Sunday 30 January 2011

Retford United 3 v. Lincoln United 1 - Lincs Intermediate League

Sunday 30th January 2011 - at Oaklands Sports Ground
Lincs Intermediate League Premier Division
Retford United (3) 3 (Reece Thompson 2, Jaymie Woods)
Lincoln United (0) 1 (Tom Booth)

Reece Thompson was the stand out player for the home side and managed to score a first half brace for the Badgers in spite of Lincoln's Alex Tittcomb marshalling his back line well and looking head and shoulders more accomplished than any other player in either defence today.
Reece had a good game for the RUFC U19's against Worksop Town last week too at Cannon Park and provided a moment of comedy excellence in that game, when he had 'treated' the Tigers experienced manager Kelvin Stannington to a stream of verbal abuse about him looking like a German porn star (and various other things I couldn't possibly repeat on a family football blog). Despite his blushes (he probably thought he'd been recognised) Keiron Stalingrad took the put down very well.
After half time Lincoln looked much livelier than they had during the first 45 minutes and might have yet salvaged a point from this game if the home side's goalkeeper Ryan Elkington hadn't been in such good form.
Shortly before the away side had grabbed their only goal, Ryan had stopped a powerful shot from close range with his face ... I'm damn sure he didn't mean to.
Initially it looked as if he was out cold, but he got up and played on and still pulled off a string of good saves.
Earlier in the season, Pete Stafford had been carrying a bit of a knock when he was still with Worksop Town Under 19s, he's with Retford now ... and it was good to see he is back to his best and looking so keen, sharp and fit again.
A lot of the Lincoln United team used to play for the now sadly demised Ordsall Rangers, so possibly the visiting side had just as many players from Retford in their side as the home team did, which gave the game that little bit of edge.
A feisty game at times with a few full blooded challenges going in from both teams, but well controlled in a sensible 'let the game flow' manner by the referee Mr Brown.
Retford United might be struggling in the Evo-Stik League, but at the grass roots level of Under 19's and intermediate players they've got a whole load of good prospects coming through.
Kev Swannack's younger charges were playing on the adjacent pitch at the same time as this game and look a well organised operation too.
If the situation at Cannon Park is getting local football fans down, then the Oaklands Sports Ground is the place to be for a pick you up on Sundays. The other Retford United Under 18's team were scheduled to play here later today, but their game against Ordsall Rangers was scratched when the opposition folded.

Footnote:
In the Lincs Intermediate North Division, Scotter United beat their 'big time' neighbours 3-1 today, a result that will have some of my football community friends smiling from ear to ear in the White Swan tonight :-)

Saturday 29 January 2011

Worksop Town 1 v Ossett Town 4 - Evo-Stik Premier Division

Saturday 29th January 2011
Evo-Stik Premier Division at Cannon Park, Retford

Worksop Town (0) 1
Chris Bettney 47
Ossett Town (3) 4
Dan Facey 21, 30, Nathan Kemp 43, 61

Admission Season Ticket, Programme £2,
Free Team sheet, Attendance 261
Eleven days ago Ossett Town were beaten 8-1 by FC Halifax Town, champions elect of the Evo-Stik Premier division.
In fact scrap that, there's no 'elect' about it, they're not catchable now and are already champions anyway, bar having their blue and white ribbons tied to the League trophy.
So Ossett went out and bought in a few new faces and set about turning their season around ... but still as relegation contenders, you'd have expected them to have been easily beaten by Worksop today, who are virtually unrecognisable from the team who were locking horns with today's visitors in a relegation battle last season.
Cover photo credit - Jon Knight
Action shot from Retford United v Worksop Town Under 19's

Both sides started tentatively on a sticky pitch and just when it looked as if the Tigers were going to force the issue and take the game by the scruff of the neck, Ossett took the lead.
A free kick pumped hopefully into the box caused chaos ... the ball fell to Dan Facey who opened the scoring from close range, cue stunned silence from the home crowd.
The ball bypasses Worksop's midfield (again)

Nine minutes later, another ball into the box was dropped by Jon Kennedy and Facey was on hand to knock in his second goal.
Cue more stunned silence and a couple of stray twitch weeds blowing across the pitch.
With half time approaching fast, everybody was saying how Martin McIntosh would get stuck into the players and turn the two goal deficit around during the break ... err, hang on, still two minutes on the watch until then and another defensive mess was ceased on by Nathan Kemp to put the Yorkshire side three goals in front.
Cue mass consternation in the ranks and an exodus to the bar.
Straight from the restart Worksop attacked. Chris Bettney hit home a sublime free kick from out on the left and the Tigers were back on 47 minutes ... albeit very briefly, but then they reverted to type as per their first half embarrassing public demonstration of ineptitude and stray passes.
Just after the hour, Kemp ran into the box unchallenged, took the ball wide of Kennedy and fired home the fourth and final (nail in the Tigers coffin) goal for Ossett.
Ray Lucas cheerily writing the official match report

