20/09/2026
🔵🔴 MATCH REPORT | WYRE WANDERERS 5–2 JFT FC
Not a bad way to start.
Wyre Wanderers began life in the Ballers Social Inclusion Football League with a 5–2 win over JFT Fitness FC at Poolfoot Farm, before also taking the league’s post-match penalty shootout 3–2.
With Neil Gore, Ric Slack, Taylor-James Clews, Wayne Barton and Ricky Fisher all making their debuts, plenty of the side playing together for the first time, and Ant Pogson taking charge of his first competitive game as Wyre manager, a slightly clunky opening probably wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Ant didn’t take particularly long to settle into league football either. As the opposition dugout quickly discovered, he’s got a fairly sizeable gob on him - so he should fit in at Wyre absolutely fine.
It didn’t help that JFT appeared considerably younger and more energetic than most of us. Bar James Rawcliffe, Wyre’s long-term strategy continues to revolve largely around experience, deep heat and hoping the body makes it through another 80 minutes.
JFT struck first after a bit of pinball in the Wyre box eventually fell kindly for their forward, who made no mistake.
Wyre responded well and began creating chances, although JFT’s keeper produced an absolutely ridiculous double save to keep us out - somehow tipping the first effort onto the bar before recovering to throw himself in front of the rebound. Quite how he stopped the second one remains unclear. Unfortunately for him, the save also appeared to do his back absolutely no favours.
The equaliser eventually arrived from an unlikely source as Wazza Barton, charging forward from right-back, opened Wyre’s league account.
Ricky Fisher then put the Wanderers ahead before Tom Leech made it three with probably the pick of the goals, cutting inside from the left and calmly placing the ball home with his right foot.
JFT pulled one back shortly before the interval to leave it 3–2 at half-time - a scoreline that made the first half feel considerably closer than perhaps it needed to be.
The second half was a much more controlled affair.
Wyre settled down, moved the ball well and began to look considerably more like a team that had met each other before Saturday lunchtime.
Oli Taylor added the fourth before James Rawcliffe completed the scoring to make it 5–2, with a number of other opportunities going begging along the way.
Clayton “CJ” Sheldon, who had spent the warm-up casually producing outside-of-the-boot finishes that would have interested Roberto Carlos, unfortunately discovered that such powers were apparently restricted to the pre-match period.
Still, CJ finished with two assists, with Taylor-James Clews, Tom Leech and Matt Watson also providing one apiece.
And because apparently winning an 80-minute football match is no longer sufficient, we then moved on to the penalty shootout.
Oli Taylor, Wazza Barton and Darren Crossley all converted, while Marcus Webster made a couple of saves in goal to secure a 3–2 shootout victory and a winning start in both competitions.
Matt Watson was also persuaded to take one. Early reports suggest the ball remains in low Earth orbit.
Steve Feeney was named League Man of the Match after an excellent display in midfield, while the internal vote was an extremely close affair between Steve and debutant Neil Gore, with Neil just edging the WadesWorld Print&Design clothing Man of the Match award.
So, 5–2 in the match, 3–2 on penalties, five debuts and a first league victory for the Wanderers. We’ll take that.
Next up is a trip to Stanley Park to face Blackpool Football Therapy on Saturday 3rd October.
Thankfully there’s a fortnight until then, which should give most of the squad sufficient time to recover the use of their legs.
Forza Wyre 🔵🔴
