England 2 v Holland 3 - International match

Wednesday 29th February 2012, at Wembley Stadium
International Match
England (0) 2 - Gary Cahill 85, Ashley Young 90
Holland (0) 3 - Arjen Robben 57, 90 Klaas Jan Huntelaar 59
Admission, various prices to suit all budgets but ours were £40 seats inc. £5 members discount
Programme £6, Attendance 76,283
England: Joe Hart, Micah Richards, Leighton Baines, Chris Smalling (Phil Jones, 64), Gary Cahill, Gareth Barry (James Milner, 46), Scott Parker, Adam Johnson (Stewart Downing, 61), Ashley Young, Steven Gerrard (Daniel Sturridge, 33), Danny Welbeck (Fraizer Campbell, 80).
Holland: Maarten Stekelenburg, Khalid Boulahrouz (Ron Vlaar, 82), Johnny Heitinga, Joris Mathijsen, Erik Pieters (Stijn Schaars, 46), Mark van Bommel, Dirk Kuyt, Nigel De Jong, Robin Van Persie (Klaas Jan Huntelaar, 46; Luuk De Jong, 62), Wesley Sneijder (Urby Emanuelson, 76), Arjen Robben.

Trooping of the colours

A strange night, with England warming up for a major international tournament with a caretaker manager, Stuart Pearce, at the helm.
On a positive note, Scott Parker put in a performance that justified him being made captain, putting in saving tackles and blocks to keep Holland at bay during the first half, in particular when he thwarted Robin van Persie with a last ditch clearance.
The game burst into life during the second half, when Holland scored two goals in quick succession.
Huntelaar’s decoy run took the England defence with him and Robben continued with his forward run from midfield into the space this created and put the ball past Hart into the back of the net.

Hold the card above your head when they play the national anthem to

become part of a massive England flag, it looks very effective on TV!

Two minutes later, Kuyt swung over a cross from the right wing ... and Huntelaar headed the Dutch two goals ahead. In doing so he clashed heads with Chris Smalling and both players needed to go off after treatment.
After the second Dutch goal and an enforced reshuffle, England got into the game more.
Cahill reduced the arrears with five minutes to go, when Baines slipped a through ball to the centre-back who neatly slipped the ball past Stekelenburg, possibly from an offside position.
Ashley Young equalised in the last minute. He was played through by Jones and 'dinked' the ball over Stekelenburg, into the far corner of the goal.
Holland had time to muster one last attack attack and Robben cleverly steered the ball home from inside the right hand side of the penalty area and ran away to celebrate the victory in front of a smaller than usual visiting support from the Netherlands.
Both sides had created plenty of chances/half chances on the night, but the visitors just about merited the win and Arjen Robben was probably the main difference over 90 minutes (plus stoppage time).
Announcement on behalf of North Notts Supporters Group:

Forthcoming coach trip:
England v Belgium
2nd June 2012
Wembley Stadium
5:15pm Kick Off
We are taking two coaches down to Wembley for the final match before the Euro 2012 Finals.
If there is sufficient interest, one of the coaches will leave Worksop railway station at 7.15am and arrive at Wembley seven hours before the match, allowing time to go into London for the Queens Jubilee celebrations.
The later coach, for those who are only interested in going to the match, will depart at 10am from Retford, 10.15 am from Worksop, 10.30am from Barlborough & 11.10 from Trowell services. Ring Stuart for times of all other M1 pick ups.
The coach fare is only £16 (£20 if the early coach operates)
Match tickets available at only £12 for kids and £23 for adults.
We park up at the Green Man pub, hosts to the englandfans party, less than 10 minutes walk to Wembley Stadium.
For bookings or further information, contact Stuart 07830291349 or email robwaiteretford@gmail.com

Retford United Ladies 0 v Nottingham Forest Ladies 13 - Nottinghamshire County Cup

