Wedgwood FC faced Smallthorne White Hart at Dimensions on 7th September 2025, kicking off at 10:30 am. The match concluded with Wedgwood securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory, showcasing their resilience and tactical prowess throughout the encounter.
Wedgwood FC lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, designed to provide a solid defensive base while allowing for fluid attacking transitions. Ethan Wheeldon took his place in goal, with Owen Taylor and Alex Bayley occupying the right and left defensive flanks respectively. The central defensive partnership comprised Jordan Coleman and Ricci Edwards, tasked with keeping the opposition at bay. In midfield, Ollie Heath and George Barlow operated as central midfielders, providing both defensive cover and support to the attacking trio. Shane Reaney, Craig Cookson, and Jay Blood formed the attacking midfield trio, with Niall Cartlidge leading the line as the lone striker. The substitutes for the match included Kieren Forrester, Joshua Cartwright, Garry Rushton, and Jack Ward.
The match began explosively, with Jay Blood opening the scoring just one minute in, unleashing a stunning left-footed strike from a short pass by Craig Cookson. This early goal set the tone for Wedgwood, who looked to build on their lead. Owen Taylor quickly made his presence felt defensively, intercepting a pass in the third minute to thwart Smallthorne's early attempts to respond.
Ethan Wheeldon was called into action shortly after, tipping a shot over the bar in the fourth minute, showcasing his agility. George Barlow then made a key contribution with a long pass in the fifth minute, demonstrating Wedgwood's attacking intent. Ricci Edwards followed suit, heading away a dangerous ball in the eighth minute, while Taylor continued to shine defensively with another interception in the ninth minute.
However, it was a tough start for Jordan Coleman, who received a yellow card in the tenth minute for a bad tackle, putting him on a tightrope for the remainder of the match. Barlow was instrumental again in the thirteenth minute, delivering a flick pass that created a chance for Jay Blood, whose attempt was saved. Wheeldon continued to impress, making a catch in the fourteenth minute and a full-stretch save in the twenty-first minute to maintain Wedgwood's slender lead.
As the first half progressed, Cookson made a long pass in the twenty-fifth minute, creating yet another opportunity for the visitors. Owen Taylor's defensive work was commendable, as he intercepted another pass shortly thereafter. However, Wheeldon found himself in a precarious situation in the twenty-eighth minute, committing a late tackle but fortunately not conceding a penalty.
The first half saw attempts from both Craig Cookson and Niall Cartlidge, but neither could find the target, with Cookson's shot going wide in the thirty-fifth minute and Cartlidge's attempt going high. Cookson's frustration boiled over in the thirty-sixth minute, earning him a yellow card for dissent. Niall Cartlidge made a key pass in the thirty-ninth minute, setting up a chance before the whistle blew for half-time with the score at 1-0.
The second half began with George Barlow making another interception in the fiftieth minute, maintaining Wedgwood's defensive solidity. Owen Taylor's tackling continued to impress, as he made another crucial challenge in the fifty-second minute. A tactical substitution was made in the fifty-seventh minute, with Kieren Forrester replacing Alex Bayley.
As the match entered its later stages, Shane Reaney had a shot saved in the fifty-seventh minute, while Cookson's attempt in the fifty-ninth minute also went high. Smallthorne White Hart finally found their footing, scoring a screamer in the sixty-third minute to level the match at 1-1.
Wedgwood responded with tactical substitutions, bringing on Joshua Cartwright for Cookson and Garry Rushton for Cartlidge in the sixty-fourth minute. In the seventy-third minute, Cookson returned to the pitch, replacing Jay Blood due to injury. Jack Ward then came on for Taylor in the seventy-fourth minute, as Wedgwood sought to regain control of the match.
Despite Smallthorne's equaliser, Wedgwood pressed on, with Cookson's shot saved in the seventy-seventh minute and Rushton's attempt also thwarted in the seventy-eighth minute. Jack Ward made a vital tackle in the eightieth minute, preventing a potential chance for Smallthorne, while Wheeldon made another full-stretch save in the eighty-first minute to keep the scores level.
In the closing stages, Niall Cartlidge returned to the pitch in the eighty-fifth minute, replacing Barlow due to injury. Garry Rushton had a late chance in the eighty-seventh minute but shot wide. Just as it seemed the match would end in a draw, Niall Cartlidge delivered a moment of brilliance, scoring directly from a corner kick in the ninetieth minute, sealing a dramatic 2-1 victory for Wedgwood FC. The match concluded with a sense of triumph for the visitors, who showcased their tenacity and skill in a thrilling league encounter.
