Bourne Town 0-4 Loughborough University

Monday evening saw us visit Sheffield Town FC to watch their Under 21 team take on (and beat) Retford United U21 The final score being 3-1 and it could have been a bigger margin of victory if truth be told had it not been for a great display of goal keeping from the Retford  keeper. I didn’t hear the attendance number but there was around 150 people watching and the best atmosphere i have ever experienced at a youth game. It’s been a tough start to the season for the two main Sheffield Clubs with the City's leading club Sheffield United starting the season losing every game in the Premiership so far and the city's  second club Sheffield Wednesday propping up the Championship (due in no small part to starting the season on -12 points) So it’s good to see a good news story in the form of Sheffield Town FC. I tip my hat to them.

Saturday began the way that every Saturday should; having a breakfast in the White Lion and catching up on the latest news in the paper, this morning however something different was going on in the pub. Saturday the 10^th of October was world national mental health day and as such the pub had allowed a local mental health support group called Muddy Fork  who people could meet, talk with and find out about the group, what they do and how they can get involved. Mental Health is a huge topic at the moment and thankfully it is now starting to be taken seriously. My own mental health has taken a huge battering over the past few months what with COVID and the economic impact it has had on my life, getting dumped via text message during lockdown and the sobering thought i am now 41 and living alone with two cats. Not really where i planned on being at this stage of my life. To know there are organisations like this are a huge help and if anybody in the Retford area who feel they need somebody to talk to i strongly suggest they check them out. They can be found here Muddy Fork wellbeing

 

Today’s game saw us taking in the FA Vase second qualifying round tie between Bourne Town v Loughborough University. Bourne play their football in the United Counties League division one and have collected three wins, two draws and three defeats from their opening eight games and currently sit in eleventh place in the table (out of twenty clubs) There opponents Loughborough University play a league higher in the United Counties Premier division and are currently sixth having won four drawn one and lost two matches so far this season. On paper it looked like a tough game for Bourne and that’s exactly how it turned out.

We picked this game to take in today because the home side are currently managed by former Lincoln City player Nathan Arnold. The 2016/17 season will go down in history as one of the finest seasons in the clubs history. The Imps won the National League that season with Arnold playing a huge role in it. The two moments that really stand out for me are his famous last minute goal that gave the Imps the win over Ipswich Town in the FA Cup 3^rd round reply and another last minute goal when he bagged the winner away at Gateshead, a goal which all but gave the Imps the title and broke  Tranmere Rovers hearts in the process.

Bourne is a sleepy little place in the south of Lincolnshire with the journey taking a little over an hour from Retford. On the way we discussed England’s comprehensive midweek win over Wales. It was a tough one for Felice to take given he always wanted to sing with the Pontypridd male voice choir and failing miserably. All joking apart i have always wanted to do some non league hopping in Wales; sadly my goons don’t feel the same so it looks like i will have to do a weekend in Wales at some point once all the COIVD bollocks is over. Beer, a new ground or two and kebabs what could be better? Plus i have to admit the Welsh accent is my favorite in the UK. Come get me you Welsh ladies.

We pulled up opposite the ground and a little after 2.30. There were plenty of cars around so it looked like a decent crowd had turned up for the match. The continued ban on fans attending games in the Football League seems to be benefiting non league clubs as we saw a handful of people wearing Peterborough United hats/ coats in on the quick walk up to the ground. Admission was £5 for adults with a raffle tick costing an extra quid. The ground is dominated by a proper old school style stand covering two thirds of the near touchline. Half of this is a covered terrace with the other half consisting of wooden benches. The dugouts are in front of the stands and the clubhouse and toilets below it. As is the way of the world right now there is a one-way system in the clubhouse with drinks served via table service. The rest of the ground is open with hard standing all the way around. All in all it’s a tidy little set up. The cricket ground is behind the near goal that you enter in and the bowls club is behind the touchline opposite the main stand. All in all it’s a nice area but i imagine that it’s annoying for the folks playing bowls when stray footballs get booted out of the ground and onto the Bowls pitch.

About 10 minutes’ before the kick off the heavens opened up so we took cover in the stands. About 5 minutes into the match the rain stopped so we made our way round to stand behind the goal that Loughborough were attacking.

Bourne lined up playing five across the back but sadly it wasn’t enough to stop their much quicker opponents. They had already missed several half chances by the time they took the lead in the 13^th minute. The visitors had been causing problems with their pace and they finally made the breakthrough when Tope Fabamunsi was sent through and coolly finished a one on one against the goalkeeper.  On 17 it was two nill when Ronan Silva applied the finish after a neat passing move. The hosts were putting in plenty of effort but were really struggling to get a foothold in the game. The visitors could have had a third when Loughbrough cut through again , the shot beat the keeper only for Scott Lock (who was by far the team’s best defender on the pitch) made a last ditch goal line clearance to keep his side just about in the tie. Arnold had selected himself to start the match and you could easily see why as he was head and shoulders above the rest of his players quality wise. The visitors had looked very impressive with number nine Tope Fabamunsi really catching the eye.

