Sherwood Colliery 1 v Harworth Colliery 2 - CMFL North

Saturday 31st August 2013,
at Debdale Park, Mansfield Woodhouse
Central Midlands League (North)
Sherwood Colliery (1) 1
Lance Mulligan 42
Harworth Collierty (0) 2
Tom Walker 76, 86
Admission £2, Programme £1,
Attendance 63
Quick headcount during a lull in play, of which there were several

Sherwood Colliery
Liam Kerry, Rob Whitmore, Mike Smedley, Tom Nash (Charlie Taylor) , Wayne Jordan (Eden Homer), Scott Curley, Brad Straw (Harry Joule 8), Keenan Leeds, Lance Mulligan, James Whitmore, Brendan Williams
Unused subs - Luke Proctor, Tim Gregory
Harworth Colliery
Mark Latham, Makenzie Tomlinson (Jordan Hardman), Simon Brewster, James Woodward, Martyn Gee, Chris Belshaw, Lewis Hilton (Tom Walker), Dean Bonser, Gareth Sides (Matt Smith), Ryan Paczkowski, Tom Pick
Unused subs - Ross Taylor, Steve Wibberley (GK)

Ah, football. The beautiful game, with it's aesthetically pleasing geometric passing, delicate footwork, intricate tactical patterns and silky skills; combined with the glamour of entertaining, crowd pleasing, show boating individuals.
Well, at least that's one version of the sport that we devote so many hours to watching, playing and enthusing about.
But the beauty was unavailable today, so we had to make do a fumble with her infinitely uglier and less shapely sister and resort to a bit of a late afternoon knee trembler as a means to an end.
The overall experience might not have been as mutually satisfying, or entirely thrilling for those who chose to furtively look on, watching the clumsy, all fingers and thumbs, messy spectacle.
Who would ever have thought that such voyeuristic activities could ever happen deep in the heart of Sherwood Forest, eh?

There is always one player who is guaranteed to be posing for the camera

The game was just three minutes old when James Woodward and Gaz Sides both took advantage of a static Sherwood back four, to beat the offside trap and home in on goal.
Alas, with Liam Kerry caught in two minds, 'Woody' was unable to get a good contact with his header and he put the ball wide.
Harworth started the more strongly of the two sides, but as the half moved on, the home side began to get into it more, in particular down the left flank, where they were enjoying far too possession.
The visitors had a reprieve when Brendan Williams saw his effort come back off the left hand upright and a couple of minutes later, Keenan Leeds beat Woodward for pace as he raced into the penalty area, but his rushed shot cleared the crossbar.
Sherwood had tightened things up at the back after their early scare and Harworth were limited to a couple of long range efforts, that neither Chris Belshaw or Gaz Sides managed to get on target.

With the interval approaching, it was apparent that some half time adjustments were sorely needed.
Mark Latham pulled off a great one handed save, which seemed to have kept the visitors at bay, until at least the break ... but Sherwood's robust centre forward Lance Mulligan had other ideas.
Lewis Hilton was booked on 41 minutes for conceding a free kick deep into his own half.
The dead ball into the box caused chaos in Harworth's defensive ranks and when Si Brewster appeared to have cleared his lines, with a header away from goal, Mulligan was on hand seize the opportunity to open the scoring with a firm header back past Mark Latham.
Psychologically, a good time to get a goal, according to legend.
I didn't ask 'Brew' if he was claiming the assist, mainly because for the most part he actually put in a damn good shift today and has the bruises to prove it.
HT: Sherwood 1 v Harworth 0
A change in tact and personnel at half time, almost paid instant dividends for the visitors. Ryan Paczkowski was hauled down unceremoniously by Mike Smedley, with a challenge that earned Sherwood's left back a yellow card, but Martyn Gee whacked the resultant free kick over the crossbar. But the Harworth number 5 made amends for his miss immediately, by getting in a good blocking tackle at the other end a minute later.

The half time introduction of Tom Walker, a human battering ram who excels in this kind of close quarters 'firm but fair' kind of action, gave Harworth more options and impetus going forward, while Jordan Hardman came off the bench to cut out Sherwood's activity and line of supply down the left flank.
Tom Pick, starved of the ball for long spells today, in the areas where he usually causes so much damage to opposition defences, was unlucky to see his unselfish cross to Paczkowski, smothered at the feet of Harworth's resident camera hogger, by Liam Kerry, who saved bravely to cut out the chance.
Shortly afterwards, Paczkowski was again thwarted by a last ditch tackle from Rob Whitmore, as he closed in on goal.
Tom Walker knocked a weighted pass into the path of Tom Pick and Sherwood were let off the hook, when the Harworth number 11 failed to make contact with it by a whisker.

