SUPERB SEMI SEES TOWN INTO FINAL

Nottinghamshire FA Intermediate Cup

Semi Final

CALVERTON MW 3 BINGHAM TOWN 3

(Bingham Town win 7-6 after Penalties)

Hazel dropped me off at Eagle Valley as both sets of players from Polonia United & Woodthorpe Park Rangers were on the pitch with the match referee, when a Arnold Town official came on to the pitch and deemed it to not be played on, as Arnold Town own the pitches, the referee was forced to call the game off. I stood with the Woodthorpe Chairman and we was going to head to the other Notts FA Junior Cup Semi Final but word came through that the match at Stapleford Town had just been called off. We then decided to head to Calverton MW thinking with floodlights it would be a 3pm kick off, but just as we turned the corner, PJ;s stopped and we had to pull in to a bus stop layby as he had run out of petrol, so to pass time, I cracked a few jokes that had PJ and his wife in laughter. Some of the Woodthorpe players came to the rescue with some petrol for a red faced PJ.

As we arrived at Calverton the players were playing, so I enquired and found out that the game kicked off at 1.30pm and 25 minutes had gone passed without any score. Calverton looked on their game and had several chances before a header in the 45th minute found the net to give them a half time lead. At half time we ventured in to the clubhouse and to cheer poor PJ up, we had a pint and a laugh, as we got back to pitchside, we found out that Bingham had equalised through TOM SPENCER.

Bingham looked to have stepped u[p their game and seemed to want to be first to the ball, but both sides had chances and Calverton must have thought they had won the game when they went in to a 2-1 lead on 85 minutes. Bingham though always play to the final whistle and it paid off for them as in the 90th minute, they drew level again to take the tie in to extra time.

The pace of the tie didnt slow down and both sides went for it and Bingham took the lead after 106 minutes for the first time. Calverton came back and was awarded a penalty to which the match official showed the young Town keeper a yellow card, must to the disgust of the home faithful. The keeper then made a outstanding penalty save, but there was still more action to come, as after 115 minutes, a player from each side came to each other and the referee had no choice in producing a red card for the Bingham player and a second yellow card for the home player.

It was now Calverton;s turn of never say die, as they pushed forward and 2 minutes from the end of extra time, they pulled it level, so the game went to penalties.

Both sides took 8 penalties each before we had a finalist with Bingham winning 7-6. A shame that a club had to lose as this would have made a superb final, but was a good advert for Non League Football in front of a crowd of around 80.

All Photos taken by Geoff Cameraman can be seen on this LINK any clubs that wish to hire Geoff, please contact him on twitter on https://twitter.com/n55ffc