Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division: Pickering Town 3 Parkgate 2

IN-FORM Pickering Town, who were cruising when Ryan Cooper put them 3-0 up after half-time, were generally lacklustre in the second half in recording a 3-2 victory.

Cooper was one of three changes made by Paul Marshall, alongside the inclusion of assistant player-manager Denny Ingram in defence and a second debut for Liam Shepherd, signed from Whitby Town.

Pickering started well, Calum Ward being foiled by Ben Brunt’s body from a one-on-one, but the visitors also carried a threat, Toby Wells saving acrobatically from LeBron Mbeka’s downward header from a corner and Ben Thornton glancing a header wide of the far post from Piers Bond’s cross.

Mitch Hamilton broke the deadlock in the 35th minute, controlling a steepling crossfield ball superbly in the box before volleying it into the bottom corner through Brunt’s grasp.

Joe Danby doubled his side’s lead moments before the break. After Ged Dalton was tripped on a counter-attack, set-piece specialist Danby wrapped his left foot around a free-kick from 20 yards, which settled in the top right corner.

In the second half, Shepherd came close to a dream return with a curling effort from outside the box that grazed the right-hand post before Cooper turned Danby's pot shot from distance into the net, with Parkgate insisting he was offside.

Three minutes later, they quickly responded through Johnson's powerful volley, and the same player netted from a free-kick after referee Jan Suchecki turned down a Pickering penalty shout for handball.

The Pikes had former Easingwold School pupil Wells to thank for two fine late saves from Mbeka and Ashton to make it four wins from five games.

Former Tadcaster Albion boss Marshall said: “It looks like we’re going to have to score three goals to win a game nowadays.

“We’ve panicked again. We maybe got tired as well, with the surface.”