Pick return the favour to Walker on 76 minutes, when he battled well for the ball and put a measured cross in for Walker to head home the equaliser.
At the other end Lance Mulligan intercepted a clearance from Dean Bonser, but this time the ex Mansfield Town teenage protege didn't take his chance.
Matt Smith put a telling cross in for Chris Belshaw, but Liam Kerry was on hand again to make a timely intervention.
With just four minutes remaining, Tom Walker popped up inside the Sherwood area and knocked the ball goal wards, the last defender and Liam Kerry got in a tangle over who was going to clear Sherwood's lines and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
Walker's goal (his presence definitely contributed greatly to Harworth's second and winning goal), or an own goal?

I guess that one is open to conjecture, debate, discussion and disagreement, but the main thing is, from a Harworth Colliery perspective, is that regardless of who should get the credit for it, the ball went in at the right end.
And just like last season, a late smash and grab raid had secured all three points for the visitors at Debdale Park.
If taking the lead just before half time is psychologically good, then scraping a 2-1 lead in the final moments of a game that had draw, stalemate and deadlock written all over it, is just awesome.
Winning ugly reaps exactly the same rewards as gaining a victory through elegance, style and panache ... hopefully there will be a bit more of those three attributes associated to Harworth's next game.
But as for today, three points are three points, however they come.
FT - Sherwood 1 v Harworth 2

Harworth Colliery 4 v Scotter United 1 - Reserves Friendly

Thursday 29th October 2013, at Scrooby Road
Reserves Pre Season Friendly
Harworth Colliery (1) 4
Neil Heaybourne 24, Andy Webb 65, 79, 86 pen
Scotter United  (1) 1
Steve Bradley 3

'Completely against the run of play', Steve Bradley broke clear of the Colliery defence and fired the visitors ahead after just 3 minutes.
On a bobbly surface that would benefit from a a downpour of Biblical proportions, for seven days and seven nights, both sides did their level best to play controlled and passing football.
Neil Heaybourne finished off a good set piece manoeuvre down the left flank, when he cut inside the Scotter penalty area a fired home a quality angled strike from 12 yards out.
HT - 1-1

At the start of the second half, Heaybourne nearly netted both his and Harworth's second goal when he left the visitors defence in his wake through the right hand channel, but his effort went narrowly wide.
Tony Garner and David Baum both had good chances to put the home side ahead, but the ball was sitting up awkwardly on the rock hard surface and neither of them succeeded in keeping the ball on target.

A stretch, a yawn and a 21 minute hat trick. Crap shorts though.

Second half substitute Andy Webb, who'd only arrived at 'the Rec' from work a few minutes prior to kick off, made it 2-1 on 65 minutes, when he ran onto a great knock from David Baum.
Scott Hardman sent Danny Siddall on a run deep into Scotter territory, Danny, in turn, laid the ball off to David Baum who shot narrowly wide.
Alas, this evening 'Baumy' was destined to be a giver, not a taker.

Indeed it was David Baum who provided Andy Webb with a good ball in the 79th minute, for him to get a yard on the Scotter full back as he homed in on goal before knocking the ball beyond the reach of 'Big Mikey' in the visitors goal.
Danny Siddall, looking lively since being introduced from the bench, took advantage of a defensive slip to cue David Baum up, but as the ball bulged the back of the net, the linesman's flag was up and the goal was ruled out.

'Big Mikey' in the visitors goal

Andy Webb completed his hat trick from the penalty spot with four minutes remaining.
Possibly the 4-1 margin of victory was a bit harsh on the visitors, who'd dashed over from work to Bircotes to make the early kick off, because they had given Tez Griffin's team a decent workout with their understrength side. That said there were several stand out performances from the Harworth 2nds tonight, who showed the first teamers that they cannot afford to be complacent, with a string of decent players in reserve, ready to step up to the mantle if required.
FT - Harworth Colliery 4 v Scotter United 1

Thanks to Paul for bringing his Scunthorpe League side over for the game tonight , good luck for the forthcoming season.
Harworth Colliery Reserves start their league campaign at Belper Town on Saturday 7th September.

Swallownest MW 2 v High Green Villa 0 - County Senior League

Wednesday 28th August 2013
Pete's Patisserie Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League
Swallownest Miners Welfare (1) 2
J Shaw 10, 65
High Green Villa (0) 0
Attendance 45 or so

Fifteen minutes into the new season and Josh Batham hobbles off with a badly swollen ankle.