Half time called for a gentle walk around the ground and a visit to the tea hut for a hot drink. There looked to be a decent crowd in and i hoped that the home team would raise their game in the second half and give them something to cheer. Alas that didn’t happen.

On 50 minutes Bourne had a great chance to get back into the match when a Cummings cross was narrowly headed wide by Arnold, it was a chance that could have changed the game but a minute later Loughborough sealed the game when they added a third curtsey of a quick breakaway allowing Silva to grab his second of the game. The game now became much more even although the visitors still had the better of the chances. Things got even harder for Bourne when they were forced to play the last twenty minutes of the match with ten men as having made their three allowed subs Josh Spencer suffered an injury and was unable to continue. Given all this it is to their credit that they only conceded one more goal but it has to be said some of this was down to poor finishing from Loughborough The final goal coming in the 82^nd minute when Fabamunsi grabbed his second of the game from close range. During the final ten minutes the rain returned and as we were stood on the open side of the ground we got piss wet through like a couple of doughnuts.

At the final whistle we trudged back to the car piss wet through, disappointed at hearing of a 1^st league defeat of the season for the Imps  but glad that we had ticked off yet another new ground. It was a shame for Nathan Arnold that the result didn’t go his way but looking at their form in the league there is plenty to build on going forward. Good luck to Loughborough in the next round, they were a pleasure to watch and they look like they have decent set up and well drilled team.

Given the conditions i must also give credit to both sets of players for the way they conducted themselves and the referee Amiee Kier who commanded the respect of both sets of players and looked to let play flow whenever she could.

 

 

 

Selston 4-6 Sporting Khalsea

 

Over the years i have been watching football i have seen absolutely awful games at all levels of the game. But ever so often you get a classic that sticks in the memory for years to come. Normally these games come along when you least expect it. Selston v Sporting Khalsa definitely  falls into this category and from a pure footballing point of view it was one of the best games i have seen in quite a while.

The ironic thing is that i almost didn’t bother with a game this weekend. The weather not to be blunt was  shite and what with the “Rona” still on the rise i did think twice about doing a game thankfully i did.

We had a few choices of game today but after a quick deliberation the Midland Football League clash between Selston and the league leaders Sporting Khalsa. Before this season the Midland league was an unknown quantity to me but having seen Newark FC a month or so ago and having seen this match today i can only conclude that it is a pretty decent standard of football and if you haven’t dipped your toe into it yet i strongly suggest you check it out because from what i have seen you won’t be disappointed.  

The day started yet again at the White Lion pub in Retford with a quick sausage sandwich washed down with a couple of cups of tea to blow the cobwebs away. During lockdown i got pretty good at cooking breakfasts at the weekends but just recently i have lost the motivation to cook in the morning as much. Just after 1.30 pm we set off on our merry way to the Nottinghamshire village of Selston near Kirkby in Ashfield. En route Felice was in good spirits given the Champions League draw had put his respective sides Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Real Madrid in different groups. It’s a win/win for him to over in Group G as eternal Champions League bottle jobs Juventus have been drawn to face Barcelona, another couple of teams who’s results he looks out for with great interest and owns several knock off replica shirts of each club bought on a beach in Turkey (though they are a bit snug now) As a lifelong Dundalk fan the thought of them playing Arsenal, a club where he had a membership at for many seasons also fills him with excitement.

Weather wise rain was pretty much the order of the day across the UK and i did wonder if many games would get called off.  Once we parked up i was more than happy  to see that the ground offered enough cover so as we could keep dry. The club is really on the ball regarding its COVID policies. Simply scan the NHS trace and trace app at the gate, then a quick temperature check, pay your cash and you are in. Entrance was £6 for adults and it what was a nice touch NHS staff got in free.

The ground is shared with the local cricket club and the pavilion acts as the clubhouse for both clubs. It was pleasing to see a small club shop in the clubhouse selling a range of hats, scarf’s and t-shirts and best of all club badges.

There is a well planned out one way system in the ground which goes around the cricket pitch to the football pitch. The pitch is slightly lower than the stands so where ever you view from you get a great view of the action. Had it not been pissing it down then it would have been good to stand behind the goal. Alas it was the standing cover for us just to the left of the halfway line as we looked at it.