An excellent finger tip save onto the left hand post,

but the spin on the ball took it over the line 0-5

Sunday 26th February 2012, at Cannon Park
Nottinghamshire County Cup, 1st Round
Retford United Ladies (0) 0
Nottingham Forest Ladies (8) 13
Admission free, No programme, Attendance 40 or so
An interested, though not entirely impartial onlooker, remarked to me, that there was very little in the way of any difference in the skill and ability levels of the two respective sides; but that Forest had won so emphatically because ... they wanted it more.
That's not quite how I read the game, but everybody is entitled to their own opinion.
I mean, yeah, Forest obviously wanted it more, a lot more, but you don't win 13-0 on desire alone.
Personally I wanted Retford to win, I wasn't impartial either, but they didn't because there was an obvious gulf in class between both teams.
In essence, it was a one sided mismatch.
And the only positive I can draw from the experience for United's Ladies is that they will have learnt a lot from facing a team of Forest's calibre.
In my humble opinion ... quite simply, the visitors dominated the midfield, broke down almost all of Retford's attempts (both serious and half hearted) to build up any attacking rhythm, intercepted the vast majority of up field balls, including goal kicks and attacked at will, down both flanks, through the middle and down the channels, whenever they won possession or United's Ladies gave the ball away.
Certainly Retford United have several players who look comfortable on the ball, who will battle for the cause and cover their team mates backs, while talking a lot of sense and cajoling their colleagues along.
But Forest have players like that, throughout the team.
And strength in depth on the bench too.
Though to be fair, I couldn't really make an assessment on the visitors keeper because she only really had a couple of stray long balls and comfortably weighted back passes to deal with.

At half time, I joked, that with the score still being a mere eight goals to nil in Forest's favour, United had now lured their esteemed visitors into a false sense of security and would turn the game around in the second half.
They nearly did too.
Well, sort of, if you're open to a bit of fibbing.
Going all Rob Hornby on you for a brief moment ... "I had a lovely cuppa" with my old school friend Sandra at half time (she was my friend at school, therefore she must be old), who runs the food counter at Cannon Park (which is open for all games inc. Ladies, Under 19's, youths etc.), who asked me if I knew if there would be extra time in the event of a draw, meaning she'd have to stay open longer.
Hmm, I suspect whoever had been keeping her up to date with the score had passed on some duff information then.
And then some!

OK Retford!
The second half fightback starts here!
Albeit very briefly.

However, the much anticipated fight back, lasted only two minutes into the second half, when the Badgers conceded a hotly disputed penalty.
Well, in truth, only one person 'hotly disputed' the decision.
And the vulgarity she aimed at the referee after he had explained his decision ,earned her a booking.
I think the official took into consideration that the game would become a complete rout and a bit of a farce, if he sent a Retford defender off, so the yellow card was possibly a sympathy vote on his part.
Either way, the caution was for the rude words aimed his way and not for what looked to me to be a genuine attempt to clear the ball, which saw two players get tangled up.
A soft decision to be awarded, a harsh one to concede. I can understand Lydia White's frustration.

A team as efficient as Forest Ladies don't miss penalties.
Young Cassie Ellis, one of the Retford players who "look comfortable on the ball, who will battle for the cause and cover their team mates backs, while talking a lot of sense and cajoling their colleagues along", had tried as hard as anybody to keep the momentum going against all the odds, as an outfield player in the first 45 minutes.
But her first action of the second half was to recover the penalty from the back of her net, having taken over between the sticks at the break ... a real team player!

Forest's 11th goal made the anticipated 2nd half fightback seem unlikely

The goals hadn't dried up yet for Forest though, and they kept on coming at alarmingly regular intervals.
Their twelfth just about summed up United's afternoon.
A right wing cross (see below) cleared everybody and looked to be going harmlessly wide, but the ball bounced, changed direction and rattled back into play off the post, it hit a Forest player and ricocheted off her into the goal before she even had chance to try connecting with it.
They all count!
It finished 13-0.
In spite of Retford venturing deep into the Forest half a couple of times towards the end of the game, they never really looked like scoring and the visitors keeper, who must've been feeling dead lonely for most of the game, probably won't need to have her kit washed this week.
Respect due to the Forest Ladies, they were highly entertaining and enjoyable to watch.
I hadn't really known what to expect from them before I ventured out to get some fresh air and sunshine this Sunday lunchtime, neither evidently had an understrength Retford United Ladies side.