Raith Rovers 0 v Dundee 0 - SPFL Championship

Saturday 24th August 2013, at Stark's Park, Kirkcaldy
SPFL Championship
Raith Rovers 0
Dundee 0
Admission £17, Programme £2, Attendance 2,603
Raith Rovers v Dundee photographs
Left click pictures for enlarged versions

Raith Rovers
McGurn, Thomson, Booth, P Watson, Hill, Vaughan, Cardle, Moon, Smith, Elliot, Anderson.
Subs - Callachan, Donaldson, Ellis, Murray, J Watson, Matthews, Roberts
Dundee
Letheren, Irvine, Lockwood, Dyer, McBride, Conroy, MacDonald, Monti, Gallagher, McAlister, Rae.
Subs - Doris, Thomson, Reid, Boyle, Kerr, Carberry, Twardzik

As I was driving towards Kirkcaldy, Tony Blackburn was enthusiastically chattering away on the car radio, introducing Tom Jones singing: 'What's new Pussycat?', the Burt Bacharach and Hal David penned theme song for the comedy flick of the same name, in which Woody Allen made his debut movie role, starring alongside Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole and Ursula Andress (amongst others).
Arriving in the Lang Toun (Long Town) was an experience akin to being tele-ported back to the 1960's all over again... and so was the irresistibly singalong-esque tune-age booming out of my automobile's sound system.
"I've got flowers and lots of hours to spend with you... so go and powder your cute little pussycat nose".

If truth be told, this didn't exactly turn out to be the most enthralling game of football I have ever watched.
In fact, as lacklustre nil-nil draws go this one was, err, soulless and goalless.
I hadn't realised that Gavin Rae was playing for Dundee (again) until today. He must have one of those train passes that allows him to travel to other clubs as often as he wants, on the proviso that he returns to Dens Park on a regular basis.
A draw was a fair result all told, because although Dundee had slightly the better of things during the first half, Rovers picked their game up ever so slightly after the break.
It's not as though there was any shortage of graft and endeavour on display, but both teams downfall this afternoon was a distinct lack of quality in the final third.
Although as I'm sure the navy blue half of the city of Dundee would testify, the match referee Joe Beaton also had quite a big say in the final outcome of the game too.

I picked up a radio station on my return journey where this game was referred to as 'absorbing'.
Hmm, it might well have been for the fans of both sides who were willing their respective teams to break the deadlock, in a game that could have gone either way right until the very end.
But, for this neutral onlooker, it was more a case of wishful thinking that one side, any side, would stop buggering about so much in front of goal and find a way through, just to open the game up a bit.
Possibly, my purported 'talent' of selecting evenly matched games to attend on my travels, struck gold again today, proving what a shrewd judge of proportion and balance I am, as two very similar sides cancelled each other out for lengthy spells of the game.
I recall this happened once before when I went to watch Arsenal v Ajax, the two form teams in Europe at the time, play out a really dull game where they simply suffocated each other's usual flow and rhythm out all over the Highbury pitch, so at least the Rovers and the Dark Blues are in esteemed company to that end.

So, what of John Beaton's contribution to the overall entertainment of this £17 a ticket SPFL Championship showpiece game this afternoon?
Well, a certain Scottish Sunday newspaper with a fairly large circulation is giving him 5 out of 10 for his display today.
I'm assuming they give officials at least 4 for merely turning up in the right kit and remembering to bring a whistle with them. And possibly award an extra mark for providing some kind of comedy value. Not that the Dundee manager John Brown had very much to laugh about.
I'm not usually one to criticise referees, because there would be no game without them and I'd like to think that they all have a far better understanding and appreciation of the rules of the game than I ever will.
But Mr Beaton, this afternoon had, what could politely be called 'a bad (and mistake laden) day at the office'.
If a player had put in such a substandard performance of this ilk, he would have been substituted and dropped into the stiffs until he regained his form and focus again, But as it was, both benches, two teams and all 2,603 spectators were stuck with a misfiring match official for the duration.

I will add, in the spirit of fair reportage, that I've seen John Beaton refereeing previously and he is usually a far better at his job than his poor showing today would suggest.
Raith Rovers had three former Hearts players in their starting eleven today, namely Calum Elliot, Gordon Smith and Jason Thomson.

Never let it be said that the ex Jambos striker Calum Elliot isn't a threat in the goal area. 

The problem with that analogy is, he was playing in a defensive midfield role for the home side today and threatened to give Dundee an advantage in the 35th minute, when he blatantly shoved the Dees' striker Peter MacDonald to the ground in the Rovers own eighteen yard box.

