Hillmen end the season on a high

Glossop North End signed off from their 2024/25 North West Counties Premier Division campaign with a resounding 4-0 home victory against Pilkington, their biggest win of the season.  

As the game kicked off, on a mild, clear spring Saturday afternoon, there was a sign of things to come in the very first minute.  

Keaton Mulvey dispossessed the Pilkington defender, drove towards goal but his effort was pulled just wide. 

Glossop were able to convert their dominance into a lead half way through the opening period.  

A throw in to Djalo out on Glossop’s left, he drove inside, slipped the ball to Mulvey, seemingly without looking at him, in the inside left position and the forward calmly slotted a finish across the ‘keeper into the bottom corner for the lead, which was nothing more than Glossop deserved.

Djalo was thankful to wingback Aeron Bardsley on the half hour mark having given the ball away on the edge of his own box he needed a sliding intervention from his teammate to block the shot behind for a corner, which the Hillmen were able to deal with easily.

Within five minutes GNE were able to double their advantage, befitting of their dominance in the game.  

Not many teams play with a front-two but this formation allows Glossop to do so and the strike partners combined here for the Hillmen’s second.  

Mulvey brought the ball down, cut inside, laid it off to  Lew Reilly.  

What a player he’s been for the Hillmen this season, a number nine the fans have craved since Jamie Rainford.  

On this occasion he dug the ball out from under his feet to apply a sublime finish into the top corner for his 19th league goal of the season.  

Glossop started the second period well and in truth never really looked back.  

Keaton Mulvey had a couple of good chances to double his tally on the day.  

First a cross from the left from his strike  partner Reilly was headed over, two minutes later he timed his run well in the box to meet a Kyle Worsley cross from the right, but headed straight at the keeper. 

The barrage of pressure continued, Conal Gallagher had the ball in the back of the net on Sixty-two minutes, but it was ruled out for offside.

Moments later, his clipped pass found Kyle Worsley’s run in the inside right channel, he controlled well, steadied himself and applied a calm finish past the visitors’ goalkeeper to put Glossop three to the good.  

Ten minutes later Mulvey added his second, GNE’s fourth on the afternoon.  

He was in on goal on the left hand edge of the box, his initial cross was blocked, it fell back to him and he lashed an unstoppable drive past the goalkeeper into the top corner of the goal, for a spectacular fourth.

At full time the team received a rapturous applause and the end of season presentation ceremony was well attended, except from Players’ player and Supporters’ player of the season winner Dylan McMahon who was away on holiday, but joined via video call to accept the awards and the acclaim from the fans.  

Lee Rick took the managers’ player of the season for his outstanding leadership on and off the field.

So, a sixteenth place finish, fourteen points better off than last year. 

Despite not reaching the heights which had been expected at the start of the campaign the building blocks are in place to allow a young group to springboard forward next season and close the gap on the upper reaches of the division.