It was smart planning by Radford FC to bring the kick off time of this ECML fixture forward to 12.30PM. Their largest crowd of the season by some way turned out here at Selhurst Road this afternoon.It also gave me the opportunity to get a couple of matches under my belt in one day to compensate for all the ones that I've missed recently due to postponements and work commitments.
Ollerton Town v Kirkby Town was my original choice as a second game, but the pitch there failed an inspection, so Calverton was a convenient port of call on the way back up the A60/A614 racetrack towards north Notts.
Monday 28th December 2009, Kick Off 12.30PMEast Midlands Counties League
Selhurst Road, Hyson Green, Nottingham
Radford FC (0) 0
Holwell Sports (2) 3 (Fox 2, Tinsley)
Admission £4, Programme £1, Free team sheet
Attendance 173
We arrived at Selhurst Road about half an hour before kick off and bagged one of the limited car parking spaces ready for a head start to game number two of the day. But upon entering the ground were told there was some doubt over whether the game was on because the pitch along one side, sheltered from all the sunshine we've been enjoying of late by a row of fir trees, was still quite hard and frozen.The Radford staff set about sorting it out and their players warmed up on that side which seemed to satisfy the match referee and the game went ahead. Hoorah!
A badge infested ruck sack wielding, snorkel parka
wearing, Thermos flask brandishing horde*
wearing, Thermos flask brandishing horde*
Following a bit of a slow start to the season (I'm being generous here because I genuinely like Radford FC), the Pheasants have finally started to pick up a few points and claw their way off the foot of the table.
Holwell Sports haven't exactly been trail blazing this season either and the home side must've looked on today's fixture as a chance to close the gap on the clubs higher up the table (AKA everyone in the EMCL apart from Anstey Nomads).
I didn't see The Alamo on TV this Xmas, but here's some True GritLast bad pun of 2009 ;-)
Daniel Johnson, Radford's keeper, is a reliable enough performer usually (he also plays American Football for Nottingham Caesers), but today he had a 'mare' that he'll want to forget about in real hurry.
When Leigh Fox's header crept just under the bar for Holwell's opening goal, it was via Johnson's outstretched palms. And when Fox spotted Johnson off his line just after the half hour and attempted a 'Nayim' from just in front of the dug outs, the unfortunate keeper struggled to demonstrate any kind of hand/arm co-ordination whatsoever and could only manage to wrestle with the ball as it nestled inside the top rightstanchion of the goal.
Straight after the second half restart, Johnson's misfortune continued. Mark Tinsley hit the ball across the six yard box and Ian Bitmead ran in to get on the end of the cross-cum-shot, Johnson braced himself in readiness for Bitmead's shot but the number ten cleverly jumped over the ball which continued its trajectory over the line at agonising speed just out of Johnson's reach.
Radford had a succession of late corners, but couldn't capitalise on any of them and the score remained 0-3.
Johnson will have better days.
It's all well and good when a journeyman outfield player shows the first touch of a baby elephant and a passage in play breaks down when he scuffs the ball into a nearby school yard ... but any error of judgement from the keeper, more often than not, results in a goal.
Radford were the equal of today's visitors other than an out of sorts performance from their number one.
Central Midlands Football League Supreme Division
Kinton's Field, Hollinwood Lane
Calverton Miners Welfare (0) 0
Newark Town (1) 1 (Ellison)
Admission £3, Programme £1, Free team sheet
Attendance 82
Ably assisted by the dulcet tones of my new travel companion, a Joanna Lumley sound-alike sat nav narrator, we beat the procession of vehicles heading from Radford to Calverton, aided in no small way by me knowing my way around the nearby backstreet's of Hyson Green's 'red light district' (I know of an exclusive little music venue tucked away off the beaten track round there) and we made the second game easily 20 minutes before it kicked off, but still didn't arrive in time for there to be any programmes left.
However Calverton, like Radford, know their market ... and one of their eager and motivated staff shot off to print some more up. And once I'd worked out which way up and in which order some of the pages were meant to go, it was quite an interesting effort.
Radford, as always, had produced an excellent programme for the earlier game too ... and both sides had plentiful free team sheets available to satisfy the badge infested ruck sack wielding, snorkel parka wearing, bearded and Thermos flask brandishing hordes*.
Calverton started off well and created a few chances.Newark seemed to have more strength in depth and bigger players, whereas the home side looked to have a few young players blessed with a good touch but who need to pile on a few pounds to compete in this league.
I wasn't surprised when Simon Ellison shot the visitors in front, but definitely thought there were going to be more goals to be had in this game that ebbed and flowed one way then the other.
I took this picture at precisely the right moment, but Newark's Simon Ellison was asplit second too late arriving to put home this cross for the only goal of the game
The second half only went ahead when some resourceful local coupled his car battery up to the floodlight generator ... big up to the crazy looking guy walking round in sub zero temperatures wearing shorts who probably couldn't start his car after we'd all gone home.
Right at the end Calverton, who had come good and were definitely looking for a share of the spoils, were denied by a blinding save from Newark's keeper Garry Attwood, who earned his side a big cut of their points haul with his quick reactions.Further coverage of the above games can be found in the following places:
http://www.oopsupsideyourhead.co.uk/football-blog/of-mice-and-men
http://i-want-football-2009.blogspot.com/2009/12/monday-28th-december-2009.html
http://razorferret.blogspot.com/2009/12/day-out-in-nottinghamshire.html
thesixtysixparablesofwim