With ten minutes still to go, a lot of Tigers fans just gave up and left. The car park was half empty when I left after the final whistle.
Today Ossett were well worth their victory ... and Worksop, well, with the exception of Chris Wood, they should be ashamed to pick up their wages for their part in this shambles.
A few of them went into hiding today and it's difficult to do that un-noticed while you are wearing a bright tangerine shirt under floodlights ... the guilty parties know who they are and so do those who had paid to watch this no show.
Next week Worksop have a trek over to North Wales to face second placed Colwyn Bay in what'll be a real tester for them. It remains to be seen if they have the resolve inside them to knuckle down and regain the form they had been showing recently.
Today ... they were lazy at times and lacked focus at others.
Complacency and shoulder shrugging were order of the day and it seemed to me they thought they only had to turn up and were entitled to win.
Ossett Town gave them a harsh lesson that they'll hopefully learn from.
For their part Ossett showed what could be achieved through being organised, hard working and concentrating on the job in hand.

Saturday 22 January 2011

Kendal Town 2 v Worksop Town 1 - Evo-Stik Premier Division

Saturday 22nd January 2011
At Parkside (AKA Lakeside Radio Stadium), Kendal.
Kendal Town (0) 2
Keiron Walmsley 50, Andy Dunn 55
Worksop Town (1) 1
George Melling OG 43

Admission £8, Programme £2,
Free Teamsheet, Attendance 245
Sensibly, it was decided that our coach to the Lake District would depart slightly later than advertised, owing to the second pitch inspection of the morning taking place at the same time we were meant to be leaving.
The referee hadn't fancied it first time round and was giving the playing surface at Parkside a second coat of looking at.
Well, good for him ... and all communication channels were being kept open too ... nothing like a bit of consideration and updated and accurate information to warm the cockles of your heart on a clear, but overcast and cold Saturday morning.
If only Dundee United had shown a modicum of Kendal Town's courtesy just over a week ago, I might not despise the Tannadice club more than any other in Scotland right now ... and that includes Rangers, Celtic, Hibs, Hibs Reserves, Hibs Under 19's and even Penicuik Athletic (I have my reasons, don't even get me started).
You see eight days ago, around Friday lunch time I rang Dundee United, to ask if their home game v. Hearts was on the next day and to enquire what the pitch, weather and general outlook was like.
I received a cheery and positive response, that 'the game is definitely on, the pitch is in great shape'. The person on the other end of the phone was a bloody liar.
I should have been suspicious ... Tannadice has never had a great pitch, for years it was always heavily sanded, hence DUFC been given their Arabs nickname.
So I caught the Friday afternoon train up to embark on a weekend of socialising, merriment and Heart of Midlothian football ... or any football in the area (except for the Hibs v Celtic game).
The Hearts Under 19's had a cup game at Tynecastle on the Sunday and I was hopefully heading towards both games if the fates fell kindly ... or so I thought.
Dundee United announced around midday on Saturday that they would be having a late pitch inspection (no point in setting off there too early then and I'd already decided I was going to a local game instead now anyway, when...) and finally postponed the game around 1.30pm. Bastards!
I 'calmly' referred to my lap top and began looking for alternative games and southbound train times and ticket prices ... Bonnyrigg Rose was only a short distance away - OFF WATERLOGGED PITCH, Newtongrange Star only slightly further away than the Roses club, with a regular bus service available - OFF WATERLOGGED PITCH ...Grr!
I would be interested to know how the Dundee United manager had got to Ross County (over 3 hours drive away) on a scouting mission by 2pm, just half an hour after the pitch inspection had apparently taken place. He was spotted there, so Dundee United must've known quite early on that he'd have a free afternoon.
He'd either flown from Dundee North End International to Dingwall Airport (please don't look for either on a map, I'm merely indulging in sarcasm here) or Dundee United are big fat liars.
All credit to those who update the Junior and Amateur League websites in Scotland for keeping them right up to date, but one by one all by plan B's and alternatives fell foul to the wet sticky stuff falling all over the east side of the country.
Hmm, I was disappointed, but football isn't everything y'know (no really), so I hopped on a bus down to the Bridges and spent the afternoon trawling record shops and several bars, making a few desirable purchases in both.
It's going to be a while until I travel up to Edinburgh again for football (or anything other than visiting a very poorly relative in Sighthill) so I figured I might as well make the most of a thoroughly miserable day.
I got a phone message during the afternoon from somebody who works for Hearts "There's no way the Under 19's will be playing on the Tynecastle pitch tomorrow and cutting it to ribbons mate, there's standing water on it, what a downpour, eh!?"
It was kind of the same person to ring me the next day to correct his false assumption, the game was going ahead and "kicking off in 30 minutes" after all, woo hoo!
Shame, I'd already changed my plans during the interim and was somewhere just to the north of York on a southbound train when I took his call ... in the quiet coach too - I'm obviously still a bit of an anarchist at heart then. York was far more fun than Edinburgh on my way home.
But I digress ... Fast forward, back to the present and ... "Kendal have just rung Worksop's secretary and the game today ... IS DEFINITELY ON!"
Good-oh!
That's a relief after my Scottish nightmare weekend and the wasted drive to Handsworth for a non existent Under 19's game v. Matlock Town on Thursday ... nobody had contacted their league's website to tell them about the bone hard frozen pitch we discovered (in complete darkness) on arrival ten minutes before the apparent kick off time.
The roads were clear, the driver didn't hang about and we made good time getting to Kendal ... in fact we got there just in time for a steward to tell us, "Err ... we're not letting anyone in yet. They're not sure if it's on or not, there's a pitch inspection going on at the moment, we'll know more after that"
'KINNELL!!!
Thankfully (though, that is subjective given the standard of the game that unfolded) the referee gave a very 'tricky' surface a provisional thumbs up, but one or two people who'd been out onto the field of play with him, were mumbling doubts about the game actually finishing.
By 4.50pm Worksop Town probably wished it hadn't even started let alone lasted the duration. Because to be frank, they themselves hadn't managed either and didn't exactly do themselves any justice at all this afternoon.
Left click team sheet to enlarge

