Thackley were back in league action on Tuesday night when they travelled east along the M62 to take on Goole. The Vikings have not made the best start to the season, having won just once from their opening five league games. However, that win was against the current table toppers, Penistone Church. Thackley really needed to take all three points from this game, having lost their last three, only one of those being in the league. Saturday’s hard fought game at Warrington had taken its toll and a number of players had picked up knocks /injuries. Josi Bradshaw, Luke Rhodes and Joe Mitchell all were suffering from the effects of the game. Into the starting eleven came Lewis Gardner, Will Morrissey and Tawheed Ahmed. Ben Bodle had recovered enough from his injury to be on the bench.

Thackley started well and all the play in the opening minutes was in the Goole half. Finn Donovan and Tawheed Ahmed were seeing plenty of the ball and looking dangerous as was skipper, Ben Grech-Brooksbank. The Thackley front three created a number of half chances in the opening minutes, the Goole defence making a number of blocks and a couple of shots needed saving. Thackley took the lead on fourteen minutes, Grech-Brooksbank controlling the ball before lifting it over the defence, Donovan timed his run to perfection to get clear and stroke the ball past keeper Joe Wilton and into the bottom corner. Thackley went close to increasing their lead five minutes later following a corner, Wilton saving from a Grech-Brooksbank header. The away side’s mid field were dominating the game and Goole seldom got out of their own half. The home side were not adverse to stopping Thackley anyway they could and both Ahmed and Grech-Booksbank were hacked down just outside the box. Unfortunately, both free kicks came to nothing. Thackley were creating quite a number of half chances that were just lacking that final touch. A missed timed tackle got Will Morrissey Thackley’s first yellow card before more chances went begging. Five minutes before the break, Thackley increased their lead, Grech-Brooksbank sliding in at the far post to convert Mark Everingham’s perfect cross. Luke Wilson, who had been a virtual spectator up this point, made a pretty routine save from a Liam Flanagan’s shot on forty four minutes, Goole’s only real forage forward. Donovan picked up Thackley’s second yellow card just before the break for kicking the ball away after straying offside. A very one sided half, in which Thackley scored twice and it should/could have been more.

Half time: Goole AFC 0 Thackley 2.

The second half started much the same as the first had finished, with Thackley dominating things. Just before the hour, Ahmed had a shot well saved by Wilton before Goole launched their most dangerous attack so far, Lucas Robinson showing good pace down the right before crossing, the final shot was just wide of the post. It was the first real threat on the Thackley goal. Wilton had to claw away an Ahmed shot before a counter attack from the home side, again the ball finished wide of the post. Thackley made a couple of changes, Muhammet Tektas coming on for Morrissey and Jake Holcombe for Ahmed. Tektas immediately had an impact on the game and scored Thackley’s third goal. It came from a period of possession play from the Thackley mid field, Donovan finished with the ball, which he knocked forward to Tektas, his first touch was good, his second saw the ball flying past Wilton. Two minutes later, the Thackley substitute went close to adding a fourth goal, turning and volleying a ball from a throw in into the side netting. Ben Bodle made a welcome return after injury to replace a tired Grech-Brooksbank who had put in a shift and led the line well. Goole had their best spell of the game in the final minutes and, on a couple of occasions, came close to pulling a goal back. There were no further goals and Thackley fully deserved their clean sheet and three goal victory.

Goole AFC 0 Thackley 3.

Thackley dominated the game throughout, particularly in the first half and perhaps were better value than their three goal winning margin suggests. The important thing was to get back to winning ways, this victory will give the team a boost for their game at Winterton on Saturday.

Goole AFC team: Wilton; Greasley; Clayton; Ward (Sanyang); Proctor; Mortimer (Grant); Spooner; Davies (Thompson); Flanagan; Chipamunga; Robinson. Unused subs: Storey; Bent.

Thackley team: Wilson; Everingham; Gardner; Sugden; Hudson; Parsons; Donovan; Morrissey (Tektas 68 mins); Grech-Brooksbank © (Bodle 84 mins); Hunt; Ahmed (Holcombe 72 mins). Unused subs: Forrester; Mitchell.

Thackley scorers: Finn Donovan 14 mins; Ben Grech-Brooksbank 38 mins: Muhammet Tektas 76 mins.

Attendance: 160.