Date: 07/07/17
Venue: Greenwich Avenue outside pitch no. 2
Attendance: A couple of dozen or so…..
Kick off: 7:10pm
Starting elevens:
Kimberley: Buxton, Hickey, Doyle, Dale, Wrenn, Marshall A,
Lewis, Lench, Coxon, Carter, Henry.
Shiners: Mansfield, Bartley, Jellyman, Leigh, Chambers,
Marshall T, Crosby, Newton, A. Trialist, A, Trialist, Stryzewski.
Referee: Mr. Tim Gregory
Not the most friendly of pre-season games – nothing overly nasty,
but a few rash challenges that are slightly out of place pre-season.
Having said that, the few who bothered to to turn up and watch, were
treated to a very competitive affair, with the Derbyshire side just
edging the result.
Dave Leigh had the first pop at goal in just the third minute, but
his 20 yard effort flew well over the Kimberley bar. Kimberley’s
Conor Carter tried a shot from a similar range four minutes later –
with the same result.
The Shiners took the lead with 8 played - Shane Newton was picked out
in the box, and controlled the ball well before turning and firing
home. The lead lasted barely 60 seconds though - Alex Marshall
firing home from just inside the area after he was played in on goal
by Carter.
With a quarter of an hour played, Martin Lench tried his luck with a
35 yard free-kick – it looked a bit ambitious, and so it proved as
the ball sailed well over the Shiners’ bar. Luke Crosby fired a
shot just wide of the far post on 26, then Referee Tim Gregory had to
send Alex Marshall to sit on the naughty step after he’d been a
little vocal about a decision made against him.
Carter tried a curler off the outside of his boot in the 38th minute,
but Charlie Mansfield wasn’t unduly troubled and collected well.
Lench had another free-kick just before the break, this time his low
shot from 20 yards was well held by Mansfield. H-T 1-1
Within just five minutes of the restart, South Normanton were awarded
a dubious looking penalty. Kev Hemagou appeared to have tied his own
legs in knots before falling over when challenged. Mr. Gregory was in
a better position than me though, and his eyes probably in better
condition than mine, and he gave a spot kick that Hemadou duly rolled
past Buxton in the Kimberley net.
Alex Marshall was politely asked to go back to the naughty step on 61
when almost cut a Normo player in half with a challenge. Before his
ten minutes in the “sin-bin” was completed, his team-mates had
levelled. Kev Davis fired in a cross from the right that Stryzewski
and Danny Roberts both tried to intercept – unfortunately, whoever
headed the ball placed it perfectly into the top corner to bring the
scores level. I heard the Kimberley dugout mention that the goal was
scored by Josh Lewis, but it looked an O.G all the way to me.
Both teams had chances to win the game as the half went on, but it
took something a bit special to actually secure the victory for the
Shiners. When Hemagou received the ball out wide in the 83rd minute,
he decided to take on the whole Miners’ defence. His run was
superb, evading every challenge before entering the penalty area and
firing sweetly across the goal and into the far side of the net.
What a goal – one worthy of winning any game, competitive or
otherwise! F-T 2-3
