Awsworth Villa 2-0 Magdala Amateurs (NSL)

Saturday 31st March 2012 -- NSL Senior Division -- kick off 3:04pm

Our first ever visit to the Shilo Recreation Ground,   home of Awsworth Villa, and although this is a basic set up, we were impressed with how well the Rec has been tended.  Decent gravel walkway, park benches if you need to have a sit down - and although there is no cover if it rains, you can always watch from the comfort of the car..... 

The raised bank on one side of the pitch offers a great view of proceedings, but is so open that the bitingly cold wind finds those special places you don't really want it to find!!

The ground is so easy to find, we wondered why we haven't visited before ... after all, we live only a 15-20 minute car ride away.

After the usual handshakes, the teams lined up to pay their respects to Magdala Life President Alan Gilmour who passed away on Saturday morning.  Alan was a well respected figure in non-league circles and all NSL teams have been instructed to pay their respects prior to kick-off.

We seldom take in NSL games, because at times the skill level can sometimes leave a lot to be desired. On this occasion we were treated to a decent enough game, with both teams showing enough to keep me and the Daftlad happy......

Not many notes taken - after all the nice weather we've enjoyed recently, this was back to almost winter temperatures......bloody frozzen again, and I kept my hands, for a lot of the game, resting warmly in my pockets!!

Awsworth lined up in their red/white halved shirts and red shorts, while Magdala sported amber shirts and black shorts.  Not knowing most of the players names also restricted the amount of notes, but I did manage to work out who scored the goals.

The first goal was scored in the 8th minute, a smart finish from LUKE DAVIS after he was picked out by the lively Kieron Saxton. H-T 1-0

We had a potter into the woods at half-time ...someone had also made a good job of keeping this neat and tidy as well - although my presence added little to the scenery!!!!

The Villa lead was doubled on 64 when skipper DANNY TOWLE's free-kick from the right ended up in the back of the net.

At first it was thought that Danny Chambers had headed the ball home, but he admitted to Towle that he hadn't made any contact. Probably as well really - Chambers looked to be in a slightly offside position.....

                                                  

Awsworth had a great chance to add to the score after 70 minutes had been played, but the Magdala keeper blocked well when confronted one on one..

To be fair to Dala, they kept trying to reduce their arrears, but had little bite up top.  Their chances were reduced even more so when they lost a player to a bad head injury having played all three subs.  F-T 2-0

Enjoyed our afternoon at the Shilo - and Kev was again on the mark with his pics.... excellent job, feller!!

Admission - no

Programme - no

Head count was a bit tricky - this is a public park. I reckon over 30 were at pitch side for the duration of the game.

Saturday 31st March - local teams in action

BSP (1)
Mansfield Tn 1-0 Ebbsfleet

BSN (2)
Eastwood Tn 0-1 Stalybridge Celtic

NPP (3)
Worksop Tn 3-0 Matlock Tn

NP1S (4)
Coalville Tn 1-3 Belper Tn
Ilkeston FC 5-0 Shepshed Dynamo
Newcastle Tn 0-2 Carlton Tn
Rainworth MW 1-1 Kidsgrove Athletic
Sheffield FC 1-0 Hucknall Tn

MFA (5)
Dunkirk FC 1-0  Ellesmere Rangers

NCELP (5)
Arnold Tn 2-1 Armthorpe Welfare
Brighouse 1-1 Long Eaton Utd
Scarborough Ath 2-2 Retford Utd

NCEL1 (6)
Louth Tn 3-2 Shirebrook Tn
Teversal 0 Eccleshill Utd

EMCL (6)
Anstey Nomads 1-5 Heanor Tn
Borrowash Vics 0-1 Blby & Whetstone
Gedling MW 2-0 Barrow Tn
Graham St. Prims 2-1 Thurnby Nirvana
Holwell Sports 0-3 Greenwood Meadows
Oadby Tn 1-0 Blackwell MW
Radcliffe Oly 0-1 Bardon Hill
Radford FC 2-1 Ibstock Utd

CMLN(7)
Glapwell FC 3-3 Bentley Colliery
Harworth CI 1-0 Dronfield Tn
Parkhouse P-P FC 05 Bilsthorpe
Thorne Colliery 2-6 Thoresby CW
Welbeck Welfare 2-3 Ollerton Tn
Westella & Willerby 5-0 Clipstone Welfare

CMLS (7)
AFC Hucknall 0-4 Southwell City
Belper Utd 4-1 Notts Police
Bilborough Pelican 1-2 Newark Tn
Calverton MW 2-2 Real Utd
Clifton FC (ten) 10-1 Kimberley Tn
Nottm Utd 0-11 ( eleven) Basford Utd
Pinxton 4-0 Sutton Tn AFC
South Normanton Ath P-P Blidworth Welfare

