VILLA BAG THE POINTS

Samba Nottinghamshire Senior League

Premier Division

AWSWORTH VILLA FC 4 RADCLIFFE OLYMPIC FC 0

Having not been to the Shilo this season, today was the day, a ground that I like going to, as it is in the shape of a bowl, with one side overlooking the pitch and players and great for taking photos.

A minutes silence before kick off  observed by all in memory of Honorary Life President Malc Slaney who recently passed away.

The game kicked off and it was Olympic who created the first couple of clear chances and Tom Ryan in the home net had to be alert to keep the score goalless. Villa came more and more in to the game and on 21 minutes, a ball down the right hand side saw a cross in to the six yard box for DANNY TOWLE to tap his side in front.

The rest of the half was fairly even with not many near chances being created.

The Second Half began and after 48 minutes, Awsworth had doubled their lead, when top striker JAKE FISHER latched on to a loose ball on the left side of the area and lobbed it over the advancing Glenn Guyatt in the Radcliffe net.

Villa were now on top and pressed forward, whilst Olympic played on the break but we had to wait until the 78th minute for the next goal, when a cross fund the head of Villa sub LIAM BAKER to power his side in to a three goal lead.

Awsworth poured forward and went close but Guyatt again made a superb double reflex save, but he could do nothing in the 86th minute, when JAKE FISHER curled the ball in to the bottom corner of the net to make it 4-0.

I felt all 3 match officials, Ref Scott Anderson and his two assistants Lee Harrison and Jude Brough had very good games.

I would also like to thank Radcliffe Olympic FC goalkeeper Glenn Guyatt for the kind £5 donation to the Charity Blog which is for Forget - Me - Not, a small charity that supports people with dementia.

134 photos can be seen on this LINK

THE RAVENS PROVE TOO STRONG FOR THE WELFARE

Samba Nottinghamshire Senior League

Division One

KIMBERLEY MINERS WELFARE RESERVES 1 RAVENSHEAD FC 7

Att: 29(headcount)

With Shawn attending a young adult course for people with special needs, I pre looked at my day and saw this fixture and having not visitied The Stag Ground for nearly 2 years felt it right I should do so.

The Miners Reserves sit at the bottom of the table having only mustered only two wins all season, having lost most of their squad when their manager left during the season and in stepped Simon Revelle to try and patch up a team to play each week, to which all credit they have done, whilst other clubs may well have try to cancel games.

Ravenshead FC arrived in to this fixture sitting in 2nd position and having a unbeaten 11 match run behind them, so were coming in to the game as strong favourites.

The game kicked off and it was the homesters who had the first chance of the game in a effort that flashed wide of the goal, but Ravenshead were playing the ball to feet and looked organised and on 7 minutes, old veteran PAUL SMITH blasted the ball home from close range.

Ravenshead then pressed forward and Liam Bradley in the Welfare net had to keep his side in the match, but on 14 minutes, a free kick from the left hand side was floated in to the area and  PAUL SMITH rose and headed home to double his goal tally and also his teams advantage.

From the kick off and it was the Welfare lads that were back in the game, when a neat cross from the right wing avoided everyone and TOM SYSON got the slightest of touches to slide the ball home to reduce the arrears.

Welfare seemed to have found a extra step as they pushed forward but didnt create anything on target for their rewards and on 26 minutes fell further behind when the Ravens top striker MARTIN McDONAGH bustled past the last defender and slotted past the oncoming keeper to make it 3-1.

On 37 minutes, it became 4-1 to the visitors when BRETT HORTON added his name to the goalscoring list.

With a nice warm cuppa at half time, it was back out for the Second Half, with the home side pressing down the slope towards the changing room end and Dan Hurst in the visitors net was first to be called up on, as he punched a dangerous looking cross to safety.

After 51 minutes, MARTIN McDONAGH got the ball just outside the homesters penalty area and hit a low shot in to the right corner of the net, to the disbelief of the diving keeper to make it 5-1. Then on 55 minutes, ALEX FAULCONBRIDGE cut in from the left and scored from a acute angle.

Kimberley then possibly had their best spell in the game and all credit to them, as they didnt give up and kept on playing, though the final ball just wasnt there for them to score, meanwhile on this day Ravenshead were lethal in front of goal and on  76 minutes, BRENT HORTON hit a crisp shot from just out outside the area to make it 7-1.