It was as blatant and easy a penalty decision to make as you'll ever see... and even the Rovers supporters sat around us in the South Stand at 'San Starko' collectively shook their heads and tutted in disbelief, as Beaton was unmoved by the vociferous appeals for a spot kick from the Dundee players.

Less than a minute later, Declan Gallagher appeared to have put the visitors ahead at the back stick when he towered over the Rovers defence to head home Jamie McCallister's left wing corner, but the goal was ruled out. I'm not aware that being able to jump higher than the goalkeeper and the last defender is actually an offence, but hey! What do I know?

Apparently Gallagher was adjudged to have been climbing on a defender... even though none of the hosts sides back-line had got anywhere near him.

Spurred on by a couple of first half let offs, Raith, who should've been trailing by two goals by now already, switched on and raised their game after half time and the home supporters responded accordingly by getting behind their team... or maybe the more vocal ones sneak in for free at half time.
Amazingly however, sections of the home support started to vent a lot of angry and frustrated abuse towards Mr Beaton, every time a 50/50 decision went against them. Which would also suggest that a lot of them couldn't have seen his display in the first half, when he'd all but played as a twelfth man for the Rovers.
"Jesus you guys, give him a break, he's kept you in the game up until now", I thought about standing up and shouting. But I figured that I really needed to get back to Edinburgh after the game in one piece, to meet up with some old mates for a couple of hours before picking up my family from outside the zoo, assuming the keepers there hadn't found suitable cages for them yet, so I kept schtum.

With the home side pushing forward more now, Dundee appeared to have caught them flat-footed at the other end on the counter attack, but David McBurn pulled off a sublime double save from Declan Gallagher to keep the scores level.

Both sides had further attempts on goal as as the game petered out towards its 'climax', but a lack of clear cut chances and some woeful finishing, combined with David McBurn's prowess and John Beaton's reluctance to let the visitors score, meant that both sides shared a point apiece.

Outside the ground, the Raith fans seemed fairly content with the draw, but then they probably knew that if they hadn't of had the rub of the green with the decisions that mattered, it would've been a much different story.

I think the postscript by the reporter who covered the game for Dundee sums things up fairly well: "Dundee looked more comfortable playing a 4-4-2 formation, but the supporters don't want to see a comfortable team. They want a hungry, dangerous team that always looks capable of grabbing a goal. Sadly we're still some way short of that".

FT: Raith Rovers 0 v Dundee 0

Joking aside, 'twas the kind of game that'll get nil-nil draws a bad name.

As I pulled into a lay-by on my way out of Kirkcaldy, to phone the result from Harworth Colliery's game in to the CMFL (thanks for the details Paul Latham), I got a panoramic photo-opportunity of the south end of the ground to finish off my visit to Stark's Park.

The South Stand and McDermid Stand (away end) which is sponsored by the Scottish crime writer Val McDermid, stand symmetrically identical at either end of the ground. A full length (unused) terrace runs down the full length of the pitch along one side, but 'San Starko's' jewel in the crown, is the L shaped main stand on the east side that sits geometrically at odds with the rest of the ground. 

This eye catching construction was built in 1925, having been designed by the renowned football ground architect Archibald Leitch, a lot of the money that was used to finance it's construction was raised from the transfer of Alex James from Rovers to Preston North End. Apparently, this is where the former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown sits when he watches Rovers play... so now you know.

Harworth Colliery 2 v Newark Town 0 - CMFL North

Wednesday 21st August 2013 
Central Midlands League (North)
Harworth Colliery (0) 2
Lloyd Wilkinson 59
Ryan Paczkowski 61
Newark Town (0) 0
Admission £3, Programme £1, Attendance 50+
For the record, the match report below was written by Rob Waite for the Harworth Colliery website, hence it is written almost exclusively from a Harworth perspective. 
For a completely different angle on the game, here is Newark Town's version of events Newark Town website report written by Rick Lane, both overviews are roughly as accurate as each other, but each concentrates on events as they affected the team the respective writers are connected to.

