Liam Cooper hat-trick helps Fryston AFC to Landlords Trophy tie win over Wakefield Athletic

A first half Liam Cooper hat-trick helped Fryston AFC knock out a severely depleted Wakefield Athletic third string in a second round Landlords Trophy tie.
Tony Harber
By Tony Harber
Published 24th Oct 2023, 11:42 BST
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Athletic produced a battling performance on a perfect playing surface that beat the elements, but they went down 5-0 to the Wakefield Sunday Premiership One leaders who are 30 places above them in the league.

The visitors’ 5-4-1 system was quickly breached as a break on the right ended with Cooper applying a low drive into the bottom corner of the net.

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Good hold up play by stand-in striker James Boryn unleashed debutant Riyadul Islam several times, but Athletic could not make the foraging runs forward count.

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Wakefield Athletic B players Andrew Jackson and Ali Jamegay worked hard to try to keep Fryston AFC at bay.Wakefield Athletic B players Andrew Jackson and Ali Jamegay worked hard to try to keep Fryston AFC at bay.
Wakefield Athletic B players Andrew Jackson and Ali Jamegay worked hard to try to keep Fryston AFC at bay.

They went two down in the 14th minute when neat play opened up a chance for another goal from the right hand side with Cooper again on target from close range.

More pressure followed, but stout defending from the Wakefield rearguard, including last ditch tackles by Jamie Grant and Musa Kabba, thwarted the hosts.

Boryn and Abdul Mohammedkair did force good saves from the home keeper before the hosts made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time with Cooper completing his hat-trick with a fine finish following a bit of pinball in the danger area

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Wakefield rotated the pack at half-time, but would do more defending than attacking in the second period. More great defending from Grant and Muhammed Kayni again frustrated the home team with visiting keeper Ali Jamegay making a series of noteworthy saves.

But a tiring Athletic would concede twice more with a brace from Liam Hirst with a headed goal near the hour mark and a strike into the roof of the net in the last 20 minutes.

The gallant Wakefield side came out with some credit with a battling performance against a top tier side and hope the same level of grit will bode well in their next fixture against Last Bank FC at WYCO.

Wates man of the match was shared by Grant, Riyadul Islam and Boryn with impressive batting from all over the team including debut performances from Muhammed Kayni and Josh Hemmingway.

This Sunday Athletic’s first team are away to Nostell MW while the A team is at home to Hemsworth MW.

Related topics:Liam CooperWakefield AthleticWakefieldFryston