Never Mind The BollardsWednesday 17th February 2010. UniBond League Premier Division
at the New Manor Ground, Ilkeston
Worksop Town (0) 1 (Ben Tomlinson 52)
Frickley Athletic (1) 2 (Chris White 31, Adam Lee 90+1)
Attendance 137. Admission season ticket. Programme £2
And at 8.34PM, Frickley had a corner kick
And at 8.34PM, Frickley had a corner kick
Worksop gave a first team debut to Jamie Jackson, a former Matlock player who has joined the Tigers from Sheffield FC, and a home debut to ex Gainsborough Trinity player Ryan Mallon, who had put in a good workmanlike performance in over at Gigg Lane v. FCUM on Saturday, before being withdrawn after 70 minutes.
Two useful looking signings so far then ... plus midfielder Matty Thorpe (also previously with Matlock and Sheffield) joined just prior to this game (too late to appear), so who knows what's just around the corner in this eventful season, both on and off the pitch?
Can we organise a whip round for match day announcer Ray Lucas, so he can get a decent microphone that actually works?
The poor soul's meant to be taking it easy now he's retired, not getting heckled all night for having to work with substandard equipment.
I can even forgive him the David Essex songs after the night he had ... almost!
With both teams looking a bit apprehensive about conceding anything in the first half - understandable when they are in direct competition for a place near the bottom of the pile - the play was a bit bogged down in midfield for a while, but at least the Tigers players were starting to look as if they knew each other again after Saturday's indifferent run out.
And the two new guys have slotted in well from the off, which bodes well.
Frickley just about shaded the first half, but not by much and they certainly didn't look comfortable when Worksop ran at their defence.
There was a stroke of fortune about the opening goal (he says with complete impartiality).
Chris White fired in a shot on Jon Kennedy's goal, which the keeper seemed to have covered, but a deflection directed the ball just out of his grasp and wrong footed the big keeper, who could only tickle the ball with his outstretched hand as the ball beat him on it's way into the back of the goal.
When things aren't going your way, they really aren't. That could be WTFC's team motto at times this season.
Two useful looking signings so far then ... plus midfielder Matty Thorpe (also previously with Matlock and Sheffield) joined just prior to this game (too late to appear), so who knows what's just around the corner in this eventful season, both on and off the pitch?
Can we organise a whip round for match day announcer Ray Lucas, so he can get a decent microphone that actually works?
The poor soul's meant to be taking it easy now he's retired, not getting heckled all night for having to work with substandard equipment.
I can even forgive him the David Essex songs after the night he had ... almost!
With both teams looking a bit apprehensive about conceding anything in the first half - understandable when they are in direct competition for a place near the bottom of the pile - the play was a bit bogged down in midfield for a while, but at least the Tigers players were starting to look as if they knew each other again after Saturday's indifferent run out.And the two new guys have slotted in well from the off, which bodes well.
Frickley just about shaded the first half, but not by much and they certainly didn't look comfortable when Worksop ran at their defence.
There was a stroke of fortune about the opening goal (he says with complete impartiality).
Chris White fired in a shot on Jon Kennedy's goal, which the keeper seemed to have covered, but a deflection directed the ball just out of his grasp and wrong footed the big keeper, who could only tickle the ball with his outstretched hand as the ball beat him on it's way into the back of the goal.
When things aren't going your way, they really aren't. That could be WTFC's team motto at times this season.
Stop me and buy one
The Tigers came out in the second half and went straight into attack mode.
On 52 minutes, Ben Tomlinson drew the keeper from his line, rounded him on the left edge of the area and coolly rolled the ball across the line into an empty net.
Five minutes later, with Worksop pulling the Frickley defence all over, an Athletic player under hit a back pass to his keeper Adam Nicklin, who charged from his line and belted the ball away with force, it truck Ben Tomlinson and ricocheted back over Nicklin into the net.
But the referee took the advice of his assistant who accused Tomlinson of handball and the goal was disallowed.
Ben was merely running in to challenge for the ball and had no say over which part of his body the ball slammed into, if it was his arm, it certainly wasn't deliberate.
They may have signed some new players, but Worksop couldn't buy a win at present. Despite them having much the better of the second half, they just couldn't find that elusive touch in front of goal that would secure all three points.
Cruelly, Frickley scrambled home a second goal, so deep into injury time it almost impeded Boston United's goalkeeper as he came out onto the pitch to warm up on Saturday afternoon (give or take a few hours).
The Tigers didn't deserve to lose tonight.
The Frickley fans were obviously delighted, but magnanimous enough to admit they hadn't expected a finish like that to the second half either.
Oh well, onwards and, hopefully, upwards.
On 52 minutes, Ben Tomlinson drew the keeper from his line, rounded him on the left edge of the area and coolly rolled the ball across the line into an empty net.
Five minutes later, with Worksop pulling the Frickley defence all over, an Athletic player under hit a back pass to his keeper Adam Nicklin, who charged from his line and belted the ball away with force, it truck Ben Tomlinson and ricocheted back over Nicklin into the net.
But the referee took the advice of his assistant who accused Tomlinson of handball and the goal was disallowed.
Ben was merely running in to challenge for the ball and had no say over which part of his body the ball slammed into, if it was his arm, it certainly wasn't deliberate.
They may have signed some new players, but Worksop couldn't buy a win at present. Despite them having much the better of the second half, they just couldn't find that elusive touch in front of goal that would secure all three points.
Cruelly, Frickley scrambled home a second goal, so deep into injury time it almost impeded Boston United's goalkeeper as he came out onto the pitch to warm up on Saturday afternoon (give or take a few hours).
The Tigers didn't deserve to lose tonight.
The Frickley fans were obviously delighted, but magnanimous enough to admit they hadn't expected a finish like that to the second half either.
Oh well, onwards and, hopefully, upwards.
Bassetlaw Labour MP John Mann watches on from the sparsely populated stand.Note, I meant it's nearly empty, that isn't what the stand is actually called.