Luton Town 2 v Gateshead 0 - FA Trophy Quarter Final

At 2.45pm I found one of the few seats in the 'ever so slightly'

restricted view main stand you can see both goals from

Saturday 25th February 2012, at Kenilworth Road
FA Trophy, Quarter Final
Luton Town (1) 2
John Paul Kissock 8, Keith Keane 59
Gateshead (0) 0
Admission £10, Programme £2.50, Attendance 2,499

Luton Town:
Tyler, Taylor, Blackett, Pilkington, Asafu-Adjaye, Keane, Lawless, Kissock, Willmott, Howells, Crow
Subs: Fleetwood, O'Connor, Henry, Watkins, Kidd
Gateshead:
Deasy, Rent, Gate, Curtis, Clark, Turnbull, Shaw, Odubade, Cummins, Baxter, O'Brien
Subs: Farman, Gillies, Marwood, Magnay, Chandler

John Paul Kissock (grounded) scores Luton's opening goal

There are probably worse places in the world you could be, than circumnavigating the gridlocked traffic around Bury Park Road and Crawley Road at 2.25 on a Saturday afternoon, since they closed down Dunstable Road for vital road improvement works and funnelled every single motor conveyance in Luton down the same narrow 'scenic route', in both directions ... but I doubt it.
Thankfully, my tenuous grasp of what 'no entry' and 'one way traffic only' signs are there for, meant I only had to mount the kerb a few times, cut up several angry, fist shaking locals and throw three 'POLICE - NO PARKING' traffic cones into a nearby skip, to find a 'convenient' spot to leave my car, in the labyrinth like residential estate that Kenilworth Road Stadium sits tightly packed into, in a compact and bijou way.

Of course, the last minute detour and stock car racing episode could've been avoided, if my passengers would've been ready to set off at the time we'd originally arranged, instead of dawdling about and holding me up before we eventually set off.
You know where the railway station is next time ... tw@ts!
Southbound A1 travellers beware; before you reach the turn off towards Bedfordshire, there are severe hold ups caused by the A14 towards Cambridge being closed, with all of its traffic being diverted onto the route you usually use.
Which is why we were meant to be setting off earlier than usual ... but didn't!
Grrr!!!

Upon reaching the ground, I ventured up into the main stand, through the entrance just round the corner from the away end on Oak Road.
I reached the upstairs seating via a maze of narrow tunnels with 'Please Mind Your Head' signs marking out a succession of low wooden beams.
The rickety old stairways had seen better days.
And the pillars supporting the roof, were plentiful.
I'm all for the roof staying up where it should be, but the view of the pitch is somewhat obscured.
The refreshment kiosk was shut and a steward showed me how to reach one at the far end of the ground. It was akin to having Richard O'Brien say 'follow me this way' on the Crystal Maze, before setting off at speed on a challenging and circuitous hike.
Luton came out of the blocks flying and had Gateshead on the retreat from the outset.
They looked fired up and were obviously taking the competition seriously again this season, having been eliminated at the Semi Final stage by Mansfield Town last season.
After several early attacks, the Hatters inevitably went ahead on eight minutes, when John Paul Kissock netted with a scissor kick.
I think even the most staunch Gateshead supporter in the ground would've had to concede, that today, even though the visitors had a few moments where they took the game to Luton, the home side were more up for it and seemed to want it more.
Previously, I've been impressed when I've seen Gateshead play, but today they looked quite ordinary and were second best by some way.
Micky Cummins got a shot on target from ten yards out, but the Luton keeper Mark Tyler saved well.
After Luton had gone ahead, the game was fairly end to end for a while, but as Gary Brabin's side rose in stature, Gateshead seemed to fade away. Which is a shame, because from my perspective as a neutral, I was hoping for a bit more from them today.
There were other games in the area I could've gone to while I was here due to family commitments, but this one between two of the better sides in the BSBP looked like the best option.
Yemi Odubade out on the right wing, put in a great shift for the visitors this afternoon, but they were just lacking a bit of something in the last third, while Luton were always looking to take the initiative and attack.
Luton's second goal, on 59 minutes, came from a 30 yard direct free kick out on the left flank from Keith Keane.
Though Luton were the better team and deserved the win, it had taken two real quality strikes to undo Gateshead at the back.
Once the home side had doubled their lead, they shut up shop and kept possession while knocking the ball around at will, entertaining their fans, who now had the scent of Wembley in their nostrils ... after all they won't have to overcome the mighty Stags in the semi finals this year.
The Gateshead fans sang "I wanna go home!"
They must've anticipated a more open and attacking display from their team than the one they got today, especially in the second half, where I could count the times they looked almost threatening on my thumbs.
John Paul Kissock came closest to increasing the Hatters lead, when he bustled into the box in a 'Keegan-esque' fashion, only to fire inches wide of the left hand upright.
He left the pitch to well earned generous applause on 80 minutes, making way for Charlie Henry. Gateshead won't have been too disheartened to see the back of him.

