Arnold Town U18 v Kimberley MW U18
I saw Arnold Town U18’s play a friendly v Beeston Park Rangers a couple of weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed the game. Thought I’d pay them another visit to see how they would get on in a league fixture with points to play for. On arriving at the ground I had a quick chat with Referee Ashley Bradley, who I’d met socially for the first time at Selston on Thursday. Coincidence that he was in the middle for this game – but me being there gave him somewhere to deposit his car keys for safekeeping! Only known him a couple of days – I must have a trusting face!!!
On arrival at Eagle Valley, I was stunned to see how many games they were being staged there. I reckon there were at least half-a-dozen, from tots to teens – and the car-park was rammed, with cars in the overflow carpark stretching all the way down the length of the pitch!
Stood with Arnold stalwart Mick Gretton during the game – which turned out to be a bit of a stroll for the home team. Mr Bradley still had occasion to sin-bin a couple of home players, and caution their manager, but five goals in the first half and a brace in the second saw the home team come away with all three points. Scorers were Owen Ashwell, Tyler Cobb, Athanasi Georgiou, Tishawn Gopuza and Dylan Peet, with Harry Warwick netting the other two. F-T 7-0
Saturday 14th September (Afternoon)
Appetiser over, it was off to Basford for the main event. Me with pen and paper in hand and Kev with his trusty camera – thoughts of writing a few words entered my head, and after a few head scratchings over who did what, and when, I thought I’d give it a go!
NSL PREMIER DIVISION
Admission £3 / £1
Programme £1
Attendance 20-ish
Referee Mr John Sansum
Assistants: Messrs Lee Harrison and Jack Poxon
Woodthorpe: Clay, Mazlam, Birks, Scott-Parkin, Walker, Johnson (C), Wheat, Chenery, Carter (C), Moss, Lawrence-Forbes. Subs: Scott, Rimell, Bailey, Oldham, Dennis.
Magdala: Ewing, Hall, Shearman, Mannion, Daley, Johnson (B), Kelvey, Hayes, Carter (E), Barton, Coffey. Sub: Livsey.
This was on paper, supposed to be a home banker with Rangers having won all four of their opening games. Dala had also played four games, winning one, drawing two and losing the other. Something of a surprise then when the visitors went ahead with only 6 minutes played. The goal came after a Woodthorpe attack was repelled and the ball was fired up the pitch to where ELLIS CARTER was on hand to collect, run at goal and slot past Rangers' keeper Scott Clay.
After having a decent first half against their high-flying opponents, things were destined to go downhill rapidly at the start of the second period. With just three minutes played, Adam Kelvey made a rash challenge on a Woodthorpe player and the Referee had little option other than to dismiss the Dala no. 7.
Things then went from bad to worse! Two minutes later Ben Johnson was impolite to Mr Sansum and was promptly dispatched to the naughty step for a ten minute cooling off period.
The nine men held on well, despite constant pressure from Rangers. From a corner, Cory Johnson saw his shot well collected by Ewing, then another corner soon after was headed onto the bar by Scott-Parkin. Adam Chenery had a great chance to put the home team ahead on the hour mark but missed his kick and the chance went begging.
If Dala think they were holding on well, things were to change drastically when Woodthorpe introduced star player Markel Bailey into the fray in the 65th minute. Although Bailey’s first contribution was a poorly aimed free-kick that sailed harmlessly over the bar, his next saw the home team go in front for the first time in the game, firing in a pin-point cross that CONOR CARTER had no trouble nodding past Ewing.
Dala full-back Tom Hall protested a refereeing decision with 78 played and was duly sin-binned – his team once again down to nine! Whist the defender was having a rest, Woodthorpe added their third. That man Bailey again the creator, dancing his way through the visitors make-shift backline before rolling the ball to the feet of DARREN OLDHAM, who ran in one-on-one with Ewing and fired past the keeper with nonchalant ease.
Just after Hall had served his sentence and returned to the pitch, his team reduced their arrears to just the one goal – BEN JOHNSON volleying superbly over Clay from the edge of the box.
Woodthorpe were destined to have the last word though – and it was that man BAILEY who had that last word in added time, walking the ball into the net after he was played in by Scott-Parkin. F-T 4-2
