JEPPS AT THE DOUBLE

Nottinghamshire Senior League

Premier Division

BINGHAM TOWN FC 2 UNDERWOOD VILLA FC 0

Been a while since Ive visited Butts Field, the home of Bingham Town FC, but always a nice welcome there for me, Hazel and Shawn. A set of programmes was waiting for me on arrival and with 2 matches going on, all 4 teamsheets were gaathered very quickly as my cupppa cooled down.

On the far pitch to which Ive still not seen a game, where Bingham Town Reserves as they hosted Burton Joyce FC who in the Division Two table were fighting to try and gain second place, sadly with the visitors lost, all hope of that has failed and they are to finish possibly in the third place, a good season for them in their first since their return as a new club.

The main match Id come to see, was between Bingham Town and Underwood Villa, both knocked out as beaten League Cup Semi Finalists and whilst the host were in the top four and Villa in the bottom two, it was always going to be a close game. Bingham went in to the game with top striker Tom Spencer missing through injury.

The game kicked off in rainy conditions but the pitch was like a carpet and suitable for good football to be played on, the first 15 minutes, both sides played at a frantic pace, with both carving out good chances. In the 22nd minute, the hosts should well have taken the lead when Callum Leech beat the offside trap and was in bearing down on goal, but visiting keeper Matt Gooch was fast out of the area with a block.

The Second Half belonged to Town as they pushed forward but no keeper was tested until the 74th minute, when the ball bobbled round the Underwood area and it fell to the edge of the box for MICHAEL JEPPS to fire low and hard in to the net. This seemed to spur Bingham forward and Gooch had to be in fine form to keep the score at 1-0. In the final minute, Underwood thought they were on level terms when the ball struck the bar from a acute angle. The next break saw MICHAEL JEPPS sent away with  no chance of getting to the ball, but sadly Gooch totally missed th ball and it landed at Jepps feet for him to stroll the ball home and secure the points.

Meanwhile on the other pitch, it was a good day for Bingham, as their reserves had beaten Burton Joyce 3-1.

In the clubhouse after the match, Bingham Town FC kindly donated £10 to the Charity Blog and then Nottinghamshire Senior League Referee Ian Wilkinson handed £15, to which we would lie to say a BIG THANKYOU..The Charity Blogs running total for MAGGIES CANCER CARE CENTRE based at City Hospital, Nottingham now stands at a amazing £1,347.25p

97 photos from the match can be seen on this LINK

QUICK FIRE QE;s BAG THE POINTS

Midland Amateur Alliance League

Premier Division

OLD ELIZABETHIANS FC 2 ARNOLD SAMBA FC 1

This fixture fell lucky for me, as Shawn goes to a youth club for youths with special needs from 6.30pm on a Tuesday and Thursday Evening, on Fa Full Time, I spotted this fixture just round the corner, so a football fix for a sunny Thursday Evening was in order.

Old Elizabethians FC play at Queen Elizabeth Academy just off Chesterfield Road in Mansfield, about half a mile from the Town Centre, up a long drive, where the ground is on the right hand side. The pitch runs long ways and from the sides gives a lovely backdrop of the Academy, whilst the changing rooms are in a tudor styled pavilion on the far side of the pitch.

The game kicked off and Arnold Saints were first to press forward but didnt seem to have much conviction in front of goal, whilst OE;s were playing on the break and missed a couple of  good early chances, from one of these early chances on 7 minutes, a long ball from defence avoided the midfield and the OE striker ran on to it and chipped the ball over the outcoming Saints keeper to give his side a 1-0 lead.

OE;s then continued to press forward, whilst the Saints sat back and were just happy to clear the ball, but on 21 minutes, OE;s doubled their lead, when a cross from the left wing found the head of a attacker to guide home.

Both sides then played good football and there could well have been goals at either end, with close misses, but not much to trouble each keeper.

The Second Half came and both sides made changes to their sides and formation, this seemed to let Saints play a bit more football and there was a sense that they would get back in to the game at some stage, which did happen when they pulled back a goal after 65 minutes, when a free kick was nicely placed in to the keepers left hand side of the corner of the net to make it 2-1.

This seemed to spur the home side forward and the result should well have been out of sight, if not for the visiting keeper being in such good form and a few missers that maybe would have hit the back of the net on another day.

Old Elizabethians FC play again at home on Monday 30th April 2018 v Sutton Travellers with a 6.30pm kick off, a match I will stroll down to.

EARLY GOAL SETS VILLA ON THE WAY

Nottinghamshire Senior League

Premier Division

RUDDINGTON VILLAGE FC 0 AWSWORTH VILLA FC 3

A change of plan saw me visit Elms Park for the first time this season on a sunny afternoon, Shawn had got his scooter and the freedom of the park, whilst the football was on. Always a lovely welcome from Ruddington Village FC, who are going through a bit of a tough season sitting at the foot of the table, whilst Awsworth are sitting in 3rd towards the top. On the back pitch, the Viillage Reserves were hosting Ashland Rovers in a Division One match.

The main match kicked off and Ruddington broke forward and Awsworth cleared their lines and the ball fell over on the right side and was crossed in and BEN WATSON slotted past the home keeper after just 62 seconds.

On 10 minutes, Ruddington had to change tactics as the player manager had to come on due to a players injury, this seemed to spur the one side forward but it did leave massive gaps at the back and the home keeper had to be on his guard a couple of times.

After 21 minutes, a short free kick was taken and a superb one two took place and JOHN WHITEHURST doubled his teams advantage to 2-0.

Awsworth now had the bot between their teeth and were running at Village, but their defence stood strong until the 38th minute, when a cross from the right was met by MATT MURPHY to make it 3-0.