It seemed that the Tigers had decided that the best way to combat the 'bumpy' pitch was to keep the ball up in the air and off of it as much as possible ... and to a clattering backdrop of studs scraping and rattling on the frost bitten layer of the pitch just below the surface, both sides struggled to get to grips with the conditions.
To be fair to Kendal, they were coping a little bit better than their visitors, but not a lot better. But in spells they did manage to demonstrate why they too are play off contenders.
Just before half time, Worksop actually got the ball on the deck and passed it around in an almost assured manner, playing football as it was intended to be played led to the opening goal, when Goeorge Melling 'selfishly' prevented Ben Tomlison from scoring by putting the ball into his own net instead.
Half Time

Kendal scored twice early in the second half to go in front, you could say Jon Kennedy in the Tigers goal was probably at fault for the first, but I didn't envy the 'king sized' shot stopper, throwing himself about on that surface and he did well to keep to score down to 2-1 for the remainder of the half as Worksop struggled to find any shape and cohesion and the home side kept battering away at them for long spells.
I'm not making unkind observations there by the way Jon, merely suggesting you are the same size as a monarch I saw once. Far be it from me to comment on anyone's girth.
The Tigers have been having a great run of form until recently and you don't just suddenly become a bad team overnight, but Martin McIntosh will be pleased there is a midweek game coming along soon, where he can get his side concentrating on getting back to basics and putting the play off chasing campaign back on track against Mickleover Sports this coming Wednesday.
I won't be there, I'm on the wrong shifts to get to any more football until next weekend, so you can bet there will be no more bloody postponements for another seven days.
Kendal adapted far better to the conditions than Worksop, which were identical for both teams (obviously ... blame the random cliché generator built into my PC for that one) and got the three points they deserved from this sometimes scrappy contest.
Parkside is a curious hotch potch of a ground, cut into a hillside escarpment, making use of the natural uneven banking around the pitch, it isn't without character. Though it isn't very pretty to look at, it is functional enough and serves it's purpose. If it was a member of the opposite sex you could get quite attached to it I would imagine, not on the grounds of aesthetics but because it had a lovely and welcoming personality ... oh, and a bar that overlooks the pitch if you feel the need of an alcoholic beverage or two to get you through the last 15 minutes of a below par away performance from an Evo-Stik Premier League football club you've just made a 3 hour journey to cheer on.
Final word ... a big up to the locals at Kendal Town, a really friendly bunch with no airs and graces or hint of pretence about them at all.
See you all again soon.
Full Time

