Venue: Bilsthorpe Town FC
Kick off: 7:40pm
Made
the 14 mile journey to Bilsthorpe to take in a game that was
previously scheduled for 28th June. Throughout the month
we’d had near record temperatures and hardly any rain – ironic
then that the game had to be postponed after a torrential downpour
left the whole of the county rather on the damp side!
The game was played on an outer pitch, and although it was sunny and warm at kick off time, it was decidedly chilly as the evening progressed and the sun dipped ever closer to the horizon. Ever prepared though, I had a fleece and woolly hat to hand and trust me, they were needed. Watched the game in the company of Tony Squires and AFC Mansfield Chairman Andy Saunders, although the cold did see coat-less Andy leave a little before the final whistle.
I didn’t know the team line ups exactly, but a lot of the faces on show were familiar, Nicky Ivanov, Ryan Perkins, Julian Topliss and Ricky Starbuck to name but four.
The
first goal was scored on 18 after Shaun Smith was allowed too much
space in the Bilborough box and fired the ball across Nicky Ivanov
and into the far corner. These step 7 sides were knocking the ball
about well and as the players were looking to play the beautiful game
instead of kicking lumps out of each other, the Referee was not
overworked. H-T 1-0
The
Ref was called into action with just over an hour played when Ivanov
chopped Smith down in the box. I reckon in a league match the keeper
would have had to have walked, but the official had his sensible head
on and simply awarded the penalty that Topliss buried with some
aplomb. Game over? Not likely! Five minutes after going two down,
Town were back in it when a corner fired into the 6 yard box caused
all sorts of chaos and Liam Taylor was alert enough to stab home when
the ball fell kindly at his feet.
On
75, Taylor looped a header into the back of the net, but was adjudged
to have been in an offside position when he connected with the ball.
Taylor did create the equaliser for Town soon after, his pin-point
cross headed over the Wood keeper by Jake Kane. As
the temperature and visibility were dropping rapidly, the Ref sensibly
called the game to an end right on 90 mins.
Even though this was a
PSF, I think both teams will be very happy with their performances,
and I have to add that the fantastic spirit in which the game was
played was a pleasant change from some “friendlies” where the
meaning of the word is often lost! F-T 2-2
