Not written any reports for a while – more or less every game I go to has a bona fide match reporter at pitchside, so I sometimes fail to see the point in duplicating match details. Add to this that I am basically a lazy sod, and – well, you get the picture….
For this short blog entry, I offer three links to games watched on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with my own take on the Sunday AM game and Monday and Tuesday’s visits.
Friday was a visit to the Stag Ground, Kimberley to take in a Notts Senior League game between Kimberley MW AFC and Bilborough Town. Had a chat to Town boss Steve Lee before the game and he said he had a few players back in the team who weren’t available for last weeks 5-0 reverse at the hands of Newark Flowserve.
Click HERE to read Steve’s match report.
Saturday - visited the Coronation Park home of Eastwood CFC to see them take on unbeaten Pinxton in a Central Midlands South fixture. Good turnout for this game and all present were treated to a terrific game in very windy conditions.
Mark Duffy was at this game and his report for the Eastwood & Kimberley advertiser can be found by clicking HERE.
Sunday AM – Notts Sunday League game at Titchfield Park I Hucknall, AFC Dowhan v Barflys FC. Local pride at stake in this one, and it finished 1-1, which was about right, and all in all it turned out to be a very entertaining game. Tim Gregory was to have reffed it, but after he cancelled, Paul Stevenson was brought in and was a more that capable replacement. Goal for AFC came from Brett Jones, whilst Kurt Harrison netted for Barflys.
Sunday PM saw me at the Greenwich Avenue home of Basford Utd, to see Nottm Forest LFC entertain FA WPL (North) leaders Middlesborough LFC. This looked on paper to be a tricky fixture, and so it proved. The visitors went ahead on 15, and although the Reds levelled five minutes later that was as good as it got for the home team.
For Shannon McLoughlan’s full report, please click HERE
Monday – at pitchside for Notts County Pathway Academy’s North Midland Development football league home fixture against Southwell City U19’s. Blimey – the wind whipping across the open field between the clubhouse and pitch had a very arctic feel to it – but the players seemed to be okay with it (except a couple or three who dragged their shirt sleeves over their hands to try to keep them warm!) I had four layers on, plus gloves, thick socks, scarf and hat and I was still perished!
Watched the game with Maurice McFarland who was also wrapped up like a good ‘un! For the first half hour or so there was little on the pitch to warm us up. Southwell broke the stalemate on 35 when a ball through the middle was collected by Adam Burbidge who fired accurately past the home keeper. H-T 0-1.
With eight minutes of the second half played, the visitors’ lead was doubled when a speculative shot from Sam Robinson was left by the Notts stopper to go out for a goal kick. Everyone at pitchside was as surprised as he was when the ball rolled past the inside of the post and not the outside, leaving the custodian a little red-faced…..
Robinson grabbed his second on 76 after Notts lost possession on halfway. A swift counter attack saw the ball reach the striker who controlled well before firing home from just outside the area. Burbidge grabbed his second with eight to play – this time a simple tap in from a few feet after the home keeper had failed to hold onto Robinson’s 20 yard free-kick. F-T 0-4
Tuesday saw me at Calverton MW for a Notts Senior League game – Gedling Southbank hosting Awsworth Villa. Arriving at pitchside, the wind was again bitterly cold, but throughout the evening the wind eased and by the end of proceedings it seemed to be quite a lot warmer.
Great to see Southbank's Nick Edgar again – we had a bit of a chat before kick-off and he was hoping for a few goals to boost the Think Children charity fund. That didn’t happen, but after the game GSB manager Andy Clerke and striker James Needham both made donations to add to the £0.30p for the single goal!
The game itself was a little uninspiring, and I’m not denigrating anyone – the game just never took off. Awsworth scored the only goal of the game just after the half-hour mark, when Dan Faulkner ran onto a ball played over the home defence before lifting it over the keeper into the back of the net. H-T 0-1
Gedling had a really good shout for a penalty mid-way through the second period. A poor looking challenge was made inside the box, but the Southbank protests were in vain as Referee Mr. Pealing ignored their very appealing appeals. Looked a stone-waller to me, but what do I know? Not a lot!
Villa’s skipper Lee Stevenson was a rock at the heart of their defence – although he told me after the game that when the ball goes into the floodlight glare, his struggles to track it, due to his having to wear contact lenses! Not ideal for a centre-half! F-T 0-1
Overall a decent few days with a further £17.80 added to Think Children charity fund! Well over the £300 mark - with still 7 months of the season to go!!
Overall a decent few days with a further £17.80 added to Think Children charity fund! Well over the £300 mark - with still 7 months of the season to go!!
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| Going well so far |