Harworth Colliery:
Mark Latham, Jordan Hardman, Simon Brewster, James Woodward (c), Martyn Gee, Chris Belshaw, Ryan Paczkowski, Lloyd Wilkinson (Makenzie Tomlinson), Lewis Hilton, Gareth Sides (Lee Edmondson), Tom Pick (Matt Smith).
Unused Subs = Ross Taylor, Josh Forbes
Newark Town:
Chris Riley, George Paling (George Pearce), Danny Purves, Aaron Martin, Luke Parsons (c), Jamie Brookes, Sam Bagworth (Daryl Price), Sam Wilford (Tom Mallinson), Callum Fraser, Ben Porter, Dom Swingler.
Unused Subs - Sam Gregory, Reece Self

Last season's League Cup tie between these two sides, was a very tight affair that was decided by a solitary goal scored by Newark's Ian Hillier. 
And during a very similar nip and tuck first half tonight, it looked as though this game would pan out to be a bit of a stalemate, where the first goal would also prove to be decisive, if indeed there was ever going to be one.
However, after the half time break, Harworth came out firing on all cylinders, upped the ante and took hold of the game by the scruff of the neck (cliche overload warning activated).
The internationally (Facebook) famous Lloyd Wilkinson has been getting a bit of stick via the match ratings selection committee at Harworth Colliery this season thus far, but tonight his running and graft, surely meant that whoever is selecting the stinker of the week 'award' will look elsewhere, because in my humble opinion, Lloydy was fairly high on the list of candidates to be awarded 'man of the match' tonight.
But that particular decision is out of my hands.
It was good to see Martyn Gee back in Harworth's colours again and busting a gut to keep up with the pace of his first proper competitive game in a while. Another quality signing to bolster the Colliery sides impressive looking squad still further.

Competition for places and selection headaches for the gaffer is good news all round.
It's a long season and everyone is going to have a part to play and will be revved up to take their chance to claim a regular spot in the team when their time to shine comes along.
With Dean Bonser and Jonny Bownes absent again, the under rated Lewis Hilton and camera shy Ryan Paczkowski looked impressive too, linking the midfield and attack together, while Tom Pick dragged his defensive markers all over the place, before he was rested to give the sadistic Ben Dixon a chance to rough him up in the technical area.
While I could go on and on I won't; suffice to say there wasn't a single player in the Colliery side who didn't stand up to be counted throughout the whole 90 minutes.
The work rate throughout the team and willingness to dig in for each other, was what won the night for Harworth.
Both Lloyd Wilkinson and Ryan Paczkowski ended the night with a star turn of a goal and an assist apiece, though the 'supporting cast' of James Woodward and Lee Edmondson deserve a mention for the their part in the build up to both goals too.
It is also worth noting, that within three minutes of Edmondson entering the fray, Harworth had scored twice in quick succession ... not a coincidence as it happens.

Of course, there wasn't just one team out on the pitch tonight and lets not forget that Newark Town are one of the better sides in the CMFL North as they showed at times ... and I think that the referee Martin Edwards warrants praise for the way he let the game flow, particularly as he had to work with the 'ugly sisters' of Kev Blackburn and Paul Beswick running the lines for him.
Other players who might feel they're missing out by not getting their praises sung in this report, should take note that this only because I'm now getting used to them putting in consistent top drawer performances, which have become the norm of late and its reached the point where I wouldn't expect anything else from them, so I have to look elsewhere for improvements throughout the team.
The full backs, the ever reliable goalkeeper and two wide players will know who I mean.
When you look at the quality of the players on the bench and those who didn't even get selected in the squad of sixteen tonight, it says a lot for the way this team is developing fast this season.

Ben Dixon duffing Tom Pick up

Optimism abounds at the Recreation Ground ... and rightly so.
Good to see a few more people turning up to see what all the fuss is about too.
For the record, if I was doing the match ratings tonight, there would be a few 10's, but lets wait and see what this week's guest 'rater' has to say on that subject and who he makes 'man of the match'.
Rob Waite

Frickley Athletic 0 v Buxton 1 - Evo-Stik NPL

Tuesday 20th August
at the JJ Leisure Stadium, Westfield Lane, South Elmsall
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League - Premier Division
Frickley Athletic (0) 0
Buxton (0) 1
Mark Reed 77
Admission £9, Programme £1.50
Attendance 270

I'm never one to assume anything, or under estimate any kind of opposition whatsoever, but *if* (just a two letter word, but a very big one in actual fact, that encompasses a whole myriad of possibilities and potential outcomes) Harworth Colliery beat High Green Villa in the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup on September 14th, they will then face Frickley Athletic at home in the next round.
Tonight, having studied the game very closely and fastidiously scribbled down pages full of notes, I have devised a plan whereby Harworth could comfortably win that tie (on the proviso they beat their County Senior League opposition first, which won't actually be as easy as it might sound to some people), they merely need to ensure that tonight's Sheffield based match officials take charge of that game too, because they sure as hell won't be giving any decisions whatsoever Frickley's way if tonight's evidence is anything to go by.
Gorey details to follow ASAP

Two match officials plotting Frickley's downfall