Ilkeston U19 1-1 Pinxton U19 ( Mini Shield)

Wednesday 31st August 2011 -- kick off 7:45pm

Ilkeston are new to the Baris North Midlands U19 league, and it certainly showed as far as the organisation went.  £2 car park?  No programme? No tannoy. No team sheet.......you have to take my word that I was at the New Manor Ground -- although I did check in at Coronation Park to check the game HAD actually been switched from there.

Up until a couple of days ago, the Ilkeston U19 were going to play at Eastwood, but that deal fell through.  So I turned into the car park at the NMG to be greeted by a sign "Car Park £2" ....... I turned straight around and parked on the street for nowt. 

Paid my £2 to get in and asked for a couple of programmes only to be told "we don't do one for U19 games"..... well, as far as I know they should, and also as far as I know, they may be fined for not doing so. 

Watched the game in the company of Tony Squires, and met up with Pinxton's Glenn Clarence and Ed Byrne.  "Wheelchair" Trev Williams appeared towards the end of the game, and informed me that his mum passed away last week after a very lengthy illness. Condolences Trev.....

The first half ended 0-0, but there were plenty of chances, mostly to the home team who didn't seem to want to put the ball in the onion bag for some reason or other....

Pinxton went in front on 68, their no. 6 GREGG MARRIOT smashing a beauty past the home keeper from 25 yards ..... the keeper was only about 5 yards off his line, but had absolutely no chance of stopping the ball as it sailed over his head and into the back of the net.

With 60 seconds left on the clock, and after some heroic Pinxton defending, the home team levelled through LIAM WOODWARD wearing their no 10 shirt.  He carved his way past three players before slotting home from 15 yards. F-T 1-1

Honours even - no idea how the Mini Shield works, but I will be going to see more Academy level football - the F.A. Youth cup and Baris League......but probably not at the NMG.

Admission £2

Programme - none produced

Car Park £2 - no thanks

Coffee £1 - no thanks
Attendance H/C 75

Ilkeston -- this is U19 football - everywhere else it's £2 to get in,  free programme,  free parking. At the moment I can't see me making many visits to watch Ilkeston U19 during the coming season...

Linby CW 3-1 Awsworth Villa (NSL Senior)

Tuesday 30th August 2011 -- kick off 6:30pm

Our first visit of the season to Church Lane.  Over the past few years, Welfare have been languishing in the lower reaches of the NSL Senior Division - indeed last season they finished bottom, and only survived relegation due to the fact that a host of clubs deserted the league to play in the CML.

Different tale under the management team of  Dave Bradshaw and Dave Marlow - they have now won all four of their matches this season.  The good folk of Hucknall and Linby are certainly taking notice, I head counted 70 persons present pitchside - a bit different from last term when the crowd compised "one man and his dog"!!!!

Villa looked a very capable outfit, with former Long Eaton defender Adam Holmes and ex-Gedling MW striker Chris Henson in their ranks, but Linby have also recruited well, and  with  Scott Miles, Ashley Winfield,  Matt Peberday and Dave Marlowe himself in their squad,  they should not struggle at this level. 

They did struggle to begin with, and went behind on 22 when the Villa no. 11, JACK SMITH, was allowed to race through the back line and hammer the ball past Miles.
 

Linby had a chance to level two minutes later when Damian Mann was tripped in the box.  Awsworth keeper Jake Watson save the initial spot kick, but  the Assistant Referee adjudged that he had strayed off his line and the kick was retaken.  Watson again saved the spot kick, but this time was deemed to have saved the effort legally. Looking at the pics, I can't see any difference in position when the kicks are actually saved....... H-T 0-1

Double click to super size!!

Watson off his line to save



                                                  

Watson saves again -- off his line again - apparently not??




Welfare were back in the game 6 minutes into the second half - which was the really the 46th minute as the game was played over 2 x 40 minute periods (?)... ASHLEY WINFIELD was on hand at the edge of the box to steer past Watson after the Villa defence failed to clear a free-kick from the right.

5 minutes later the home team took the lead - DAMIAN MANN getting the better of his marker before firing home from 18 yards.  Looks like he couldn't knock the proverbial skin off a rice pudding, but he was stronger and more determined than the defender.  MANN grabbed Welfare's third on 55 - again beating a defender to the ball , but this time the finish across Watson from an really tight angle was superb - the keeper never smelled it, as they say.......

2 goal Damian Mann

Not a lot to mention after that goal went in, it was getting dark and it was a question of the game finishing whilst it was still light enough to see the ball!! F-T 3-1

Better than our previous two games - but I couldn't pick three bad 'uns on the trot, could I ???

No admission or programme

H/C 70+

Clipstone Welfare 3-1 Ollerton Town (CMLN)

Monday 29th August 2011 :  3pm kick off

A bit of a revolution has taken place at Clipstone since the last time we paid a visit. The team now has former Forest Town boss Gary Castledine in charge, and he has managed to persuade half a dozen or so of his Foggo team to sign for him.  Keeper Steve Boot, Mark Carter, Danny Tighe, James McCann, Mark Robinson and Mick Taylor were all in the squad for this game. 

Former Pinxton full-back Ben Newman requested that we get to the Lido sometime during the season, and this game against Paul Rawdon's Ollerton Town seemed a fair choice.  As it happens, it was one of the poorer games we have seen this season so far - much on a par with Saturday's Long Eaton/Retford effort. 

Arrived at the ground with ten minutes to spare  - no programmes left, so resorted to taking a picture of Clippo defender Lee Bowler's dad's copy......

