Week commencing 23rd July
Sunday 23rd - at Basford to see the new look Forest Ladies take on Loughborough Foxes. Forest have a lot of new players, new management as well as a splendid new garibaldi red kit. The Lady Reds went ahead in the 9th minute when Amy Dicken managed to force the ball over the line after the Foxes couldn’t clear their lines, but the Foxes were only behind for 20 mins – a superb 20 yard strike from Eva Rogers that gave the home keeper no chance. F-T 1-1
Tuesday 25th it was a visit to Eagle Valley to see Arnold host Keyworth Utd. Arnold went ahead on 37, but that was as good as it got for the home team as Keyworth levelled seconds later and added a further 5 goals in the second half. F-T 1-6. The last three Arnold friendlies have finished 1-6 v Keyworth, 0-9 v Burton Albion, 0-10 v Pinxton !
Wednesday 26th was Hucknall v Bilborough Town. Bilborough took the lead through a Ricky Law 45th minute free-kick, but Ben Wapplington levelled from close range five minutes after the restart. The game was decided by an O.G – a cross in from the right was deflected past Nicky Ivanov with just two minutes of the game remaining. F-T 2-1
Thursday 27th – Heanor Town hosted Basford Utd, and held out for 43 minutes before Ashford Dawkins hammered home from just inside the 6 yard box. United added their second on 53, a Liam Hearn shot from the corner of the 6 yard area flying across keeper Joey McCormack before nestling in the far corner of the goal. F-T 0-2
Friday 28th - I originally intended going to Sandiacre to see them play Swanwick PR, but the game at St. Giles was cancelled. Sandiacre made enquiries and managed to secure a slot at Coronation Park, the home of Eastwood CFC. Swanwick had the bare eleven at kick off, and were well beaten in the end. Goals on 18, 49 and 68 for Sandiacre. F-T 3-0
Saturday 29th – the return of league football and a trip for me and Kev to one of our favourite venues, as Teversal welcomed Gedling MW for an East Midlands Counties league game. Watched the game in the company of Richard Lane and Scott Mason.
Attendance 93
Programme £1
Free team sheet
Gedling have more or less a new squad and managers Chris Marks and Stuart Robinson looked to have put together a good set of players – on paper anyway. They didn’t do themselves justice in this game though, but with only three pre-season games under their belts they haven’t had much game time together and will surely improve as the season progresses.
Gedling won a corner on 14, and although Steve Brett got his head to Luke Smith’s kick, keeper Josh Turton collected the ball unchallenged. Teversal should have been ahead on 16, a cross from McCann reached Sean Dickinson at the far stick, but with the simple task of tapping home, the no. 19 somehow directed the ball wide of the post.
McCann was cautioned in the 19th minutes for making a rash challenge, then seconds later when McCann was himself upended, Mr. Forder showed Luke Smith a yellow as well. On 26, Ryan Plummer and Baz Payne both went in a the far post to head a cross from the left – both failed to connect and any danger cleared.
James Travis was booked in the 28th minute after he made a reckless challenge on Alex Clarson. Two minutes later the game had it’s first goal – a penalty fired home by Josh Radford. The penalty came after Teversal keeper Turton hammered the ball almost the full length of the pitch, and when Kurt Bamford raced into the area, Tom Crisp tried an overhead clearance that almost took Bamford’s head off. Crisp was duly given a yellow card, his punishment made all the worse when Radford fired the ball past Chris Heltop in the Welfare goal.
Kyle Sargent was booked on 37 – yet another poor challenge, although by now some of the “simulation” was leaving a bit of a nasty taste in the mouth, and it was becoming more and more difficult to know what was an actual foul and what wasn’t.
Teversal went two up with seconds of the first half left, a low free kick across the face of the goal was missed by all the Welfare defenders, leaving an unmarked Radford the simple task of sliding the ball home. H-T 2-0
Gedling attacked from the start of the second period, and it took a blatant shirt pull by Sam Lavelle to stop Plummers run into the Teversal area. No booking on this occasion for Lavelle, but when he tripped another Gedling player seconds later he was cautioned. Lucky boy – the shirt pull would normally bring a caution and the foul ought to have seen the player given his marching orders.
Not much to add re the second half – Wilkinson had a shot well saved by Heltorp and Martin Holt was booked. This took the total match cautions to seven – the home team coming out on top at four bookings to three. F-T 2-0.