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Retford United 4 v Worksop Town 2 - North Midlands U19's League

Thanks to Jon Knight, in house photographer @ Retford United
for letting me use his material

Wednesday 19th January 2010 at Cannon Park
North Midlands Under 19's League Division 2
Retford United (3) 4
(Theo Ganderson 2, Bobby Johnson, Alister Plant)
Worksop Town (0) 2
(Danny Briggs 65, Adam Browne 80)

Admission £2 inc. free programme

Bloody hell, young Theo Ganderson was quick off the mark.
The Badgers Under 19's stormed into a 3 goal lead inside the first twenty minutes, all quality strikes too.
This is the fourth game I've seen RUFC U19's play this season, they've netted 15 goals in total the previous three times.
The Tigers kept going regardless and it was pleasing to see that in spite of the obvious set back of being on the end of such a scoreline so early into the game, their heads weren't dropping and they were still putting up a fight all over the park, creating chances and not letting their heads drop.
No quarter was being given by either side and the game was played at a frenetic pace.
Early into the second half Alister Plant fired the home side further ahead from 25 yards out and seemingly put the game beyond Worksop's reach.
However, a combination of a change of personnel and shape by Worksop's manager, along with the young Badgers starting to feel the rigours of their non stop attacking policy on a sticky and strength sapping pitch, saw the tide turn and the Tigers scored twice through Briggs and Browne to chip away at United's advantage.
The Tigers were awarded a penalty, Matt Thompson struck it hard and on target (just like all decent coaching manuals should tell you to) but Jack Smith in the Retford goal, managed to save the effort.
It was a vital stop, at 4-3 and with their tails up, the Tigers might yet have got something from the game, but it wasn't to be ... and Retford took the spoils from this well contested and highly entertaining game.
A great advert for stamina and Under 19's football in the area.

Following this result RUFC U19's are now 5 points behind their Bassetlaw rivals with four games in hand over them in Division 2.
The sides meet again on Thursday 17th February at Langwith Road, Shirebrook, kick off is at 7.45pm

Tuesday 18 January 2011

Gainsborough Trinity 1 v Nuneaton Town 2 - Blue Square North

Tuesday 18th January 2011 at the Northolme
Blue Square North
Gainsborough Trinity (0) 1 (Mettam 60)
Nuneaton Town (2) 2 (Walker 22, Noon 43)
Admission £10, Programme £2, Attendance 423
Nuneaton bossed the first half.
Tonight's three points saw them leapfrog Alfreton Town to take top spot in the Blue Square North ... and they showed why, comprehensively at times, during a fairly one sided first half.
By the interval they could have been out of sight with a healthy lead, but Phil Barnes, the Gainsborough keeper, was in a defiant mood and kept the visitors down to just just two goals with a few top class saves.
Unfortunately for Barnes, it was from one of those quite outstanding saves that Adam Walker was on hand to tap the ball home, instead of his defence being around to clear the immediate danger.
That same defence were AWOL yet again when a right wing cross evaded them all and found Mark Noon who headed the visitors further in front just before the break.
At half time a few Trinity supporting friends said to me that it looked like they were going to be on the wrong end of a big scoreline, but then the unexpected happened ... even the most optimistic of Blues fans wouldn't have expected a second half performance like their team put in.

Brian Little, the often maligned Gainsborough manager, withdrew Andy Boyce and Luke Beckett at half time, replacing them with Mark Greaves and Leon Mettam.
And Trinity were back in the game on the hour, with a goal from Mettam.
The home side were by now pushing Nuneaton onto the back foot for spells, with the promotion chasing Warwickshire side having to show they could defend in numbers just as well as they could attack.
So much for the guy stood nearby's opinion about Little having "taken off a prolific and proven goal scorer like Luke Beckett when his team are chasing the game."
That would be the same Luke Beckett who missed a sitter when Trinity were only one goal behind and still in the game I'm assuming.
Adam Walker the visitors number 6 looked lively and was a handful coming forward and getting into the Trinity box all night, those attacks were less frequent in the second half, but both keepers were being kept busy ... right at the end it was Nuneaton who were hanging on to cling on for a win that had looked academic and straight forward enough when the teams went in for a breather at half time.
Trinity lost but can take many positives from that second half performance.
Nuneaton Town's fans loudly celebrated their deserved victory, but it wasn't without a hint of relief after Trinity had come alive for the second 45 minutes and had almost, but not quite, pulled of a memorable comeback.
If only Brian Little could get his team playing like that for a whole 90 minutes, they would be a side to be reckoned with.