Sat with Dave Bramwell for while, then changed position to allow "clicker" Kev to get some pics. .. we were then joined by James Robinson, a well known Assistant Referee in CML circles.

The game began at a frantic pace -- with the ball being treated like a "ot tater". Castledine and Tighe in the heart of the home midfield were guilty at times of failing to pick out passes and trying too much pretty-pretty football, but when they  did manage to get the ball forward they did look dangerous. 

Clipstone went in front on 20.  The Ref awarded what appeared a soft free-kick 22 yards from goal and when Tighe curled the ball over the wall it was saved by the keeper at the foot of the post.  MARK CARTER was quickest to react and slammed the loose ball into the net before the Town defenders could react.

Another free kick from more or less the same spot was converted superbly by DANNY TIGHE in the 40th minute, then in injury time it was Ollerton's turn to take advantage of a set-piece. When the free-kick was fired over the wall, Welfare keeper Steve Boot decided to make a save for the camera, but instead of palming the ball wide he laid it at the feet of  LIAM BEST who gratefully blasted home. H-T 2-1

Get in !!!



One for the camera - but Best (in red) is ready to pounce!!!

The second half was marginally better than the first,  though highlights were few and far between.  Ollerton never really troubled the home defence overmuch, and I think Rawds will find this a long, hard season. Mind you, he has spells at Radford and Kimberley on his resume, so he will be well used to fighting for victories! 

Another Tighe free-kick on the hour lead to the final goal of the contest ...this time the ball was swung in from the left and SAM BAILEY was left unmarked at the near post to head home. Poor defending, but another sweet set-piece from Tighe.



 Finished 3-1 to Clipstone, but it may well be a while before we decide to visit the Lido again....

Admission £3

Programme £1 ( sold out)

H/C 42

Bank Holiday Monday -- local teams in action

29th August 2011

BSP
Stockport County 0-1 Mansfield Town

BSN
Corby Town 5-0 Eastwood Town

NPP
Matlock Town v Mickleover Sports (7:45pm)
Worksop Town 0-0 North Ferriby United

NP1S
Belper Town 3-1 Ilkeston FC
Carlton Town 1-2 Lincoln United
Hucknall Town 1-0 Rainworth MW
Shepshed Dynamo 1-0 Quorn

MFA
Rocester v Dunkirk (7:45pm)

NCELP
Arnold Town 2-4 Bridlington Town
Retford United 2-2 Tadcaster Albion
Scarborough Athletic 1-3 Long Eaton United

EMCL
Borrowash Victoria 1-2 Heanor Town
Holbrook Sports 2-2  Graham St Prims
Radcliffe Olympic 0-3 Holwell Sports
Radford FC 2-0 Blackwell MW

CMLN
Clipstone Welfare 3-1 Ollerton Town
Glapwell 5-0 Welbeck Welfare

CMLS
Basford United 1-1 AFC Hucknall
Belper United 2-2 Kirkby Town
Clifton 2-2 Southwell City
Newark Town 1-0 Blidworth Welfare
Real United 0-3 Nottingham United
Sutton Town AFC 3-4 South Normanton Athletic

Long Eaton United 0-1 Retford United (NCELP)

Saturday 27th August 2011

It was great to see Retford Manager Brett Marshall in action again, a pleasure to be in the company of Scarborough Athletic Manager Rudy Funk for the first half, and a real treat to have a lengthy chat with Long Eaton player Kelvin Mushambi during the break.

They were the highlights of an afternoon at Grange Park - the game itself excelled in tedium for the most part, and only a 90th minute penalty saved us from notching up another 0-0 draw.

Rudy was at the game to watch his Bank Holiday opponents - and in all honesty, having already seen Scarborough play, the Derbyshire side ought to be put to the sword at Queensgate on Monday.

Long Eaton : Whalin, Webster, Gamble, Carder, Whiley (c), Breach, Arnstrong, Martin, King, Mellors-Blair, Bowles. Subs: Rickford, Hunter, Ganderson, Mushambi, Webb (GK)

Badgers: Fisher, Corrigan, Baugh, Hayes, Nightingale, Payne, Chambers, Chappell,  Brown,  Hatfield,  Owens. Subs : Scott, Pride, Wells, Smith, Howard

Half-time summary - after the teams had performed the usual ritual handshake, they then ran around for 45 minutes.  H-T 0-0

Decided to go and interupt "Mushy" while he was half-way through his half-time exercises, and although he is still enjoying life at Long Eaton, he is finding that at 35, it's becoming more of a labour of love rather than a pleasure.  Nice boots though, Kelvin!!

Still works full-time, has a boozer in Town and still finds time to train and play - busy, busy, busy............

The second half saw a marked improvement, and on the hour, I actually took out the note pad!  Well worth noting the free-kick from Paul Gamble that flew just past Fisher's right-hand post.

Retford had a chance to break the deadlock soon after when Brad Wells fired a cross in from the right that was met by Adam Scott, but luckily for the home team, Ross Whalin was well placed to save.

On 72, Shaun Rickford missed a sitter - left alone in the Retford area he was picked out by superbly by Martin Bowles, but contrived to head wide when he should have buried it. 

Great sequence of shots from Mr. Goodman !! Click to enlarge - unless you are Shaun Rickford......don't look, Shaun!!!

Not wanting to ruin Rickford's day, but the next sequence of pics is of the away team's winning penalty taken by ADAM SCOTT in the 90th minute!!

So, we didn't see a great game, we didn't see a hat full of goals, but at least we didn't get the dreaded 0-0 draw. In all fairness, the home team did deserve something from the game, but it wasn't to be.

Admission £5

Programme £1.50

Attendance 96