Tuesday 29th December 2009.The Ashby Benefit Cup Final
Played at Birch Park, Bottesford
Bottesford Town 1 (Paul Chatterton 56 pen)
Grimsby Borough 2 (Jack Debnam 90 +4, Lee McFarland 95)
45 minutes 0-0,
90 minutes +4 minutes injury time 1-1
After Extra Time 1-2 FT
Admission £3, No programmes, Attendance 55 (ish)
The Ashby Benefit Cup, what's it all about?Well, in 1947 the competition was set up to raise funds to provide financial assistance for injured players and that is still the basis that this competition is run on to this day.
If a player gets injured playing football and has to take time off work as a consequence, he will receive a lump sum payment of £100 after four weeks absence, out of the funds raised from the games ... and another reduced amount after a further four weeks, if he is still off work.
Taking that into account, it was quite disappointing that some people saw fit to use league committee passes and such like to gain free admission to this fund raising game, especially given that the admission was only a meagre £3 anyway.
The 7 o'clock kick off time meant I'd easily make it back to north Notts for my 10pm night shift with time to spare, but the best laid plans of mice, men and football enthusiasts are never that straight forward, are they?
Grimsby Borough turned up with their yellow away kit, which meant Bottesford had to change into their red away kit to avoid a colour clash. Most other games involving Non League clubs had been postponed tonight, but the pitch at Birch Park was in great condition, which was a bit ironic given that a NCEL fixture between these two sides at this same venue had been postponed a few days ago.
With the first half chugging steadily towards a goalless respite, one of my travelling companions consulted his mobile phone and announced to everyone with earshot "Villa and Liverpool is nil-nil too."Now the reason the Ashby Benefit Cup Final was still waiting for it's opening goal was down to some lacklustre finishing and a couple of goalmouth scrambles that amounted to nothing. However there was a far more obvious reason for the Villa Park clash between two former Champions of Europe to still be locked in an unproductive stalemate ... it wasn't due to kick off for another ten minutes! Ah well, one has to make allowances for Impish bloggers who champion the dubious merits of Chris Sutton ;-P
On 56 minutes, Grimsby Borough conceded a soft penalty, more out of clumsiness than malicious intent, but they all count. Paul Chetterton drilled it straight down the middle as the keeper dived and Bottesford had one hand one the nice shiny trophy.Try as they may, Grimsby weren't getting the breakthrough their effort warranted and the Poachers goal was leading a bit of a charmed life. With 4 minutes of injury time played we strolled leisurely towards the exit and stood waiting to making a swift getaway.
Jack Debnam hit a last ditch shot seeking a late, late equaliser but the keeper got down well to parry the ball away ... straight back to Debnam who gratefully fired home off the post.
I'm really going to have to stop pre-empting extra time and jinxing myself by leaving my vantage point to see cup ties out stood by the exit gates, this is becoming a regular occurrence now.
Grimsby scored again through Lee McFarland in the first spell of extra time and the Trophy that had been fetched out and put on a table in readiness for it's presentation to Bottesford with five minutes of normal time remaining, now stood out taunting the home side as a reminder of what they could have had if they had just hung on a fraction longer.
I reckon on the balance of play, Grimsby Borough just about deserved their victory and the local bragging rights for a year, but there wasn't much in it.
For the record (because I know you care), I made it to work on time, but it was a close run thing.
the66pow
the66pow