I felt the Referee Derek Spray had a excellent match and both teams played the game in the correct manner and both a credit to the Samba Nottinghamshire Football League.

I would like to thank Simon Revelle(manager of Kimberley Miners Welfare Reserves FC) who before the match kindly donated £10 to the Blogs Charity, which is Forget Me Not, a small charity that supports people with dementia and with the 8 goals scored today takes the running total up to a outstanding amount of £1,223.70p

Photos from the match can be seen on this LINK

THE DURHAM EXCHANGE

Samba Nottinghamshire Senior League

Premier Division

GEDLING SOUTHBANK FC 2 BILBOROUGH TOWN FC 3

Att 34

Last season was a success between the Durham FA and the Nottinghamshire FA in swopping over officials for a weekend in the season and this weekend began with two young assistant referees on this game.

Gedling Southbank havent had the best of seasons with their reserve team having to fold and their First team struggling to get results but with much improved performances of late, whilst Bilborough Town have had a big shake up this season and have invested in youth with a blend of the odd bit of experiance.

As you can imagine, the crowd was mainly made up of referees both both counties, along with local hoppers Malc Storer, Richard Lane and also Kizz Everard who had travelled down from Doncaster to take in his 190th game of the season.

A fantastic gesture by Bilborough Town FC players were to wear odd socks(orange on one foot and Black on the other) for the awareness of  Down Syndrome week.

The game began with the visitors cutting out the early chances , so it came as no surprise after just 8 minutes when captain MICKI BEECH put his side in front. Bilborough pressed forward for more with Law, Gough and Majewski going close.

The Second Half and the homesters came out looking like a different side and pressed and after 57 minutes got a just deserved equaliser when TOM JEFFRIES slid the ball past Liam Lee to make it 1-1.

After 62 minutes, Bilborough gained a free kick but something must have been said to which the match referee sent Jordan Percival to the sin bin for 10 minutes, wow those 10 minutes really livened up the game, as on 64 minutes came the goal of the game when a cross bar was volleyed home from outside the area by DJOUKS DJOUKANG to put the visitors back in front.

On 70 minutes, Town extended their lead when a beautiful chip in to the corner of the net by GRATIAS KATEGA made it 3-1.

Almost straight away, Southbank pushed forward again and TOM JEFFRIES got his and his sides second goal of the night to reduce the scoreline to 2-3.

Both teams then both went for it and had chances to add to their tallies, the closest was when Charlie Curtis struck the Town crossbar on 87 minutes, but it was Town who went home with the three points in a very entertaining game.

May I thank Gedling Southbank player James Needham for the kind donation of £2 to the Blogs Charity - Forget Me Not, a small charity that supports people with dementia and makes the running total now up to a fantastic £1,211.70p

ALL SQUARE IN THE WIND

Samba Nottinghamshire Senior League

Division Two

CLIFTON ALL WHITES DEVELOPMENT 1 BINGHAM TOWN RESERVES 1

Played at Rushcliffe School

Nottingham Football Centre

Hazel dropped me off in Hucknall for me to catch the tram to Nottingham Train Station the the eight bus to drop me at the bottom of the centre and the uphill walk to the ground.

All credit to the Development club for booking this venue on 3g after forecasts of bad weather and with their pitch under watch to get the game on with a early 2pm kick off.

The wind blew down the pitch and made conditions very bad for both sides infact a game with very few chances on target all through the game, so it wont be one that lasts in the memory for very long sadly, though the game was played in the correct manner by both teams.

Bingham had the wind behind them in the first half but I cant remember the chairman of Clifton All Whites in the nets making a save, but in the 37th minute, it was the whites who took the lead when  pressing forward and CLARENCE TARPEH slammed home from close distance.

The Second Half you would have expected All Whites to press on in search of a second goal, but on 50 minutes, the visitors were award a penalty to which MATTHEW SPENCER duly dispatched.

Both sides did have chances they went astray and to be fair a draw was a very fair result of the game.

I just mention referee Matt Shirley who I felt had a very good match

70 photos from the match can be seen on this LINK

LAKIN & TOWERS BRACES SECURE POINTS

Samba Nottinghamshire Senior League

Premier Division

MAGDALA AMATEURS FC 0 ASLOCKTON & ORSTON FC 4

Nice Programme

Having not been down to the Roko, the home of Magdala this season it was time for a visit and their opponents were from the east of the county in Aslockton & Orston, only 19 weeks ago these two teams met at Aslockton, a game that I went to and the first day I stopped drinking.