NSL Senior
Attenborough 3-3 Kimberley MW
Awsworth Villa 2-0 Magdala Amateurs
Bulwell 4-0 Wollaton
Cotgrave Welfare 2-3 Linby CW
Gedling SB 1-0 Keyworth Utd
Ruddington Village 2-1 Sandhurst
Vernon Villa 3-3 Hucknall RL

Carlton Tn 1-2 Eastwood Tn (Notts FA Cup)

Wednesday 28th March 2012 - Notts F.A. Saturday Senior Cup 1/2 final

Not a lot to write home about....even at the reduced entry fee of £5, and extra time I still feel I didn't get my money's worth!!

For a semi-final the Notts F.A. flagship competition, this was a very uneventful, dour, unexciting game.  The competition has been devalued somewhat this season with the F.A. announcing that the final would not be held at Field Mill, Meadow Lane or the City Ground.  Carlton/Rainworth/Hucknall have been among the venues mentioned.  For CML clubs like Newark and Clifton, who battle it out for the other final place next week, this has to be a bit of a blow -- no chance for " I once played at Meadow Lane" on the players' CV's!

Carlton made the decision to reduce the entry fee to £5 -- 154 was the official published attendance - I wonder how many would have bothered at £7?

Former Badger MATT MILLNS put Carlton in front on 34 with a fine header from an Ali Asher free kick. Eastwood were back on terms three minutes later though, JERVAISE CHRISTIE with another well placed header that sailed across keeper Grant Vann.

H-T 1-1  

F-T 1-1

ET H-T 1-1

The game was settled in the 108th minute. A long punt out of defence flew into the Carlton area, and when it bounced up, diminutive Eastwood sub INES HENRY got to the ball before Vann, and dinked a neat header over the keeper's outstretched arms.  ET F-T 1-2

Question for Mr. John Ramshaw -- ETFC boss.....  we've seen the Badgers 3 times this season .. 100% win record!! Will our presence be requested at the final, wherever it is played?

Admission £5 (well done, Millers)
Programme £1.50
Attendance  154

Pinxton 4-2 Newark Tn (CML Cup)

Tuesday 27th March 2012 - CML Cup 1/4 final replay

Pinxton : Marriott 33, 80 Cooper 37 Bowler 47

Newark : Hillier 28 M Ellison 90

The first game ended 2-2, and the replay for a while at least, looked like it would be another close battle.  Newark outplayed their hosts for the first half hour or so, but as soon as Pinxton got their backsides into gear, there was only ever going to be one winner.

Spent the evening in the company of Rob Hornby, Richard Lane, Ricky Lane, Rob Townsend and Kev Guise. Our friend "Deadly Derek" was also present - his first visit to Wharfe Road in many years - apparently there were no floodlights the last time he visited!

It was great to see Ricky Lane again - he's been away at Uni, but now has three weeks off for Easter....most of us mere mortals get 2 days!!!

Newark could have been one up after just 30 seconds, but keeper Dave O'Hare made a tremendous save to deny Ben Ginnelly.  Pinxton had no answer to Newark's attacking style and O'Hare did well again on 18 to block Dominic Swinglers effort. 

Ian Hillier smacked a free kick against O'Hare's post in the 25th minute, and the visitors deservedly went ahead three minutes later, TOM MALLINSON nodding home from close range after O'Hare failed to deal with a long range shot in from the left.  The keeper should maybe have done better with his block, but the original shot was from a long way out and he could have hoped for more protection from his defenders. 

Going  a goal down saw Pinxton wake up, and they took the game by the scruff of it's neck and were level on 33,  GREG MARRIOTT firing home after the visiting defence failed to clear a corner.   JAY COOPER then hit one of the contenders for goal of the season some 4 mintes later, hammering a curling 25 yard drive wide of Newark keeper Gary Attwood and into the back of the net. Absolute belter - the ball never stopped moving away from Attwood who had no chance of saving it, no chance at all!  H-T 2-1

2 minutes into the second period, Sean Gregory blocked well as Attwood attempted to clear. The ball ran to the goal line, and Gregory chased it down before firing it across the goal to where CORY BOWLER was waiting to stab home.

The game then entered a quiet period - quiet except for the Newark bench, that is! Noisy lot - and although Ref Tim Walker had a good game, every decision was questioned and the young up and coming official must have wondered at times what some of the derision was for!!

