TOWN fans will be hoping they witnessed a sign of things to come after seeing AFC Emley beaten 3-0 in last night’s opening pre-season friendly at the Welfare Ground.
New signing Danny Cadamarteri netted the first goal of the Adrian Wright Memorial Match from the penalty spot and made the second for last season’s top scorer Luke Beckett (Matt Young got the third).
Andy Ritchie’s other close-season recruit Malvin Kamara showed encouraging flashes of pace and trickery on the right flank.
And there were bright displays from some of the young guns, notably Mitchell Bailey, who came on at half-time and was a positive force in midfield.
Wideman Danny Racchi, the only player to complete the whole of a private practice match against Stoke on Tuesday, was the only member of Ritchie’s 23-strong senior squad not to make an appearance against the hard-working Northern Counties East League side.
And members of an impressive 1,985 crowd also saw trialists Lee Snodin, son of Glynn, and Jack Kamara, son of Chris, in the new Town kit.
Ritchie’s charges looked a little rusty in the first half, when Danny Schofield curled a free-kick just over and poked a shot wide from a Malvin Kamara cross before Jon Worthington headed too high from close range.
But they picked up the pace after the break, going in front just two minutes into the second half when Chris Brandon was brought down in the box by Paul Robinson and Cadamarteri put away the spot kick right footed past keeper Jamie Green.
Town’s Matt Glennon made smart reflex saves to deny Sean Hazelden and Craig Wilkinson soon after.
But Town were soon back on the attack, and Michael Collins shot just over from distance before Beckett’s cool 56th-minute finish from Cadamarteri’s pass.
Lucas Akins’ 69th-minute shot on the turn was well saved, but the keeper could do nothing when Young controlled neatly on the edge of the area and drilled home an 83rd-minute effort.
First half: Eastwood, Berrett, Hardy, Snodin, N Clarke, Sinclair, Schofield, Worthington, Booth (Beckett, 39mins), Cadamarteri, M Kamara.
Second half: Glennon, J Kamara (T Clarke, 76), Skarz, Bailey, Mirfin, Berrett (Holdsworth, 63), Brandon, Collins, Cadamarteri (Akins, 56), Beckett (Malcher, 82), M Kamara (Young, 56).
