Penistone Church 1-1 Sheffield

Penistone Church 1-1 Sheffield

Pre-Season Friendly

Saturday 17th July 2021

A game in sweltering hot weather at Penistone Church is a phrase which quite possibly won't get used again anytime soon given that the place is often referred to as being one of the coldest in the country.

Nevertheless, these are strange times and this 1-1 draw with Sheffield FC, complete with a drinks break in each half, was played in glorious summer sunshine. And if conditions weren't already challenging enough, the long sleeved shirts which players of both sides were forced to wear (presumably because no short sleeved ones have been produced) no doubt resulted in some players feeling extremely uncomfortable.

In what was an even enough contest, Sheffield - who compete one division higher than Penistone, took the lead courtesy of a fortuitous Joel Purkiss strike just before half-time but the hosts levelled late on thanks to James Young's stunning free-kick.

As has become frustratingly normal over the past week, my initial plans to attend a game elsewhere were scuppered due to positive Covid-19 cases which caused a postponement. It wasn't the only local fixture called off at short notice and with case numbers skyrocketing and periods of self-isolation still required by close contacts for the next few weeks, it seems inevitable that more and more games are going to be postponed and, consequentially, the start of the season will become a total shambles - but that's a rant for another time!

Anyway, I was familiar with a player from each line-up. Penistone's Kurtis Turner was at Mansfield Town, albeit only for one season which coincided with my time there, whilst Sheffield's Cody Prior was previously on the books at Doncaster Rovers and skipper of the Under 23s team before departing the club midway through 2019/20.

Both players have something to offer in their respective teams and it was Turner, wearing No.4 and operating in his usual midfield berth, who actually had the first attempt of the game with an effort which narrowly cleared the upright. The one-time team-mate of John Stones (from his days in Barnsley's Academy) also had an effort from slightly further out towards the end of the first period which cleared the clubhouse... but we won't dwell on that one!

Prior, appearing at left-back but far more effective as a midfielder in my opinion, also received pleenty of lavish praise from the masses of Sheffield fans (well, about a dozen or so!) seated in the shade who regularly questioned why he's playing at Step 4 level when they believe he could play much higher. His work, as to be expected, consisted of many blocks, tackles and it wasn't a bad individual showing given the enormously difficult conditions.

After a couple more openings at either end throughout the first 40 minutes, the half-time scoreline hindered on two big chances in quick succession. Penistone could have made a breakthrough when Turner's lofted ball forward fell kindly for a team-mate inside the area but his shot was expertly parried away by the visiting 'keeper who was quick to recognise the danger. Less than 60 seconds later at the other end of the pitch, a left-wing cross into Penistone's box wasn't dealt with and the ball somehow fell to Joel Purkiss who drilled it past the home 'keeper at his near-post for the game's opening goal.

It could have been a different scoreline at the break, it wasn't, but nobody is going to dwell too much on a pre-season work-out anyway!

A handful of substitutions were made at the interval followed by a 'drip feed' of further changes as the second half progressed and the basking hot sun ensured that the pace and intensity of the game, though not bad, definitely wasn't what it would have been in usual Pensitone weather!

The hosts earned a share of the spoils late on with a set-piece effort which, given the sunshine, was more accustomed to the type of finish you'd see in La Liga as opposed to the edge of the Peak District. When Pensitone won a free-kick, some distance out, it seemed unlikely they'd be able to put the ball in the back of the net but that's exactly what James Young did with a strike which clipped the post on it's way past the visiting 'keeper.

Next Up: Rossington Main vs Barton Town (unless 'Uncle Covid' comes along with the magic postponement wand yet again).