Before kick off I found that on pitch two, there was to be a Midlands & Notts League match where Pythians FC were to host Nottinghamshire FC with a 2.30pm kick off, so I thought I would watch the first 20 minutes of that match, but sadly it didnt turn out that way, as the visitors didnt turn up.

The main match kicked off and for the first five minutes, it was the Amateurs who were on the front foot and on 4 minutes winning a corner on the left hand side, the ball was played deep outside for Tom Groves to hit from 30 yards, only to see the ball strike the bottom of the post with the visiting keeper watching.

This was the waking call for Aslockton, as from the goal kick to midfield, a neat sideways ball found ROB LAKIN on the halfway line who ran strongly at the home defence and then drew the keeper before slotting his side in to the lead.

Magdala pressed forward and had chances but none bothering the keeper as they werent on target,whilst the visitors could well have gone two or three goals clear but brave actions by theoir keeper kept them in the game, firstly with a great stop and then a good block on a one on one effort with former Leicester City marksman Julian Joachin.

The Second Half saw the visitors missing chances including one that hit the crossbar and there was always a danger that Amateurs could claw their way back in to the match on the break, but that idea was put to bed on 63 minutes when ED TOWERS smashed home from close range.

On 74 minutes, the result was in no doubt when ROB LAKIN hit home from close distance after a scrambled move inside the penalty area to make it 3-0. On 78 minutes, ED TOWERS got back on the scoresheet, when  he finished a nice move to make it 4-0.

Must remark on the good match the three officials had and both clubs agreed.

103 Photos from the match can be seen on this LINK

Meanwhile off the pitch, Aslockton & Orston FC kindly donated £5 and groundhopper Herbie went to Stilton FC who also donated £5 and with todays goals seen, it now takes the running total for the Blogs Charity to £1,202.95p for Forget-Me-Not, a small charity that supports people with dementia, so a BIG thankyou to all that donated

COLLIERY ON WAY TO FINAL

Nottinghamshire FA Saturday Senior Trophy

Semi Final

RUDDINGTON VILLAGE RESERVES 0 SHERWOOD COLLIERY RESERVES 3

Admission Free

Att: 67 (headcount)

The winners of this Semi Final knew that they would face Burton Joyce of the Nottinghamshire Senior League in the Final on Tuesday 16th April 2019 at Basford United FC.

Ruddington Village Reserves play at Elms Park, Ruddington and are in Division Two of the Samba Nottinghamshire Senior League, whilst the visitors Sherwood Colliery Reserves play not too far from my house just off Debdale Lane in Mansfield and are members of the Central Midlands League.

Ruddington went in to the match having qualified to the NSL Junior Cup Semi Final and sit in third position in the League table, whilst the Colliery side are top of their division only having lost one match out of sixteen.

The game kicked off and the Villagers had the first attempt on goal, but on 7 minutes, it was the visitors who opened the scoring when YOGI DEPASS hit a shot from 25 yards which the home keeper parried in to the air and then seemed to lose sight of it as it ballooned over his head and in to the net.

Ruddington pressed forward but the back three of Sherwood were standing tall and the Colliery keeper didnt have much to do.

On 17 minutes, Sherwood doubled their lead, when JORDAN INGRAM cut in from the left wing and drew the home keeper before tucking the ball under him.

On 38 minutes, Ruddington thought they should have had a penalty when their front man was pulled back but the referee Lee Clarke adjudged that both players were pulling each others shirts and waved play on.

With the hour mark, came the subs on to the pitch and  Ruddington were pressing, whilst Sherwood;s defence was still standing solid and playing out to their midfield and attack quickly.

On 69 minutes, JORDAN INGRAM wrapped up the tie when he turned inside the area and went past two defenders before shooting in to the bottom corner of the net to make it 3-0.

Credit to both sides as the tie was played in excellent manner and both teams were a credit to not only their clubs but their leagues as well.

I felt that all 3 officials Ref Lee Clarke and his two assistants Husband and wife team Tom & Danelle Knight had very good games.

114 Photos from the tie can be seen on this LINK