Pinxton netted again on 80 - Josh Parker's quick throw in picked out Wayne Cooke who in turn fed GREG MARRIOTT and the youngster composed himself before slotting past Attwood. 

MARK ELLISON hammered home a superb 28 yard free kick on 90 to make the scoreline more respectable for the Nottinghamshire outfit, but it is Pinxton who go through to the semi-final - and they take on another CMLS team, Clifton FC.  F-T 4-2

Admission £2

Programme £1

Attendance  - no idea ...

Heanor Town 1-1 Graham St Prims (EMCL)

Saturday 24th March 2012 - kick off 3:02pm

This was a disappointing result for the Heanor faithful  - but in all honesty it was a disappointing performance from the Lions and it could have been worse if the Prims' strikers had have had their shooting boots on. 

With Borrowash Victoria beating Ellistown, Heanor drop from top spot, and if they still hope to win the title they can't really afford to drop any more points from their final 5 games. Even then they will have to hope Vics slip up along the way.

Heanor welcomed Tom Land to their ranks - the defender joined mid-week from Blackwell MW and went straight into the starting line-up, taking the left-back spot.

Teams : Lions : West, J Foster, Land, Stevenson, Peel, Degirolamo, Webster, Royce, Benger, Vernon, Frost.  Subs: Wells, Grayson, Slater, Littlewood, Hopkins.

Prims: Toher, Robley, Milner, A Foster, Mycroft, Parker, Briggs, Williams, Fell, Slack, Oliver. Subs : Cooper-Richards, Fretwell, Shilcock, Freeman.

No Kev today, he was away with his good lady, celebrating 28 years of wedded bliss! I took over 100 photos, but most of them were rubbish. Even though I captured the Benger goal, the pic was blurred... damn it!

Heanor ought to have known that their visitors weren't going to be an easy touch - they had just won at Borrowash and it was the Prims had the first chance to open the scoring within seconds of the kick off.  A neat cross from the left was allowed to go all the way across the home goal, and if Chris Briggs had shown more composure he may well have fired the ball past Neil West instead of missing his kick completely.

Heanor applied lots of pressure to the Prims back line, but lacked the usual cutting edge we have become used to.  Vernon was given the nod over Grayson to partner Nathan Benger for this game, but for me, Grayson should have started, with Vernon a great impact player to be introduced after an hour or so, as happened at Blackwell last week.   

Visiting keeper Nathan Toher was kept busy enough, but catching looked a strong point of his game, and he got plenty of practice!  Not much else for him to do, although he had to be alert to tip one effort from Benger over the bar. H-T 0-0

Heanor were back out early for the second half - must have been told a few home truths by the Heanor management team.  The team talk seemed to have been effective, as the Lions took the lead with just 10 minutes of the second half played. No prizes for guessing the scorer - but it was a great ball from Jason Foster to pick out Vernon - who in turn found NATHAN BENGER, and the striker fired home his 32nd league goal of the season from 15 yards. 

Told you they were blurred!!!

All the strike did though was upset the Prims - and when they brought on Tom Cooper-Richards, it was one way traffic.  The sub was terrific, and he posed all sorts of problems for the Heanor back line - and it was his shot on 74 that was blocked by West, but the ball went straight to the feet of LEE FELL, who hammered the ball into the back of the net.

Missed the goal pic, but the players having a nice celebratory cuddle are Lee Fell and Tom Cooper-Richards.  Heanor almost snatched it in added time, but Toher was again on his toes, tipping over a Grayson effort. F-T 1-1

Not a very comprehensive, detailed report, but there was hardly anything of note worth writing about.  It will be interesting to see Mr. Stan "Heanor Town" Wilton's take on the game later.

Admission £5
Programme £1
Attendance 101

Saturday 24th March 2012-- local teams in action

BSP
Fleetwood Tn 2-0 Mansfield Tn

BSN
Gainsborough Trinity 2-0 Eastwood Tn

NPP
FC Utd Manchester 3-1 Worksop Tn
Matlock Tn 0-1 Chester FC

NP1S
Belper Tn 1-0 Lincoln Utd
Carlton Tn 4-0 Romulus
Hucknall Tn 2-2 Coalville Tn
New Mills 3-2 Rainworth MW
Shepshed Dynamo 2-3 Brigg Tn

MFA
Stratford Tn 0-2 Dunkirk

NCELP
Arnold Tn 2-0 Barton Tn OB
Long Eaton Utd 1-2 Lincoln Moorlands Railway
Retford Utd 7-0 Hall Road Rangers