In the last minute, Alan O'Brien curled a free kick over the Luton cross bar, the moment kind of encapsulated Gateshead's afternoon.
A group of local youths stood around trying to make it awkward to manoeuvre my car from the parking space it was tightly squeezed into, but they soon scattered when they realised that I was better at playing chicken than them.
I assume they were clarifying this afternoon's scoreline with the two fingered hand gestures I saw them making in my rear view mirror.
Hmm, maybe next time I'm round these parts I'll park elsewhere ;-)

_____________________________

Match footage I found on You Tube
Note - I didn't record, or post this video on You Tube

Retford United FC - Fundraising night - Friday 16th March 2012

PRESENTING "BEECHY'S QUIZ NIGHT"

At ...

Cannon Park Social Club,

Retford United FC,

Leverton Road,

Retford,

Notts,

DN22 6QF

FRIDAY 16th MARCH 2012

KICK OFF: 7.15pm FOR 8.00pm

Teams of 4 - £10 entry

All proceeds will go to Retford United Football Club

A word from your master of ceremonies ...

The quiz will be in a format of four rounds of 25 questions, with prize hampers for the winning team for each of the rounds, as well as individual trophies for each member of the team with the most correct answers out of the 100 questions.
There will also be an additional picture round for a cash prize and a raffle.
As most people at the recent "Meet the manager " evening seemed to want to support Brett and the lads, this is an ideal chance to do so by sponsoring a round, entering a team, donating a raffle prize or hopefully all three ! ! !
I am looking for five people to sponsor the event at £20.00 each, to cover the cost of the prize hampers, so that every penny raised on the night can go directly to the players.
So if you would like to sponsor please contact myself or Robin.
Hopefully we can get a really good turnout on the night with teams of 4 costing only £10.00 to enter.
UP THE BADGERS ! !
Beechy

THE66POW (a self indulgent bullshit blog, with added football content) will be one of the sponsors of this fund raising event.

Staveley Miners Welfare 2 v Liversedge 0 - Baris NCEL Premier Division

Thursday 23rd February 2012, at Inkersall Road
Baris Northern Counties East League Premier Division
Staveley Miners Welfare (1) 2
Dave Cockerill 18, Simon Barraclough 75
Liversedge (0) 0
Admission £4, Programme £1, Attendance 104

Left click to enlarge team sheet image

Tonight's fixture was moved forward to accommodate Staveley's FA Vase Quarter Final tie on 3rd March, against St. Ives Town at Inkersall Road.
St. Ives Town (who beat Gresley 4-0, in a replay, in the last round) are already filling their third supporters coach for the eagerly anticipated Vase tie. Me thinks Staveley Miners Welfare will be the place to be that day.
This win puts Billy Fox's side level on points with both Bridlington Town and Retford United, at the top of the NCEL Premier Division.

The home side should've been out of sight by half time, given the amount of chances they created in the first 45 minutes.
But a single goal scored by experienced striker Dave Cockerill, when he put the finishing touch to a great move where Richard Patterson laid the ball on for Joe Thornton, who ran half the length of the pitch to accurately chip the ball into Cockerill's path for the easiest of finishes, was all that separated the sides at the break.Always willing to push back the boundaries and embrace new ideas, Staveley have introduced a new squad numbering system tonight that allows Cockerill to play in a shirt that shows his weight on his back.
He didn't really!
And I owe you a pint for that one Cockers, AKA number 23!
Alex Hallam hit the angle of the crossbar from 25 yards out as the visitors pushed for an equaliser, but Liversedge didn't get the breaks over the 90 minutes.
For the record Cockerill was actually man of the match and worked his socks off going for goal and bringing his team mates in to the game.
Cockerill (twice), Joe Thornhill (twice), Jamie Smith and Simon Barraclough, could've all extended the Blues lead before the break, but the Liversedge rearguard kept the score down, in particular Danny Knight who got his fingertips to a well struck Joe Thornton free kick to push it over the bar.
After the break, Staveley's passing and cohesion was all over the place for a while, but when Danny Knight in the Liversedge goal and Jake Lawler made a mess of clearing the ball on 75 minutes, Simon Barraclough was on hand to punish their mistake.
Justice was seen to have been done, because Lawler had got away with a blatant handball in the penalty area a few minutes before the second goal.
Even a woman loading her shopping into the boot of her car a quarter of a mile away in Morrison's car park saw that one, even if the referee was unsighted and gave Liversedge the benefit of the doubt.