Sporting came into the match top of the table and early on it was very obvious as to why. They knocked the ball around well on the deck and looked to play out from the back. For the first ten minutes or so it looked like they would run away with this game but Selston were more than playing there part in this game and they took the lead when a shot was saved only for the ball to be recycled and crossed into the back post allowing Kenan Layton to apply the finish. Sporting didn’t panic however and continued to stick to their way of playing. On several occasions they had caused trouble for the Selston defence by crossing from their left to the back post and after 21 minutes this tactic paid off as a cross was headed home by Rikardo Reid for a deserved equalizer. The goal didn’t affect Seston to much however and they took the lead again on 29 when Layton added his second of the game blasting the ball into the roof of the net from 15 yards out.  The lead didn’t last long however as Sporting produced a lovely bit of football that ended up with Lee Chilton finishing via a great first time shot. No further goals were added and the two teams went into halftime level.

Just five minutes into the second half we got a great example of the fine lines that exist in football. Selston were kicking up the hill second half and they had a great chance to take the lead when they had a three against as the winger broke down the left he chose to shoot instead of crossing to an unmarked teammate. Moments later Selston had a free kick near the cornor flag. The ball was crossed in and partially cleared to the edge of the box. A Selston player picked up the ball, blasted it in hard, but with the keeper beaten all ends up the shot was headed over by a defender on the line. Once these two golden chances hadn’t been taken i had a feeling what was going to happen next.

After this let off the league leaders took the lead for the first time in the game when Selston gave the ball away in their own half allowing Jake Gosling to beat the keeper one and one. Two minutes later on 54. Sporting doubled their lead after patient build up around the box was finished by Gurjit Singh. It looked like the visitors were on their way for another three points.

But Selston weren’t beaten yet. On 61 Layton completed his hatrick via beating the keeper one on one before coolly finishing low into the bottom of the net and it was suddenly game on again.  Sporting restored their two goal lead 3 minutes later thanks to a scrappy goal via a corner with Rikardo Reid. We then had to wait a whole ten minutes for the next goal but it was worth the wait and it was the pick of the ten goals. Layton turned provider and played in Jordan Black whose fantastic chip over the keeper from the edge of the box to get Selston back into the game once again. Any great game isn’t complete without a controversial moment and on 84 we got ours. Selston thought they had equalized only for the linesman flag on the far side to discount the goal. It looked very tight to me and i am glad it wasn’t me making the call. Who would be an official eh?  

That incident did seem to kill the game off slightly as it became very scrappy for the last ten minutes or so. Right on the final whistle Sporting Khalsa completed the scoring via Sean Williams from close range.  Full Time score: Selston 4-6 Sporting Khalsa.

Once the dust settled i had the following thoughts. Firstly it will take a very good side to stop Sporting Khalsa from winning the league. Before the game i had no idea that Selston were bottom of the table and having watched this i have no idea how they are bottom but i am confident that if they play like this then the wins will surly come. It’s also only right to give both sets of player’s and management teams huge credit for serving up such a great game of football in such dreadful conditions. All in all one of the best non league games i have ever seen. If you get a chance to watch either of these teams in action take it. You won’t be disappointed.

It would be wrong for me not to mention the Imps. A 3-2 away win at Blackpool kept up the Imps 100% record in the league and sent them to the top of the table in League One. Throughout this pandemic i have tried not to think about what could have happened and focus on what we have. However in the case of missing Blackpool away it’s very tough to do this. I love visiting Blackpool and it’s my favourite place to escape to in the UK. So When Lincoln score two in the last five minutes two win the game it’s hard not to picture the scenes. We would have been on the piss Friday, banging back the shots etc then off to the club before Baz kicked off in the kebab shop late at night. More ale would have been drunk before the game and after claiming a famous win the party would have continued. Then on the Sunday morning after rolling in at 3.00 am Baz would have fallen asleep in his breakfast.

Dam you COVID 19

 

 

West Bridgford 0-1 Halesowen Town

 

Tuesday evening the FA cup continued so it gave us the perfect chance to tick of a ground that we wanted to do in the previous round as we visited Step 6 West Bridgford played host to Step 4 Halesowen Town. Once upon a time when i started watching non-league football regularly i had a goal to tick off all of the grounds in Nottinghamshire in the pyramid from Steps 1-7.  Over the years i have neglected this goal a little and it’s become a bit harder with the NLS becoming a Step 7 league but it is still something i would like to achieve. This season has seen Newark FC ticked of the Notts list and now West Bridgford can join them.

