Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Lewis Whitham scored twice as Worksop Town beat Garforth Town 4-0 in a pre-season friendly at the KC Sofas Stadium.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Worksop dominated the early stages. Deegan Atherton's cross found Lewis Whitham in the box, but the Garforth goalkeeper saved well. Oli Greaves fired over from range in the 25th minute, and Liam Waldock struck the post after meeting Greaves' low cross.
The breakthrough came in the 39th minute: a quick throw-in released Whitham inside the box, and he smashed the ball into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 at the break.
Whitham doubled the lead four minutes after the restart, collecting a poor Garforth clearance outside the box and unleashing a half-volley into the top-right corner. He nearly completed a hat-trick in the 57th minute when Greaves' cross found him in the box, but his shot drifted wide of the far post.
Garforth's best chance came when a defensive miscommunication presented a clear sight of goal, but the effort dragged wide of the right post. Dearnley had also made a sharp stop just before half-time after a Garforth passing move opened up the home defence.
Worksop made multiple substitutions in the 70th minute, introducing Sam Essien, Jay Abudu, Chae Whitman-Brown, Mason O'Malley and two trialists. Whitman-Brown made an immediate impact, rising to meet a corner at the near post in the 82nd minute and heading past the keeper. Six minutes later, Liam Waldock met another corner and pulled it back for a trialist defender to turn in from close range.
The turning point
Whitham's second goal in the 49th minute — a stunning half-volley from a cleared ball — was the moment the contest lost any remaining doubt. Garforth had survived until half-time only one down, but the early second-half strike forced them to chase the game, which opened the spaces for Worksop's late double.
Key performers
Lewis Whitham (Man of the Match) — Two goals (39', 49') from three shots on target, both finishes of real quality. His first was a driven finish from a quick throw; his second a technically excellent half-volley from distance. Also went close to a hat-trick in the 57th minute.
Liam Waldock — Hit the post in the first half, then turned provider for the fourth goal, pulling back a corner for the trialist to score. Central to Worksop's midfield control.
Chae Whitman-Brown — Introduced in the 70th minute alongside other substitutes, he scored with his head from a corner 12 minutes later, demonstrating the depth of Worksop's squad.
Max Dearnley — Made a sharp save just before half-time to preserve the 1-0 lead, ensuring Garforth never had a route back into the match.
By the numbers — interpreted
Worksop's four goals came from 39', 49', 82' and 87', illustrating a pattern of control: a narrow half-time lead followed by an early second-half strike that broke Garforth's resistance, then two late goals as the visitors tired. The provider payload records no yellow or red cards, which is typical of a pre-season friendly focused on match fitness. The 1-0 half-time scoreline undersold Worksop's dominance in the first 45 minutes — Waldock hit the post and Whitham forced a good save before finally scoring.
What it means
Worksop Town continue their pre-season preparations with two weeks until the start of the 2026-27 National League North campaign. The Tigers host Mickleover on Tuesday 28 July (7:45 pm) in their next friendly. For Garforth Town, this was a useful test against a side two divisions higher. They open their NPL Division One East season away to Beverley Town on 15 August. The return of Dan Coupland and Ollie Patrick from injury, as noted by Garforth's social media, was the main positive for the visitors.
Verdict
A thoroughly professional pre-season workout for Worksop Town. Whitham's quality was the clear difference, but the depth of the Tigers' squad was evident in the impact of second-half substitutes. Garforth will take encouragement from spells of possession but need sharper finishing at the higher tempo they will face in league action.
Match Events
Key match events between Worksop Town and Garforth Town — 4 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
Rivalry since 2022
Worksop Town vs Garforth Town Head to Head Results· 1
Worksop Town and Garforth Town have met 1 times — Worksop Town won 1, Garforth Town won 0, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2022. Worksop Town leads the head-to-head with 1 victory from 1 meeting. A combined 2 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 2.00 per match (2 for the home side, 0 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 0 matches (0%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 0 games (0%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 2–0 in 2022.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 26 Jul 2026