It's amazing what you can make out of a Tesco 'Value Range' Cereal Box

As the game reached it's conclusion, Staveley found their fluency again and pushed forward to try putting the game beyond Liversedge's reach, most notably through some good work down the left from young full back Chris Fawcus, who put Adam Houghton clear through, only to see the substitute frontman head narrowly wide. Fawcus was then unlucky not to score with a strike of his own, which Danny KNight held well.
Word on the grapevine is that Staveley are looking to strengthen their already impressive squad in the near future, which bodes well for the club.
As well as battling for promotion, the Blues have the FA Vase quarter Final to come next weekend and a local derby at nearby Worksop Town on the 7th March to look forward to in the Sheffield & Hallamshire Cup and, of course, they're still in the NCEL League Cup, where they face an away fixture at Barton Town Old Boys on a date yet to be confirmed ... so they're firing on all fronts still this season.
As always, a great welcome at the upwardly mobile 'best club in Chesterfield'. Staveley MW tonight, at their rapidly improving ground ... and it was good to get in an extra game on a Thursday night too.

Yorkshire Main 0 v Newark Town 1 - Baris CMFL League Cup

Wednesday 22nd February 2012, at Edlington Lane
Baris CMFL League Cup 3rd Round
Yorkshire Main (0) 0
Newark Town (0) 1 - Simon Greenfield 75
Admission £3 inc. programme, Attendance 37
Yorkshire Main:
Scully, Cairns, Tracey, Sharpe, Jarvis (capt), Grayson, Turner, Evans, Hinsley, Cooper, Dart
Subs - Bryant, Osbourne, Sides
Newark Town:
Attwood, Paling, Ellison, Wilson (capt), Greenfield, Lloyd, Hillier, Roche, Swingler, Ginelly, Wilford
Subs - Brookes, Townsley, McDonald
There was very little to choose between these two sides tonight, in this CMFL North v South, League Cup tie tonight.
Yorkshire Main won this competition last season, but they relinquished their grip on their hard won spoils in this nip and tuck encounter, much to the delight of the cluster of Newark supporters who had travelled north up the A1, to the veritable football hot bed of Edlington, in South Yorkshire
The referee didn't seem to endear himself to anybody from either club over the course of 90 minutes.
From where I was stood, it looked as though he had let a few things go early in the game.
But rather than aiding the flow of the game, his plan backfired, setting a precedent that just got everybody's back up.
Ironically, if he'd adopted a more rigorous stance early on, instead of trying the softly, softly approach, it would probably have been a more open and entertaining game.
Oh well, we're all wise with the benefit of hindsight.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't, n' all that.
I certainly wouldn't want to be a ref.
Especially in the Central Midlands League.
In the event of a draw after 90 minutes, there would be no extra time played tonight, the game would have gone to a replay at Newark Town's ground in Collingham.
And for a long while, it did look as if a goalless draw was on the cards and it would take another game to separate these two evenly matched teams.
It was a very tight game, with no quarter given.
A few half chances came and went for both sides, with Newark Town probably just about shading the percentages.

Typically, it was while the home side were having their best spell of the game, that Newark broke the deadlock, when Ian Hillier, by my reckoning the man of the match, found Martin Wilson with a defence splitting pass on the right hand side of the area, who knocked the ball into the path of Simon Greenfield, for him to thread a precision shot through the crowded box to beat Liam Scully.
Hillier had worked tirelessly all night, giving the Newark Town front-line good service from the right flank.
Yorkshire Main's Leon Osbourne looked lively and dangerous up front after coming on in place of Brad Grayson with twenty minutes remaining, but Newark held out and progressed through to the fourth round.

