Tuesday 29 September 2015

Clipstone 7 v Retford United 0 - NCEL Prem

Tuesday 29th September 2015
Toolstation NCEL
at the Worksop Van Hire Stadium (Lido Ground)
Clipstone (3) 7
Sam Finlaw 17, Alec Denton 30, 55 pen, 62
Chris Salt 34, James Ashmore 47, Oli Ryan 79
Retford United (0) 0
Admission £5. Programme £1.50. Attendance 107
Many thanks to my loyal friend and sidekick Jim
McIntosh for the teamsheet. Keep up the good work.
Staveley MW's loss is Clipstone's gain.
Following the weekend's results, when Clipstone picked up a point away at Albion Sports... click here for in depth and accurate reportage of the highest order... and Retford United returned to winning ways with a home win against Parkgate, both sides had accumulated a very respectable 15 points apiece from the opening two months of the season, although the Badgers have played two more games than tonight's hosts to reach that figure.
Michael Trench, had the first goalscoring opportunity of the game, when he crashed a free kick into the Badgers defensive wall inside the opening four minutes.
But from the outset, there was no indication as to what was about to unfurl, as Retford appeared to have started with a spring in their step... and they threatened Steve Hernandez's goal with some well rehearsed set piece manoeuvres, that saw Brandon Cardwell have two headed efforts cleared off the goal line in quick succession.
But the Cobras weathered the early storm and the visitors were fortunate to see Alex Nightingale's shot deflect into the side netting after he'd exchanged passes with Liam Royles on the edge of the box. James Ashmore's corner kick was met by Chris Salt, who towered above United's defence but crashed his header over the bar.
It must be tempting at present for Retford United fans to only attend games on Saturday afternoon's, because although they have had a good run of weekend results of late, their midweek games seem to be cursed at the moment.
Sam Finlaw hammered the first nail in tonight, with an opportunist strike from over thirty yards out, that Rick Watson could only get the slightest of touches too as it nestled just inside the post.
Alec Denton kept making all of the right sort of runs into the box, that were begging for a decent ball from the industrious Cobras midfield and half a hour into the game his tenacity was rewarded, as he drilled the ball past Watson to double the home side's lead.
Minutes later Salt atoned for his earlier miss and made it 3-0, as the travelling Retford supporters resigned themselves to the fact that yet another long night of purgatory and sufference lay ahead for them.
HT: Cobras 3 v Badgers 0
Resplendent in their very fetching change strip of all yellow, the visitors emerged early from the interval to go through their customary second warm up, under a bright full moon that poured it's incandescent glow across the Lido pitch. 
But any notions of a fight back were quickly dispelled by James Ashmore, who thumped home a free kick from 20 yards out, just two minutes after the restart.
The 'Ginger Pele', AKA Brad Jones, was playing higher up the pitch than usual tonight, in advance of his usual right back berth, which afforded him even more opportunity than usual to create havoc in the opposition's final third. 
Having taken a cross field pass from Finlaw, Jones skipped through the Retford defence but was felled unceremoniously as he tried to shield the ball and the referee Mr Thompson blew for a penalty. 
Alec Denton notched his second goal from the spot and his third wasn't far behind, when he turned in a cross from Jones, while the headlights of a few motor vehicles heading towards Retford could be seen leaving the car park.
Second half substitute Oli Ryan opened his goalscoring account for his new club on 79 minutes, getting a decisive touch under a scrum of bodies, after Jones had bust a gut to drill the another ball to die for into the mix from out on the bi-line.
Credit where it is due to the visitors, who still tried knocking the ball around and going for goal, even at 7-0 down. But it was Clipstone's tenacity in the final third that had won the game so handsomely for them.
FT: Clipstone 7 v Retford United 0
I could expound at length, with superlative laden praise about just how well 'Clipo' had actually played (please note* all you dumb ass outsiders who do not hail from Nottinghamshire, there is only on P in 'Clipo'), or lament about how badly Retford United capitulated again, just like when I saw them play last week v Cleethorpes Town (see here), but it is not my intention to ever kiss the ass of my pals in the game, or rubbish any local football team who are having a hard time, so I will leave it there. 
The final score tells it's own story.