Saturday 24th July 2010, at Langwith Road, ShirebrookShirebrook Town (0) 0
Worksop Town (3) 5 (Simpson, Mallon, Shiels 2, Whittington)
Admission £4, no programme
Worksop's 4th goal (above) was credited to Lee Whittington, thoughLuke Shiels and Shirebrook OG both had good claims to it as well.
Once the young and ever improving Danny Simpson had put Worksop ahead, there was only ever going to be one winner in this game and it was just a question of how many goals the visitors would rack up.
I have A LOT of time for Shirebrook Town, but today they looked completely out of sorts and it took them ages to find any kind of shape or cohesion.
But they've only just started their pre season schedule and will become better organised with a bit more practice and application.
This afternoon's game will certainly have given them a few pointers as to what they're going to have to work on before their season kicks off for real ... and Worksop, when all said and done, are three rungs higher than the Langwith Road club on the non league ladder.
Once again the Tigers defence looked solid, with James Colliver standing out particularly today, showing how much strength in depth Peter Rinckavage's newly built squad has in reserve.
When Mallon headed home from a Jackson cross to make it two nil it did look as if there was a rout on the cards.
Luke Shiels added a third before the break and if this had been a cricket match the Tigers could've declared and let Shirebrook chase their lead for the rest of the afternoon, secure in the knowledge that the result was already assured.
I have A LOT of time for Shirebrook Town, but today they looked completely out of sorts and it took them ages to find any kind of shape or cohesion.
But they've only just started their pre season schedule and will become better organised with a bit more practice and application.
This afternoon's game will certainly have given them a few pointers as to what they're going to have to work on before their season kicks off for real ... and Worksop, when all said and done, are three rungs higher than the Langwith Road club on the non league ladder.
Once again the Tigers defence looked solid, with James Colliver standing out particularly today, showing how much strength in depth Peter Rinckavage's newly built squad has in reserve.
When Mallon headed home from a Jackson cross to make it two nil it did look as if there was a rout on the cards.
Luke Shiels added a third before the break and if this had been a cricket match the Tigers could've declared and let Shirebrook chase their lead for the rest of the afternoon, secure in the knowledge that the result was already assured.
The referee reminds the defensive wall 'It's ten yards, not feet!'Lee Whittington netted the Tigers fourth, getting the final touch with his head as three players went up together, Luke Shiels and A.N.Other of Shirebrook 'OG' being possible contenders too. But Lee will be happy to have finally opened his goal scoring account and it often works wonders when strikers who have had a slightly lean time of it when joining a new club finally get off the mark.
Whitto joined the club at a difficult and transitional time towards the end of last season and it can't have been easy to settle in under those circumstances, the goal will have done his confidence a power of good.
Luke Shiels added the fifth goal heading home unmarked, and must've wished he'd claimed the Tigers fourth goal too, to bag himself an hat trick.
Whitto joined the club at a difficult and transitional time towards the end of last season and it can't have been easy to settle in under those circumstances, the goal will have done his confidence a power of good.
Luke Shiels added the fifth goal heading home unmarked, and must've wished he'd claimed the Tigers fourth goal too, to bag himself an hat trick.
Narrowly overSo a very one sided game, as the scoreline suggests.
Shirebrook are reeling a bit after being relegated at the end of last season.
It did look as though they would get a reprieve, but Farsley Celtic, newly formed or re-formed depending on your stance on such matters as Farsley AFC, are starting life (re-starting life?) in the NCEL Premier Division instead now.
Shirebrook must feel like they've been relegated twice under those circumstances.
Though I can sympathise with Farsley's fall from grace, there is a school of thought that says existing clubs should be considered a bit more thoughtfully when accommodating so called new teams into the structure of non league football.
I'll sit on the fence, uncomfortably, regarding this delicate subject, after all each and every case should be judged on its own individual merits and their but for the grace of God etc. etc.
But I know the people at Shirebrook personally and I'm gutted for them.
There are more knowledgeable, learned and articulate scribes out there who could cover this thorny topic with far more panache than yours truly ... and they're probably far less biased too.
Good luck for the coming season Shirebrook Town ... and err, Farsley AFC too I s'pose!
Straight after this match I headed to Doncaster to see some old friends (they're friends and they're old) playing at The Leopard with one of their bands, Who Shot Who?A great night was had by everyone who turned out.
