Wed 11th April 2018 k.o 6:30pm
Gedling Southbank Res v Woodthorpe Park Rangers
Notts Senior League Div ll
Eagle Valley (played on the pitch outside the clubhouse)
Pics - Courtesy Mick Gretton
With three games to choose from, I really had to go to this game in order to collect a sizeable donation from the Rangers' lads. Of the three games, the CMFL cup semi-final finished 8-0, the CMFL South fixture ended 4-3. Still, I got the goals I needed to take the Think Children fund over the £650.00 mark, and was witness to a game that finished in almost complete darkness!
Woodthorpe began the game on the front foot, but failed to capitalise on the many chances they created. They should have been two or three goals up within the first 15-20 minutes, but it was the home team that took the lead with 34 minutes played. A long ball over the top from their keeper was latched onto by Toby Guy, who hit it low and hard into the back of the net.
The goal seemed to shake the league leaders a little, but just five minutes later Kieran Wheat had levelled the scores with a neat lob over the home custodian. Woodthorpe created further chances throughout the half, but at the break the teams were level at one apiece.
Somewhat against the run of play, Southbank went back in front on 62. Another long ball cleared the Woodthorpe defenders and again found Toby Guy, this time the striker rounding the visiting keeper before slotting home. The home teams' lead lasted only seven minutes though. Adam Forry collected the ball with his back to goal, turned on a sixpence, lost his marker and drove the ball home past the despairing dive of the keeper.
The conditions were truly awful by now. Not only was it murky, misty and mucky it was getting a bit on the dark side! Mick Gretton kept snapping away with his trusty old Kodak box camera until the lack of light defeated him. Mr. Gretton did still manage to get some remarkable shots though, despite the lack of light.
Just as were thinking the game was going to end up all square, and with only four minutes left to play, Woodthorpe's James Lawrence-Forbes picked up the ball on the half way line and decided to take matters into his own hands. After running through the home teams midfield, he cut into the box, bustled his way past two defenders, and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper and in to the bottom corner. A terrific goal by any standards - and one that secured all three points for visitors. F-T 2-3