Plan A was to have gone to Watnall Road tonight for Hucknall Town v Worksop Town in the Evo-Stik League Fixture Congestion Creating League Cup (or similar) but by all accounts I didn't miss much. And my delayed departure, meaning I had to chose a game closer to home probably wasn't such a bad thing in the end http://ontheroad2010-2011.blogspot.com/2011/01/hucknall-town-2-0-worksop-town.html
Without wishing to sound too disparaging, if the Evo-Stik League ever hold a competition to design a trophy for their 'prestigious' League Cup tournament, here's my entry in advance.
One could say I'm being dismissive of this competition because Worksop lost, however ... an attendance of just 110 for a local derby when a lot of this region's football fans have been starved of any matches to watch for a while because of all the crap weather and postponements, tells it's own story.

Anyway, back to events in down-town Gainsborough ... Intriguing game, good company (for the most part) and over the Trent and back home by 10pm.
I do like the Northolme ... but it needs a few (quite a few) more people clicking their way through the turnstiles.
If Trinity can play like they did in that second half a bit more often and word gets around, it would go some way towards filling the gaps all around this charming old ground.
Blues chairman Peter Swann is looking to relocate to another site in and around Gainsborough, out near the A631 Corringham Road if 'those in the know' are to be believed.
Good luck to Peter with his ambitious backing of the club, but personally, this is one ground I would miss visiting.

Saturday 8 January 2011

Frickley Athletic 0 v Matlock Town 1 - Evo-Stik Premier Division

Saturday 8th January 2011
at (the 'Tech 5 Stadium') Westfield Lane, South Elmsall
Evo-Stik Premier Division
Frickley Athletic (0) 0
Matlock Town (0) 1 (Ross Hannah 74)
Admission £8, Programme £1.50,
Free team sheet, Attendance 223
Hmm, the best laid plans n' all that.
My weekend resume was to have been, today, Worksop Town v North Ferriby United in the Evo-Stik Premier League, followed by a short drive to Doncaster to catch the 18.38 train to Edinburgh for an overnight stay to take in the Hearts v St. Johnstone Scottish Cup game tomorrow.
Bloody weather.
At 11.00AM the Cannon Park pitch was deemed to be unplayable, water logging being the problem ... and a couple of hours later Heart of Midlothian, the title chasing pride of Edinburgh, announced that their pitch was in perfect condition for tomorrow's game, but that the stadium itself had a problem with burst pipes and as a consequence Sunday's game was off and it's re-arranged for Tuesday, when I'm working nights and my train tickets aren't going to get used now ... 'KINELL!!!!
At least my 'E Ticket' PDF file can be either refunded or forwarded to somebody who can get to the game.
The trains in and out of Edinburgh are severely disrupted anyway and even the planes weren't landing in, or leaving from the Scottish capital today.
The novelty of a 'proper winter' wore off with me a long time ago ... and if anybody out there still thinks all this snow and seasonal climate stuff is a good thing, meet me down the side of Asda's car park at Midnight, I want to fight you ... 'til the death!
At the time of writing, Hibs are still in the Scottish Cup, by virtue of holding the vastly superior Ayr United to a goalless draw at 'fortress' Easter Road. They're fast becoming the Lincoln City of the SPL, maybe they should call Chris Sutton and ask him to turn their fortunes around too. That said, one mustn't underestimate the job Colin Calderwood (Mansfield reject! Mansfield reject!) is doing in leading the cabbage towards the promised land of Division 1.
It was great to catch up today with my good friend Peter Rinkcavage, former Worksop Town player, coach, assistant manager and manager.
He's been brought in to steer Frickley Athletic away from the relegation zone ... and with his experience and knowledge of football at this level I'm sure the Westfield Lane club have got the right man for the job. He's worked wonders the last couple of seasons keeping Worksop Town up through some often near impossible trials & tribulations and seemingly hopeless situations ... though the Tigers have now obviously got a more than capable manager at the helm who's results in the Evo-Stik League speak for themselves (and he was present today too running the rule over Matlock in prepartion for next weeks game), I'd personally have liked to have seen Rinky given a bit longer to show what he could have done this season.
But nothing lasts forever and I have nothing but respect for the guy who currently 'hires 'em and fires 'em' at WTFC, so it was great to see Peter walk straight into another management job having left the Tigers by mutual consent after many years service. GOOD LUCK RINKY, you deserve some breaks mate.
There are blinkered, two faced and outspoken critics of managers at all clubs, but the realists who know what really went on at Worksop Town these past few years appreciate the great job Rinky has done and hold him in high regard.

