After watching Heanor Town exit the F.A. Cup at the Extra Preliminary Round stage on Friday – the solitary goal from Aylestone Park’s Ryan Foster enough to send the Lions to defeat, it was back to the day to day stuff on Saturday with a visit to the Church Lane home of Linby Colliery Welfare.
Linby had lost it’s manager and a few players to visitors Blidworth during the break, and it just so happened that their first CML game of the season was against team containing a few familiar faces.
Teams:
Linby – Bowdler, Moon, Poyser, Spray, White ( c), Batty, Cobb, Atkins, Darlow, Lindo, Pilmore. Subs – Richardson, Hall, Brough, Bellfield, Butler.
Blidworth – Ball, Brentnall, Vickers, Drake, Taylor, Jenkinson, Harris, Pride, Edwards, Dawson, Weaver. Subs- Hardie, Clarke, Day, Scothern, Hadfield.
The game was played in bright sunshine for the most part – there was a brief downpour midway through the first half but nothing to worry about if you had a brolly – there is not too much in the way of cover at Church Lane.
A series of corners were conceded by the home team early doors, and from one of the set-pieces Jon Jenkinson headed powerfully goalwards, but saw his effort cannon off the bar before being cleared to safety. Another Blidworth corner on 14 lead to the opening goal. Linby’s defence must have thought they had done their job after the ball was hacked out of the penalty area – unfortunately for the home team it fell to the feet of Josh Brentnall who sent a shot flying through a ruck of players and wheeled away in delight as the ball bulged the back of the net.
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| Great header - pic courtesy Blidworth Welfare |
On the half hour came the games first “incident”. Blidworth conceded a free kick on the edge of their box, and whilst the players were waiting for Tre Lindo’s set piece, they decided to have a bit of push and shove “handbags” – the end result was a booking for Linby skipper Sean White and Blidworth midfielder Jonno Drake. After all the fuss had died down, Lindo’s kick came to nothing.
White had to be treated for an injury on 36, and as soon as the game restarted we had the second “incident” of the game. After being the subject of a rash challenge, Blidworth captain Ady Harris apparently stamped on the offender, a stamp that was seen by Referee Mr. McGill. He was was right on the spot and had no alternative other than to produce a straight red for Harris.
The word “REF!!” was being shouted every few seconds now, by the players and both dugouts – and this gets really old after the first few dozen times and I reckon that it can sometimes get to a referee. The man in the middle seems to always be in the wrong, and although under severe pressure throughout the ninety minutes, Mr. McGill had a decent enough game – although my friends at Blidworth didn’t agree with my opinion!
Drake saw his free-kick on 40 well saved by Bowdler, then Lewis Weaver’s run into the box just before the break deserved better – his shot was kept out by Bowdler and when the loose ball fell to Edwards, he fired it over the bar. H-T 0-1
The games next “incident” occurred two minutes into the second period. Me and Kev were positioned perfectly to see Mark Poyser palm the ball away from Brentnall in front of goal. Mr. McGill took no notice of the Blidworth appeals and waved play on. This was not a case of the ref “missed one” - he was in no position the see the offence – Brentnall was in his line of sight and without the gift of x-ray eyes, he couldn’t possibly have seen the handball. Blidworth boss Lewis Saxby must have said something untoward to the Referee, as he was asked to leave the dugout shortly after.
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| Pic courtesy Blidworth Welfare |
Seconds later it was all academic as Blidworth went further ahead, that man Brentnall again on target – this time a 25 yard screamer that left the Linby keeper grasping for air as it flew past him and into the back of the net. What a strike!
Linby seemed to get more into the game after going two down, and were foiled on 75 when a Gary Atkins header was brilliantly saved by Michael Ball in the Blidworth goal. With the game deep into added time, Lindo tried his luck from the edge of the box, but again a terrific diving save from Ball ensured the visitors left Church Lane with a clean sheet to go along with all three points. F-T 0-2
