Saturday 12th May 2012 - kick off 2:59 pm
An afternoon spent in the company of Lee Spurr and Tony Squires .... a couple of eccentric folk from a planet far, far away!!! Always fun to be in their company, but they are both totally crackers!!!
Kev still doing it himself, so off to the Stag Ground on my own - hoping to see Basford presented with the League Championship trophy. Seems that no-one from the CML was available to perform the ceremony. Damn and blast it!!
I have been wondering if Basford's stay in the CML is the shortest on record. Entered the league from the NSL this season, won the league and Floodlit Cup, and should be playing in the EMCL next term. Teams used to enter the CML in the Premier Division, so had to have at least two seasons in the league. Since the Premier division is now defunct and teams enter straight in at step 7, they can therefore, as Basford have, stay just one season in the CML.
Expected a goal-fest - but surprisingly this game was goal-less at the break. It wasn't for want of trying on United's part though. They had at least a dozen presentable chances, but some rubbish "finishing" and a considerable amount of luck for the Town defence kept the scoresheet blank. Kimberley had one half-chance in the first half, but Curtis MacDonald in the United goal was virtually a spectator.
Carl Westcarr fired over on 15, Hastings fired over seconds later, then Hooton and Gray also fired over - all these chances were from between 3-10 yards out so "bad misses" hardly comes into it!! H-T 0-0
After all those well produced chances in the first half, it just had to be a toe-poke that broke the deadlock! Darren Garmston made a decent run into the box and played the ball across the goal to AARON HOOTON who toed past the Kimberley stopper from 10 yards.
The lead lasted barely 60 seconds though - a penalty awarded for a trip that Kimberley skipper JOSH BROAD tucked neatly past MacDonald.
Basford piled on the pressure relentlessly, and with ten to go were rewarded when HOOTON stabbed home from close range. On 84, Basford were awarded a penalty - which their no. 4 hit over the bar.
We had been advocating that CURTIS MaCDONALD take the kick - and when another penalty was awarded a minute later, the keeper DID step up and show how it should be done!!! F-T 1-3
We had been advocating that CURTIS MaCDONALD take the kick - and when another penalty was awarded a minute later, the keeper DID step up and show how it should be done!!! F-T 1-3
Hardly a classic, but it could have been so much worse for the home team if the Basford strikers had have had their shooting boots on. To be fair to the home team, with 4 players under 18 and one under 16, they did ok against the league champions.
Admission £3
H/C 80 !! but there were a heck of a lot of Referees in attendance - assessor training or some such .....I wonder how many of them paid to get in???