Both sides had their first choice central defenders, Simon Sturdy and James Lukic out through illness ... Sturdy of course being an ex Matlock player. There were quite a few ex Worksop players in attendance too, if you're interested in such things check out the attached team sheet, if you're not, then I'll spare you the details.

Left click image to enlarge

Ex Frickley striker Lee Morris (for the 4th time I think, but I've stopped counting), was given a 'welcome' home early in the game, when James Colliver unceremoniously dumped him onto the sticky, wet pitch to concede a free kick and make his canary yellow number 9 shirt all mucky.

It was a popular 'tackle' amongst the Frickley supporting friends I was sat with. Colliver has impressed them no end since he moved to Westfield Lane from Worksop Town. Morris on the other hand wasn't half as popular as he thought he was following his most recent flying visit to South Elmsall.

The pitch was obviously going to dictate that this was never going to be a fast flowing game of passing 'total football' and at times it did look as if maybe one or two players had made the wrong footwear choices, or maybe they've never grown out of enjoying chucking themselves around in the mud. I recall when we played on pitches like this at school, everybody want to play in goal.

On 12 minutes, Morris had the first proper chance on goal, but never hit the ball truly enough to trouble Ben Simpson in the Blues goal. At the other end James Kay scuffed a goal bound free kick that never really troubled Adam Sollitt, the visitors keeper. Sollitt had to be more alert as Ashley Burbeary tried taking the ball round him, but was equal to the challenge.
It was obviously a hard slog out on a difficult pitch for both teams and clear cut chances were going to be at a premium.
In prolific striker Ross Hannah, Matlock have just the player to unlock tight games like this, but he was finding himself well marshalled by Ben Simpson and his defence, in spite of Matlock's efforts to give him the kind of service he thrives on.
A James Knowles cross on half time did find Hannah in space, but he uncharacteristically headed wide.
3.20pm, in all seriousness isn't it time that somebody turned the lights on?

Danny Simpson, another recent signing from Worksop Town came on at half time as a substitute, I remember he showed a lot of promise for the Tigers in their relegation dog fight towards the end of last season.

A Mark Whitehouse free kick almost opened the scoring for Frickley, but Adam Sollitt (he's ex Worksop as well you know!?) pulled off a good save. Then Hannah drilled a free kick at the other end that was saved by Simpson again. Matlock had two players booked in quick succession, Ben Turner and Ross Hannah, the latter was perhaps letting his frustrations at not being able to put the finishing touch to one of the chances coming his way get to him.

After some good build up play from the half way line on 66 minutes from Frickley, though you could hardly call it pretty on the lumpy, bumpy pitch, the ball came to Danny Simpson on the edge of the box who struck his shot well and on target, but Sollitt saved well. At this point the game could have gone either way, but after Simpson's effort I only recall Frickley having one more real second half chance, whereas Danny's strike seemed to be the wake up call Matlock needed and they had the lion's share of the remainder of the play, coming close on several occasions.

On 74 minutes Adam Yates pumped a long hopeful free kick up the field from inside his own half, Jones leapt to flick it on and the ball fell into the path of Ross Hannah in the box, it was all he needed. Hannah neatly turned Dean Jones and slotted the ball calmly inside the right hand post for a match winning strike. Frickley's boss Peter Rinkcavage must be sick to the back teeth of the sight of the ex Tigers striker by now. This wouldn't be the first time that either Matlock Town and Ross Hannah in particular have proven to be a thorn in his side.

Four minutes later Ben Simpson superbly tipped Hannah's 25 yard shot onto the bar and Joynes put the rebound wide. Until Hannah's strike a draw had looked a likely and fair outcome, but once they had gone in front Matlock never looked back and seemed to find a second wind whilst Frickley looked very tired on the strength sapping pitch.