Mansfield Town 5 v Darlington 2 - BSBP

Tuesday 21st February 2012, at Field Mill
Blue Square Bet Premier
Mansfield Town (2) 5
John Dempster 15, Matt Green 40, 70 75 (pen),
Louis Briscoe 86
Darlington (1) 2
Marc Bridge Wilkinson 3, John McReady 72
Admission season ticket, Programme £3,
Attendance 1697 (80 from Darlo)
Mansfield Town
1 Marriott, 2 Edwards, 16 O'Neill, 17 Sutton, 31 Dempster,
11 Murray, 35 Roberts, 10 Green, 15 Dyer (9 Rhead-90mins),
19 Smith (24 Meikle - 71mins ), 28 Hutchinson (7 Briscoe-46mins)
Unused Subs
23 Redmond, 6 Riley
Darlington
24 Pickford, 2 Arnison, 17 Ferguson, 19 Bagnall,
7 Keltie (11 Lambert-85mins), 8 Taylor, 16 McReady,
22 Ramshaw, 31 Bridge-Wilkinson,
12 Bowman (20 Rundle-81mins), 27 Harrison
Unused Subs
13 Nixon, 14 Barton, 30 Hopson
The Lincoln City (and former Stags) boss David Holdsworth, watched tonight's game from the front of the Quarry Lane End.
Some Mansfield fans greeted him warmly, however a few dozen of the more vociferous ones, weren't quite as welcoming.
His struggling Imps side visit Field Mill on March 3rd, so he would've been running the rule over Paul Cox's team play off challengers in anticipation; while wishing he was still looking on from the home team dug out, instead of Row 1 of the cheap seats.
Either way, he left early, just as Matt Green put the Stags 3-1 ahead ... and as a consequence missed the most exciting part of the game and a couple of the Stags best moves.
Never mind, I'm sure those involved will provide a repeat performance for him, when they beat Lincoln City in a couple of weeks time.
Note that is definitely when ... not if!
Darlington FC, seem to have been perpetually beset with problems caused by crooks, conmen and a series of chairmen, owners and 'so called' investors, who weren't fit for the purpose of running a football club, for a very long time now.
But even Lazarus, Harry Houdini and a whole litter of eleven lived cats, are looking on in awestruck wonderment at their latest struggle to survive.
And marvelling at how on earth they are looking like managing to stay alive by the skin of their teeth, yet again!
I salute the supporters of this ailing club, that once more has found itself teetering on the brink ... and I genuinely hope that their anticipated salvation unfolds in the nick of time.
Anybody looking at the scoreline tonight, who wasn't at the game, would probably assume that Darlo had been on the wrong end of a bit of a mauling.
Yet, the truth of the matter is, Mansfield never actually got to hold of the game and took it by the scruff of the neck, until the Quakers gave them a massive wake up alarm call, by scoring their second goal to make it uncomfortably close at 3-2.
Jordan Pickford, the on loan Sunderland goalkeeper, guarding the visitors net for them tonight, had a bit of a torrid time of it, at the hands of the 'in form' Matt Green.
It was a very steep learning curve cum crash course for Pickford, for prolonged spells and he won't forget his first visit to Field Mill, or the one on one close attention he received from the Stags number 10, in a hurry.
The Green v Pickford duel, was pivotal to everything else that happened tonight and the prolific striker (21 goals so far this season after tonight) had his opponent rattled more often than not, by getting in his face, on his toes and testing the young shot stopper's mettle to the full.And though the Stags were well in control by the time Ross Dyer set up Louis Briscoe for their fifth goal, they had stumbled unconvincingly through the first 75 minutes, before reaching the point where Matt Green's hat trick clinching penalty, finally put some distance between team and their stubborn, 'never say die' opponents.
The margin of victory was slightly flattering, given the way the game had gone on the whole.
But I suppose I shouldn't really complain about that.
I've seen Mansfield play really well several times this season and not get what the results their effort deserved out of games.
Well, tonight they weren't entirely convincing until the final fifteen minutes, but did enough in the later stages of the game to warrant a win.
'Tis the time of year where results are of paramount importance and just how you came to win any three points that come your way, isn't always the be all and end all.
Mansfield need to keep on the heels of the play off chasing pack to keep their season alive, by whatever means necessary.
A win is a win, nobody ever said it was going to be easy, or even convincing, or pretty to watch at all times.

