ALBION OPEN THREE POINT GAP

Notts Senior League

Division One

MANSFIELD HOSIERY MILLS 1 NETHERFIELD ALBION 5

A week back off holiday from Cornwall and a lot has happened, Shawn has begun his new school, a school for children with special needs and a week where Ive suffered 8 fits and spent a few days in bed laid up. My plan A was to go to Sandiacre Town v Sherwood Colliery in the FA Vase, but with health issues sometimes football has to take a back step or a warning for me to slow down. I weighed up the opinions of staying in and watching boring Jeff Stelling or could venture just up the road to Mansfield Hosiery Mills and if I felt unwell during the match, I could ring Hazel to come and fetch me and there was a seated stand for me to sit in.

On arrival at the Fieldings, there was a kids match being played, as Hosiery Mills have been very successful and have now joined a West Midlands League and were playing a Solihull Moors FC team.

Soon the main event was to start, with Netherfield Albion sitting top of the table level on points, whilst the hosts had three of their four matches.

The game began and the leaders were soon in front when a through ball from midfield sent MARTIN McDONAGH through to finish well to put the visitors in to a early lead after juust 2 minutes.

The Mllers almost hit back straight away, when a dipping shot was tipped over the bar by Payne in the Albion net. Both sides then probed each other, looking for that gap, but to be fair not many chances were being created, though some good football by both sides was being played.

Just on half time, MARTIN McDONAGH picked up the ball on the right of the penalty area and he danced past 3 defenders before sending a low shot past the home keeper to double his teams advantage with the final shot of the first half.

The Second Half saw The Millers playing down the famous slope and they attacked, but the Albion defence saw tall and pressed forward when they could. On 53 minutes, the visitors were awarded a free kick some 25 yards out to the right hand side of the penalty area, to which CHRIS KEMP curled in to the top right hand side of the net to make it 3-0.

Hosiery Mills werent to give up and on 56 minutes, they were awarded a penalty to which Luke Greavees stuck low to the right of Payne in the Albion net who was equal to it and pushed his effort away to safety.

This seemed to drain a bit of energy out of the homesters and subs were made for both sides at this stage of the game. In the 65th minute, a cross from the left wing saw MARTIN McDONAGH rise and head home his hat trick to make it 4-0 to the visitors.

The Mansfield side then pushed forward in a last tempted effort to get something from the game and on 68 minutes, AARON TURNER fired home to give them a bit of hope, but that was soon put out, when Albion sub RYAN FOWLER beat the offside trap before rounding the home keeper and sliding the ball home to make it 5-1 to the league leaders on 79 minutes and for his side to open up a three point gap at the top of the table.

Must give a mention to Referee Zaydn Conroy who I felt had a superb match.

During the match, Netherfield Albion FC kindly donated £20 to the Charity Blog for MAGGIES CANCER CARE at Nottingham City Hospital and with the 6 goals scored it now takes the running total to a amazing £1069.50p

Photos from the match can be seen on this LINK