With raining beginning to fall heavy, it was off to the refreshments bar for a cuppa and to get my umbrella. 

Ruddington came out for the second half and put Awsworth on the back foot, as they pressed forward but didnt create much until the final minutes, when they had several shots blocked and hit the crossbar twice.

I felt the match referee Ian Wilkinso had a very good match.

Photos from the match can be seen on this LINK

Not a good day for Ruddington in all, as on the other pitch, Ashland Rovers had beaten their reserves 4-1

BOATENG FIRE COMMUNITY TO THE FINAL

Nottinghamshire Senior League

Senior League Cup ; Semi Final

BASFORD UNITED COMMUNITY FC 1 UNDERWOOD VILLA FC 0

A closely contested League Cup semi final tie played at Selston FC saw Gideon Boateng put Basford United Community through to the Final to play League Champions Newark Flowserve on Saturday 12th May @ Basford United FC.

The game kicked off and the Community side pushed forward and created a few chances that went high and wide, Villa began to get back in to the game possession wide but not creating much for their front line.

On 20 minutes, a long ball saw GIDEON BOATENG latch on to and fire home from outside the area to give the Community side the lead. This seemed to spur Basford on and they looked the more likelier to add to their total but wasted chances and good saves by the Villa keeper kept the score to 1-0 at half time.

The Second Half began and Villa looked more fired up as they went in search of pulling the game back even and a couple of times, they could well have been level as the ball shot across the box only needing the slightest of touches to guide the ball over the line, but it wasnt to be.

Sat with League referee Mick Leslie during the match and his wife and also hoppers Pete Chappell and Mac Senior.

Photos from the match can be seen on this LINK

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE SENIOR LEAGUE CUP FINALS DAY

Saturday 12th May 2018

at Basford United FC

Junior Cup Final

Woodthorpe Park Rangers FC v Burton Joyce FC

Kick Off: 12pm

Senior Cup Final

Newark Flowserve FC v Basford United Community FC

Kick Off: 4pm

BIRK;s HAT TRICK SEALS WIN

Nottinghamshire Senior League

Division One

ASHLAND ROVERS FC 3 RAVENSHEAD FC 0

Sometimes you find it very difficult to write a positive blog report and those who attended this match will understand why, so for this game I am just going to post the link to the photos of the match

Photos from the match can be seen on this LINK

BRYANTS MEN HEAD TO FINAL

Midland Amateur Alliance League Cup

Semi Final

SHIREBROOK TOWN RESERVES 3 FC POLONIA 0

Att: 72

Gary Bryant;s Shirebrook Town Reserves booked their place in their League Cup Final against local rivals AFC Bull Farm after a battling victory against FC Polonia.

The game began with FC Polonia on the front foot carving out the chances and passing thee ball around the pitch very well but couldnt find a way past Town;s defence or keeper.

The turning point of the game came after 27 minutes, when Referee quite rightly dismissed a visiting player after a incident off the ball and then the player spat at another player giving the referee no option to reduce the visitors to 10 men for the final 63 minutes.

Just before half time though, the visitors could have gone in to the lead, when a drive  towards goal was cleared off the line.

Shirebrook came out for the second period alot more fired up and almost took the lead when the visiting keeper pulled off a superb save and the follow up volley just went over his crossbar. Shirebrook was more in to the game and kept pushing forward and after 52 minutes, a long ball from the midfield, saw a Shirebrook player chase after it and on the bounce, the defender lobbed it over his own keeper for the home side to take the lead.

Polonia pushed a extra man forward but this left gaps in midfield for Town to exploit and they did this well and on 72 minutes, WILL DODDS rifled home from the edge of the penalty area to double Town;s advantage.

Polonia didnt give up and kept playing neat passing football but didnt get any breaks to get back in to the game, as the clock was running down and players looking at the referee to blow for full time, a wide ball to the right wing, saw MARK STANIFORTH cut in and chip over the keeper to make it 3-0.

I thought the referee Lee Harrison had a excellent game and he kindly donated £5 after the match to the blogs charity which is for MAGGIE CANCER CARE CENTRE based at Nottingham City Hospital and the running total stands at a amazing £1,328.25p, a BIG thankyou to Lee for your donation.

57 photos from the match can be seen on this LINK

MAWNAN HEAD TOWARDS THE TITLE

Trelawny League

STITHIANS FC 0 MAWNAN FC 5

Trying to find the ground proved difficult as we pulled in at the bowls club, cricket club and rugby club and some locals had no idea that their village even had a football club, eventually a local shop guided us out of the village and out in to the countryside to find the ground.

On arrival I was met by a player who felt the game would be on and then joined by the clubs chairman who had a chat, the visitors arrived and then the ref.

The game kicked off and both sides seemed to be quite equal, but on 8 minutes, a back pass took a awful bobble which left the home keeper kicking fresh air as the ball rolled in to the empty net to give the league leaders the lead.

Stithians pushed forward but the visiting backline held firm with their keeper only being forced to make one save. On 29 minutes, a cross from the right, saw the number 11 for Mawnan strike the crossbar before he laid the ball back for KEV MORRIS to rifle home from the edge of the area.

The Second Half belonged to the league leaders as they pushed from the second half whistle and increased their lead to 3-0 on 50 minutes, when TOM RICHARDS hit home from a acute angle.

Stithians defended well but tired legs in the 86th minute began to creep in and DAN KNOWLES;s long range effort made it 4-0.

As we were waiting for the final whistle to be blown and the cold biting, a long ball from midfield found LIAM DENT who ran on to a through ball and fired in to the bottom left hand corner of the net to make it 5-0 to the visitors.

To see the 73 photos from the match, please click on this LINK