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
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