The 'very tasteful' Frickley Athletic
1910-2010 Centenary mural wall

And now you've finally reached the end of this War and Peace length, long winded overview, you'll doubtless be peeved to find out that you could have skipped right to the end and watched the highlights for yourselves all along ...
http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/frickleyathletic/videos/frickley-athletic-v-matlock-to-11476.html

Monday 3 January 2011

Whitby Town 0 v Worksop Town 3 - Evo-Stik Premier Division

Monday 3rd January 2011
Evo-Stik Premier Division at the Turnbull Ground, Whitby
WHITBY TOWN (0) 0
WORKSOP TOWN (1) 3
Ben Tomlinson (pen) 18, Jamie Jackson 83, Marc Thompson 90+
Attendance 276, Admission £7.50, Programme £1.50

Temperature - Welcome to Siberia!!!
Grimsby Town marched on this afternoon, carrying on the same form I'd seen them displaying a couple of days ago, by spanking six goals past Histon away from home, while Mansfield Town continued where they had left off too ... losing at home to the Conference's bottom club and relegation favourites Altrincham.
But enough of events in the this place isn't without charm in an odd sort of way, but it's possibly seen better days enclave of 'sunny' Cleethorpes ... today I travelled over to my favourite British coastal location, Whitby.
Things didn't look massively promising as we passed over the picturesque North Yorkshire Moors between Pickering and our destination, freshly coated in a layer of the white stuff that had dropped out of the sky again over night, but Whitby Town had a referee in to inspect the pitch at 8.30AM and he said it was playable, so fingers crossed.
Having circumnavigated the steep hills and sharp bends that make your ears pop and your tummy feel all funny, Whitby came into sight ... and it looked resplendent bathed in golden sunshine too.
The grass was green, the snow had all thawed (or blown away) and it was game on.
And thanks to the organisational genius of Anne and Kev Keep of the Worksop Town Supporters Society, the coach arrived early enough to give us ample time to take in the delights of the harbour with it's "plentiful attractions and excellent array of dining opportunities" before the game too.
It must be said, 'The Abbey' at Whitby is infinitely easier on the eye and far more aesthetically pleasing than the one I visited on New Years Day, just off the Newmarket Road in Cambridge.
The weather was unseasonably excellent, but this is Whitby and I was under no illusions about what was going to happen to the temperature once the sun plummeted like a stone, so I'd bought plenty of layers of warm clothing along ... I don't care if I look like the Michelin Man on my travels (with or without the thermal base layers before you say it).
Obviously the guys in the press box don't give a shit what they look like on days like this either, do they Paul and Mick?
So, without further ado ... on to the main event.
I'm glad the game went ahead and the pitch was deemed to be playable, but upon arrival I couldn't help but notice there were areas of the field of play that looked as if the Turnbull Ground had been hosting a ploughing match ... and I hoped the linesman over on the touchline where the big stand towers over the pitch blocking the sunlight, was a member of the AA so he could get a free tow out of the calf deep mud he would inevitably get bogged down in at some point during the afternoon.
The late afternoon was turning VERY, VERY cold.

It was a strength sapping glue pot of a pitch, so credit to both sides for getting on with it and chipping a small corner off the millstone of a fixture backlog the recent winter weather has created for everybody.
Of course, the players might have just been running around so much in an attempt to keep warm as the sub artic temperatures Whitby is as famous for as it's fish & chips and Dracula connections descended. I hope it worked for them, because marching round in circles on the terrace and bashing myself all over my upper torso with my big Thinsulate gloves was having no effect on own nesh discomfort whatsoever.
Worksop Town were in control for most of the game, a great team effort, with Jamie Jackson looking particularly menacing up front all afternoon, ably assisted by Ben Tomlinson. This pair are developing into a handful for any team in this division and the quality of back up they're receiving from all over the pitch is a pleasure to watch.
It's easy to forget on days like this that this club was all but dead and buried just over a year ago, with the vultures circling overhead and a small but dedicated band of people just about keeping it going on a shoe string budget and a lot of goodwill.
This afternoon, as dusk drew in, the vultures have gone and even the seagulls had buggered off somewhere warmer ... they're smarter than they look.
Ben Tomlinson opens the scoring from the penalty spot
(Photo by Anne Keep)

Ben Tolimson opened the scoring from the penalty spot, Jamie Jackson, who else, had been stopped by any means possible as the home side conceded the spot kick and from then on there was only really one team in it, even though it was seven minutes from time before Jackson himself underlined the Tigers superiority with the goal that clinched the win.
Whitby did have the ball in the back of the Worksop net just before Jamie made it 2-0, but the offside flag had already been raised ... unfortunately the young Whitby fans who charged around to the away fans with their arms aloft shouting "YEEEEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" hadn't seen this and looked every so slightly embarrassed as they tried to return to their original vantage point unnoticed with a few light hearted words of advice ringing in their ears.
Times have changed, probably for the better ... when I was a young urchin who 'noised up' visiting supporters and 'defended my manor' it was at the risk of getting a thick ear and boot in my midriff, nobody was ever charitable enough to ruffle my hair and say "Never mind son" as they walked past me at the end of the game.
Damn those CCTV cameras and banning orders, eh!? ;-)
Whitby swing bridge opens to let a boat out towards the sea