NCEL1
Askern Villa 1-5 Teversal
Yorkshire Amateur 1-3 Shirebrook Tn

EMCL
Blackwell MW 2-0 Anstey Nomads
Borrowash Victoria 1-0 Ellistown
Greenwood Meadows 2-1 Holbrook Sports
Heanor Tn 1-1 Graham St Prims
Ibstock Utd 1-3 Radcliffe Olympic
Oadby Tn 1-2 Gedling MW

CMLN
Glapwell 0-1 Yorkshire Main
Phoenix 7-0 FC 05 Bilsthorpe
Thoresby CW 4-1 Harworth CI
Thorne Colliery 2-1 Ollerton Tn
Welbeck Welfare 2-4 Kinsley Boys

CMLS
Basford Utd 0-1 Newark Tn
Belper Utd 0-1 Pinxton
Kimberley Tn 0-2 AFC Hucknall
Nottm Utd 0-3  Real Utd
Notts Police P-P Sutton Tn AFC
Southwell City 2-5 Bilborough Pelican

CML Cup
Clifton 3-2 South Normanton Ath

NSL SENIOR
Awsworth Villa 1-1 Linby CW
Bulwell 1-0 Keyworth Utd
Cotgrave Welfare 0-1 Selston
F.C. Cavalier 4-1 Sandhurst
Hucknall RL 2-3 Magdala Ams
Ruddington Village 1-1 Attenborough
Wollaton 1-2 Gedling SB

Radford U19 2-1 Pinxton U19 (U19 Div 2)

Thursday 22nd March 2012 - kick off 7:47pm

Second placed Radford had to defeat leaders Pinxton to snatch the league title.  As the table below shows, before kick off, all Pinxton had to do was secure a point, and they looked odds on to do at least that when they took the lead in the 63rd minute..........  

We decided to visit Selhurst Steet, at Radford Secretary Danny Staley's invitation, and despite his offer of a prime parking spot outside the ground, we opted to travel by tram!  Hucknall to Radford every 10 minutes with a journey time of 16 minutes.  Not one for public transport, but thought this would be a good opportunity to see if we could use the tram network successfully... no problem!

The first half was fairly uneventful, both teams showing why they are at the Divison's summit, but the game only really kicked off in earnest after Pinxton netted in the 63rd minute - a classic breakaway goal that came after a Radford attack was repelled and the ball belted out of defence.  It may have been a long clearance, but it picked out the visiting no. 10, JOSH BURROWS, who raced from the halfway line and fired past the Radford keeper. 

Alamo/kitchen sink time -- Radford stormed forward in an effort to try and salvage their season, but the Pinxton keeper and defender mopped up all the home team could throw at them - until the 81st minute that is, when a corner from the left was fumbled by the keeper and somehow ended up in the back of the net. The goal was credited to RYAN DEABILL, but if he got a touch it was a faint one.

90 seconds later the visiting defence was breached again - this time they failed to clear as the ball was played into the area, and when it eventually fell to SAM McELROY, he made no mistake, lashing home from 12 yards.

Alamo/kitchen sink time again - this time at the other end as Pinxton went in search of the one goal that would still see them Champions.  Despite their best efforts, Radford defended solidly and managed to see out the remaining minutes of the game, including 4 that Ref Liam Jones tagged on to the end. F-T 2-1

Pinxton were so close, but in the end it was perhaps fitting that the only team that managed to defeat them in the league were crowned Champions.

Admission £2 inc programme

Tram £3.20

Attendance - well over 50.

Carlton Tn 2-1 Grantham Tn (NP1S)

Wednesday 21st March 2012 - kick off 7:47pm

Thought this game may be popular, not much else available really.  It was only when we got to Stoke Lane that we realised how popular!  The car park was rammed - mind you Kev still managed to find a prime spot, aided ably by a friendly steward. The parking spot meant that after the final whistle had blown, we were the first out of the place .....result!!!

Not been to a Carlton home game for a while - the Millers are doing well in Evo-Stik  Division One South, currently lying in third spot. The last time we saw them was in the Notts F.A. Senior Cup -  they beat Arnold 6-3, but their performance wasn't the best!!!


This game saw them entertain the league leaders, and with a decent away following the official gate was 272. 

Kev was impressed with the quality of player on show tonight - we are used to watching step 6 and step 7, and these step 4 players are at this level for a reason........

Carlton should have been ahead on 16, but Reuben Wiggins-Thomas fluffed his spot-kick after he was upended in the box.  Rob Murray saved the kick, but it wasn't a very well struck effort. Not much else to write about as far as the first half goes, both teams exuding quality, but cancelling each other out in all areas of the game. H-T 0-0

We actually caught up with good friends Judith and Barry Wilkins during the break - we've been trying to reunite with the Loughborough couple all season, but unsuccessfully. Great to see the love-birds again!!

