscorer, Trott, were both booked for challenges some may argue were worthy of a red card.
Whatever was said at half-time was effective as the Trojans came back out in search of a goal. After Myles Wright's clearance evaded the attempted clearance of Borough's Right-Back, Tom Jamieson, Michael Burke played a well timed pass across the face of goal for Joe Pugh to draw the score levels.
Just ten minutes later, Adam Lund's long distance throw was flicked on by Mitchell Langton and was converted at the second time of asking by Michael Burke at the back post to give the Trojans a much deserved lead.
With time running out and Staveley dominating the game more as it progressed, a well worked free-kick between Sam Finlaw and Matty Parkin saw Parkin's eventual cross met with by the head of Pat Lindley who's bullet header gave him his first goal for the club to round off an incredible performance.
Despite only playing two games in two months, the Trojans didn't look like they had missed a beat and as a result can be proud of entering the Christmas period just three points behind the league leaders, with five games in hand.
Staveley Miners Welfare: Wright, Jones (Lindley 78), Dudley, Finlaw, Oglesby, Lund, Parkin, Langton, Pugh (Watson 66), Burke, Claxton (Doolan 58)
Unused Substitutes: Frogatt, James.
Attendance: 179
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