Mansfield Town website report:
http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/MatchReport/0,,10325,00.html
Darlington website report:
http://www.darlington-fc.net/page/MatchReport/0,,10339~60324,00.html

Gainsborough Trinity 0 v Harrogate Town 1 - BSBN

Gainsborough Trinity:
Michael Emery, Dominic Roma, Kevin Sandwith, Andrew Boyce (Adam Watts 82), Luke Waterfall, Shane Clarke, Jonathan D'Laryea, Ryan Williams (Ryan Kendall 56), Leon Mettam (Jordan Thewlis 73), Paul Connor, Jamie Yates
Subs not used - Michael Leary, Lewis McMahon
Harrogate Town:
Mark Cook, Jake Picton, Paul Heckingbottom, Laurie Wilson, Richard Pell, Alan White, Rob Youhill (Matthew Bloomer 75), Paul Bolland, Paul Brayson, Chib Chilaka, Craig Radcliffe.
Subs not used - Will Turl, Lee Elam, Dan Clayton
Saturday 18th February 2012
Blue Square Bet North, at the Northolme
Gainsborough Trinity (0) 0
Harrogate Town (0) 1 Rob Youhill 50
Admission £10, Programme £2.50, Attendance 596
This week I've seen three football matches.
Two of them were highly entertaining.
And then there was today's game.
Lets pull no punches here, a large crowd turned up to see if Trinity could keep up their promotion/play off push and they were served up a disappointing and lacklustre game, between one side who were intent on applying spoiling tactics and another that was queueing up to miss a string of gilt edged chances.
Gainsborough Trinity were the latter side in case you were wondering.
A cold, biting wind and a referee who was having a bit of an off day, didn't exactly help matters either, as the game descended into a stop/start, scrappy affair.
Paul Connor, Trinity's former Mansfield Town and Lincoln City hit man, had a bit of a 'mare' this afternoon.
He worked tirelessly to get into the optimum positions and more often than not was in the right place at the right time, but the execution of the openings that came his way was all over the place.
Paul Brayson put over an inch perfect cross for Paul Bolland, who should've opened the scoring for the visitors, but the former Mansfield Town player headed his chance over with Michael Emery beaten.
Talking of ex Stags, Trinity now have four of them in their ranks, Kevin Sandwith, Ryan Williams, Paul Connor and John D'Laryea.
And I know of a few Mansfield fans who have been nipping over the Trent to watch the Northolme side in action on the strength of this, when their team don't have a game, or they are playing away at some God forsaken corner of the BSBP ... e.g. Newport today.The best chance of the first half fell to Trinity, Mark Wood saved a close range effort from Paul Connor after a good break and cross from the left flank by Jamie Yates, but with the Harrogate keeper grounded, Shane Clarke lashed the rebound over the bar.
Harrogate Town took the lead early in the second half.
It was almost a carbon copy of Trinity's best chance of the first half as regards the left wing cross (from Paul Brayson) and close range save (by Michael Emery from Paul Bolland), but this time the rebound fell to Rob Youhill, who unlike Shane Clarke, kept his shot on target.
Trinity went in search of an equaliser.Leon Mettam, with time and space, right in front of the goal, got onto the end of a Ryan Kendall cross, but headed the ball some way over the bar.
At that point, it was looking ominous for Trinity and seemed almost inevitable that it just wasn't going to happen for them today.
This was a bad day at the office for the Blues, where they wouldn't have scored if they had carried on playing all night, after the crowd, ground-staff, match officials and opposition players had all left and gone home.
Mark Cook was in the thick of the action, but most of his catches and saves were of the variety that were simple to deal with.
Trinity spent the majority of the last fifteen minutes or so in and around the visitors penalty area, but the final touch was sadly lacking.
The shooting was bereft of very much accuracy or power.
The desire was there, but not the application.
It wouldn't be too unkind to say Steve Housham's team were woeful in the finishing stakes all afternoon.
Craig Radcliffe hit a long range effort for Town late on, but it flew wide of the mark.
In the end, Harrogate ground out the result, but Gainsborough were the architects of their own downfall, by missing the chances they created.
Trinity can (and must) play better than they did today.
It remains to be seen if they can keep up with the chasing pack at the top end of the table.
But even if they don't, the Northolme faithful must surely take heart from the fact that the Blues have improved vastly on the previous few seasons and aren't in any danger of slipping into a survival battle at the wrong end of the table.
Surely that makes a nice change.Harrogate Town did what they had to do today.
It wasn't very pretty to watch at times, but they've now made themselves some breathing space 5 points above the drop zone.
That said, the match sponsors did make Trinity's goalkeeper Michael Emery the man of the match, so he must've been busier than I can recollect.
Hope the Harrogate 'Woodlands Massive' had a good run home after the game, via the bars of Wetherby ... great to meet up with you 'big lumps' again ;-)

John, Paul, George, Ringo and the other one ... the 'Woodlands Massive'