Stood with Deadly Derek, Mr. Mac and Rob Townsend for the first period, after having had a good chinwag with Nick "Sticky" Palmer.   Sticky doesn't do nil-nils - although this looked like it could end that way.  Until the introduction of Sam MacVicar that is. The tall striker came on for Ian Brown who was stretchered off after picking up a leg injury.

It was MACVICAR who netted on 61, diverting the ball into the net after Wiggins-Thomas's shot looked to be heading out for a goal-kick.

Grantham striker Paul Grimes was challenged hard by Adam Kimberley on 84, and although Mr. D'Aguilar awarded the free-kick to the Gingerbreads,  he then showed a straight red card to Grimes, no other option -  the no. 9's retaliation punished in full.

The sending off seemed to charge up the visitors, and they poured forward causing all sorts of problems for a suddenly shaky Carlton back-line.   In the 88th minute, Grantham levelled through PHIL WATTS, the big man firing through a crowd of players after Carlton keeper Andy Richmond had made a terrific save from a corner.

So, after going down to 10 men, and levelling the scores, the visitors looked favourites to possibly nick it - especially when Mr. D'Aguilar indicated their would be 10  minutes of added time!

Unfortunately for the visitors, it was the Millers who stole the points - that man MacVicar again posing problems. He was played in by Anthony Griffiths, and fired the ball across the goal to where JOSH THORNTON was on hand to stab home. Utter despair for the travelling fans - the goal was timed at 99 minutes - leaving no time to for their team to recover. F-T 2-1

What a final 20 minutes that was!  Well worth the entry fee.....talking of which, the Millers have done the decent thing and reduced the entry fee to next Wednesday's Notts F.A. Senior Cup semi to £5. We'll be there!!!

Admission £7
Programme - didn't collect one, but thanks to Carlton Town for the free team sheet.
Attendance 272 ( great atmosphere)

Blackwell MW 1-3 Heanor Tn (EMCL)

Saturday 17th March 2012 - kick off  3pm

Heanor at Blackwell seemed as good a game as any of those available, and it's never a hard decision to go and watch the Lions anyway.  The League leaders did struggle at times during  the game, but in the end they had enough to see off a strong challenge from their hosts.

Teams:

Blackwell : Smith. McShane, Davey, Blake, Davies, Spiers, Saxby, Campbell, Cox, Littlejohn, O'Donnell

Heanor: West, Foster, Austin, Stevenson, Peel, Degirolamo, Webster, Royce, Benger, Grayson, Frost

Heanor have a terrific away following, white replica shirts were once again out in their numbers - and noisy - you better believe it!!!

The home team kicked down the slope in the first period, no doubt hoping to take the fight to their visitors from the off.  It was Heanor though, who opened the scoring on 11 - a Jason Foster corner from the left played back across goal by Neil Grayson to where centre-half NICO DEGIROLAMO was on hand to rifle the ball past Wayne Smith, and record his 9th league goal of the campaign. A landmark strike as well - this was the Lions' 100th league goal of the season!!!!

Grayson at the far post, setting up the goal for Nico (no.6)

The celebrations were short lived however, STEVE COX firing into an empty net to level, after Reece Littlejohn and Neil West collided - the ball falling kindly to the Blackwell striker some 12 yards from goal, and he wasn't going to miss from there.

Blackwell tried in vain to breach the Heanor rear-guard again, but Brett Peel and Degirolamo were solid at the heart of the Town defence and coped well enough with whatever Blackwell threw at them. Their only real concerns seemed to be West's kicking -- but even when the keeper fluffed a clearance, there was always someone on hand to tidy up. H-T 1-1

Grayson had a great chance to put Heanor back in front within 4 minutes of the restart, but when he was released one-on-one against Smith, the 47 year old's lob cleared the keeper, but unfortunately cleared the bar as well. 

The teams seemed very well matched as proceedings continued, but things changed on 70 with the introduction of Heanor subs Jake Vernon and Graham Wells.  The pair combined seconds after being introduced into the game, Vernon's long throw reaching WELLS in the area, and the winger didn't need a second invitation to ram the ball past Smith. 
                                                  

Wells then created the third goal for Town, his neat ball in from the left dummied by Vernon, leaving NATHAN BENGER a simple chance to fire home from 6 yards and claim his 31st league goal of the season. F-T 1-3

Admission £5
Programme £1 ( good read)
Attendance 123