On 90 minutes Danny Bacon appeared to have added the third goal, but the ball came thumping back off the post.
However deep into stoppage time there was still a few moments remaining for Jamie Jackson to pull the Whitby defence all over the place one last time and create the third goal for Marc Thompson.
Other clubs have been taking notice of the Jackson-Tomlinson combination. I hope Worksop can hold onto them as long as possible, they work wonders together and are great to watch. Whatever the season yields for the Tigers, nobody can complain about the entertainment value they're getting from this team, but with expectation levels going off the scale at times given the current league position, I dare say one or two people will always find something to moan about ... you know who you are darlings, do us all a favour and change that stuck record xxx

Man of the match, Jamie Jackson.

Saturday 1 January 2011

Grimsby Town 7 v. Mansfield Town 2 - Blue Square Premier

Saturday 1st January 2011
Blue Square Premier at Blundell Park, Cleethorpes
Grimsby Town (2) 7
(Bore 5, 51, 89 Coulson 7 Connell 56, 81, Kempson 69)
Mansfield Town (1) 2
(Duffy 44, Briscoe 57)
Admission £16, Programme £2.50,
Free team sheet, Attendance 3,654
Will the real Mansfield Town please stand up, please stand up, please stand up!?
Was that really the same starting eleven who took to the field of play at the Abbey Stadium just a few days ago?
According to my full colour very tastefully presented team sheet it was, yet from high up in the Findus Stand it looked very much to me as though they had been replaced by a team of doppelgänger herbivores.
That is to say a team of lookalikes with no heart.

Talking of HEARTS, it was great to catch the 12.30pm Edinburgh derby live on TV before this east coast goal-fest ... and see that the Scottish capital's finest are still giving those two gruesome political/religious institutions from Glasgow a run for their money in the SPL.
Long may it continue.
You didn't think I was going to miss the opportunity to seize on a link like that did you!?
Grimsby Town, without any league action for 6 weeks prior to today, have obviously been using their blank match days well and concentrating on staying fit and sharp.
They set off at a phenomenal pace and didn't let up throughout.
Frankly the were breathtaking to watch at times today.
The margin of victory didn't tell the whole story, in fact if anything it flattered the Stags somewhat.
Every time the Mariners went forward, they looked like scoring ... Mansfield Town on the other hand capitulated after about five minutes and were completely outclassed for virtually all of the remainder of the game.
Full colour snazzy team sheet

The Stags new manager issued an apology to the fans who had travelled over to support Mansfield (518 of them officially in the away end, but a few dozen scattered around in the upper tier of the Findus Stand too) after the game, but on this kind of form not many clubs in the Conference/Blue Square Bet Premier Division* would have coped with Grimsby today.
The match report from the official Mansfield Town website includes enough superlatives and praise for the Grimsby performance without me gushing all over their display in an OTT display of admiration, so click here to read what they had to say http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/MatchReport/0,,10325,00.html, note you have to pay to read what it says on Grimsby Town's own website, so I couldn't tell you how they called it.
Obviously I would have preferred Mansfield to win the game, or at least play like some of the players had actually met each other before, or even look like they gave a damn. But though the biased onlooker in me was seething with a few of those imposters wearing the amber and blue today, the football fan in me did feel quite privileged to have seen such an attacking and effective display from the home side.
Doubtless I'll get called a few rude names from my mates at Field Mill for saying that the next time I see them, but it's the truth.
I can't make everything I write on this blog up all of the time.
Louis Briscoe was, for the most part, Mansfield's one saving grace, his goal from 30 yards out was an absolute belter, yet even he, in my humble opinion, was fortunate to finish the game ... I felt sure the referee was going to red card him at one point but thankfully he only brandished a yellow.
It's small consolation I know, but Mansfield Town can draw some comfort from the fact that theirs wasn't the worse performance of the afternoon out on the Blundell Park pitch.
If I had been a referee's assessor today, then Richard West would have been lucky to have scraped a 4 out of 10 at best.
He had a shocker. But his input had no bearing on the result, Mansfield got what they deserved and Grimsby nearly did.