Nottingham is one of a handful of cities that i could actually see myself living in. Mainly down to all the great times i have had there over the years.  I enjoyed the drive through our county town as it’s very rare that i see the city when i not either 1) very drunk 2) nursing a hangover. We found the ground relatively easily even with Baz’s dodgy sat nav on his phone being a tad slow. On our way to the ground we pasted Notts County’s Meadow Lane that was hosting the Magpies FA Trophy semi final v Harrogate Town. As we got near to the ground i took over the navigational duties thus ensuring we arrived in good time. Whenever you watch football in Nottingham you cannot help about thinking of Nottingham Forest and their golden era of 1978-1981. It’s crazy to think they have as many European Cup/Champions League titles at Juventus despite not playing in it for over 30 years.

The evening was a big deal for West Bridgford as it was the first time the club had hosted a side from step 4 in their history thus they were dealing with a crowd much bigger than they would normally attract. A big shoutout has to go to Baz for pre-booing the tickets for the big game. Given that the crowd was capped at 300 and the away side had been given 75 tickets a was a tad worried that it would sell out if we arrived late.

The ground appears to be part of a larger complex and one that is very well looked after. Plenty of parking was on offer and everything seemed to be running smoothly. A large table was set up for taking track and trace details and selling tickets, programmes and badges. All the club officials were doing a great job given the crowd was much bigger than normal and when you take in all the COVID regulations we have nowadays the club can look back on a job well done.

The ground may be a tad basic but it’s tidy and is adequate for the clubs needs. Its mainly three sides hard standing, there is a small modern seater stand on one side of the ground which offers the only cover in the ground. The club had set up a burger stall outside of the ground near to the table selling tickets to feed the masses requiring refreshments but also inside there was a stall selling Pie and Peas along with the Nottingham specialty, a simple pot of peas.

As the game started Haleswoen came out of the blocks pretty fast and really took the game by the scruff of the neck. After the first ten minutes or so it looked like this could be a very one sided game but to their credit the hosts rallied and started to settle. Sadly for West Bridgford just as it looked like they had weathered the storm Halesowen took the lead when Holmes fired in low from long distance with the keeper view obstructed by the many players in the box.  Halesowen had the lion’s share of the play in the first half but never really looked like getting the second goal that would have killed the game off.   

Half time was spent catching up on the latest Bullshit announcement from Boris about the country’s ongoing battle with the Corona virus. Needles to say the UK isn’t covering itself in glory in its attempt to beat this wrenched illness. It’s going to be interesting to see how history judges Boris and co in 5, 10 years time. My guess is it will be viewing alongside the first day of the battle of the Somme or the first months of WW2 when the British and French were woefully unprepared for what awaited them. At halftime we also discussed which TV shows we have been watching. I then told them about this fantastic video i watched on Youtube about Billy the Kid. I told them to watch it and you all should too. Here it is, thank me later.

The first twenty minutes or so of the second half was pretty none descript with not much happening. Then with twenty minutes to go West Bridgford started to believe and took the game to Halesowen. Sadly for us neutrals they didn’t get to the goal to force penalties but it was great to see them try. All in all the hosts did themselves proud on and off the pitch; they are defiantly a club to visit if you get a chance.

On Thursday it was something a little different. Having disposed of Crewe and Bradford Lincoln were drawn to play Liverpool at home in the third round of the League Cup. As i spoke about on my last blog these was a huge deal for Lincoln and was picked up for TV coverage. Now the big question.. Where to watch it?

We decided on the Vinn Inn in Retford. Nowadays there are very few options to watch sport that is on Sky in the center of town these days. Back in the day this was where Felice strutted his stuff on the dance floor in between knocking back cans of Red Stripe. This was also the first night of pubs being forced to close at 10pm and table only service in pubs in the UK so it would be interesting to see what the new “Normal” would like for the next few months.

Given all this i have to give the girl working the bar that night a huge amount of credit. Drinks were served promptly and all in all it went pretty well. Sadly for Lincoln on the pitch this wasn’t really the case.

Lincoln were to be blunt outplayed with Liverpool looking a class above. A world class free kick started the route and the top class goals kept coming. At halftime it was 0-4 and i feared a double figure scoreline. The second half was a little better with the Imps getting on the scoreline not once but twice. It’s just a shame that Liverpool hit seven at the other end as the goals went in the pints flowed even more and made me glad that i had booked the next day at work off. The game reminded me of a game Felice and i had on a football arcade game at a service station en route to Wycombe in 98 when playing as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia i demolished his Italy 5-1. To give the Imps huge credit they dusted themselves down from this beating and dispatched Charlton 2-0 at the LNER Stadium 2-0 on Sunday.  

I didn’t attend a game Saturday. But i did have a fun Sunday going on a date with a very nice younf lady.  Ever since i suffered a dumping via text a month or so in lockdown my confidence with women has been through the floor. (i will be writing a blog about this at some point in the future) Although it looks like we are just going to be friends it was great to get out there and we have had a few text conversations this week so that a win in my humble view.

We go again.