Handsworth's third of seven consecutive home games, which will be followed by five away games on the trot.
The league secretary's computer must've been playing up the day the Oliver's Mount club were given their fixtures.
Friday 12th August 2011 at Oliver's Mount
Baris NCEL Division 1
Handsworth (1) 2
(Brian Cushworth 5, Scott Bates 52)
Dinnington Town (0) 1
(Matt Smith 85)
Admission £3 , Programme £2, Attendance 152
Given the very poor game we saw in Sheffield last night, it would've been understandable if we'd decided not to venture beyond the Parkway again tonight, but a man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do.
Right on cue, as the game started, the heavens opened and it began to pour down, we stood under the trees at the Railway End to get some shelter ... others had come better prepared. Thankfully the rain buggered off after a few minutes, which is just as well, because the small stand at Oliver's Mount wouldn't have fitted everybody in.
One of the Railway Enders told me he'd watched these two teams Under 19's sides play on the old ground that sits adjacent to this one (see Monday's blog post) last night ... so that's who's been using it then.
I wish I'd known about that fixture before wasting my time and money going to Hillsborough. Dinnington won the Under 19's game 2-1 ... I knew you'd all be eager to know the result.
Brian Cushworth opened the scoring on five minutes, a predators or goal hangers strike depending on which side of Aston you come from. Luke 'Safe' Hands had saved well on his goal line, but the Handsworth number 9 was on hand to fire home the rebound.
For the benefit of those of you who's geographical curiosity was whetted by my previous sentence, that's Aston just off the M1/A57 in South Yorkshire, not the one in Birmingham where Villa play.
Dinnington is to the east of Handsworth and the two settlements stand approximately 9 miles apart.
Luke 'Safe' Hands
Handsworth had the better of the first half but failed to add to their lead.
Tommy Fairweather and Danny Lindley both stood out for Dinnington, while Scott Bates, Brian Cushworth and Alex Torr looked threatening up front for the home side.
Tommy Fairweather and Danny Lindley both stood out for Dinnington, while Scott Bates, Brian Cushworth and Alex Torr looked threatening up front for the home side.
Alex Torr tore in from the left wing seven minutes into the second half beating several 'Dinno' players en route, he passed to Scott Bates who fired Handsworth two ahead.
At this stage Dinnington didn't look to have any way back and looked a bit subdued.
But they came good for the last twenty minutes or so and could've forced a draw in the end.
With five minutes remaining, Handsworth's defence failed to clear a cross from the visitors right
and Dinnington substitute Matt Smith nipped in unmarked behind them to knock the ball home from inside the six yard box.
Handsworth had taken their three pronged strikeforce off already, so now they were going to have to hang on to a one goal lead for the remainder of the game ... in the event they did and as a consequence of playing on a Friday night are now top of the NCEL Division 1.
