Parkgate FC keep positive after latest striker departure

Shay Evans-Booth left to take up a better offer at Wakefield AFC after a short but successful stay at Roundwood.

The striker chipped in with half a dozen goals in his short spell with Gate after joining them in October from Dearne and District.

They helped newly promoted Parkgate establish themselves in the top half of the NCEL Premier Division but they will now have to crack on without his input. Evans-Booth’s departure follows that of two more good strikers in Jamie Austin and Ross Duggan earlier in the season.

"Wakefield have a bigger budget. They doubled his expenses and off he went,” said Mason.

"Before we arrived Shay had been on my radar a long time and I was so happy to get him. He has done so well for us and I’m sorry to see him go but when you’ve got a young family and you get a better offer then we can’t compete.

"Will we cope without his goals? We’ve got to find them somehow.

"We have a couple of offers in from teams for other players but they’ve told me they’re not going anywhere, so hopefully we’ll hang onto them.”

Tenth in the table after last Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Hallam, Gate are giving youth a chance.

Jack Humphries (17) has been involved all season and 16-year-olds Harley Moore and Harrison Struggles have also had game time.

Joey McLare (16) has had a substitute appearance and Ashton Stringer (16) is new to the squad.

"We are trying to go with a bit of youth and the goal is still to try and get in the play-offs,” added Scott. "A draw would have been fair last week and Hallam’s manager said the same but we went down to a worldie from the halfway line.”

Weather permitting, Parkgate host Handsworth, in ninth, today (3pm) while in Division One Swallownest chase a rare third straight win away to Harrogate Railway. Maltby Main are ninth after losing 2-1 to Nostell MW at Muglet Lane last night. Trailing 2-0 at half time, Miners pulled one back through Haydn Ward just before the hour.​​​​​​