Thursday 1st September 2011, at Langwith Road, Shirebrook
Baris North Midlands U19 League Division 2
Worksop Town 0
Harworth Colliery 0
Admission £2, Programme 10p, Attendance 55
The kind of game that will go getting goalless draws a good name ...
Worksop Town U19
1 Danny Whittleston 2 Greg Taylor 3 Liam Pashley 4 Joseph Betts 5 Jack Hutchinson 6 Greg Marshall 7 Adam Browne 8 Josh Sweetnam
9 Cole Payne 10 Reece Twell 11 Jack Hardy
Subs-
12 Paul Carr 14 Kyle Dennett 15 Adam Powell
16 Daniel Barnett 17 Leon Cusworth
Harworth Colliery Institute U19
1 Tom Hogg 2 Liam Argyle 3 Matt Smith 4 Jason Markell 5 Chris Marriott 6 Tom Padgett 7 Connor Gresham 8 Jordan Nortcliffe 9 Lewis Francis
10 Jordan Waplington 11 Aaron Lowder
Subs -
12 Luke Bailey 14 Ryan Foster 15 Tom Sowden
The new 2011-12 U19's season is moments away. Nail biting time for Hasan
On a difficult and bumpy pitch, that suffered more than most during last season's harsh winter, both teams put on an excellent advert for Under 19's football in this Bassetlaw derby ... yes, John Mann (MP for Worksop), Harworth (and Retford for that matter) are part of Bassetlaw too ... and not just every half a decade or so when there is an election on the horizon.
But enough about the lob-sided balance of local politics and on with the football.
But enough about the lob-sided balance of local politics and on with the football.
I'm not going to lie, I did have a foot in both camps tonight ... but if the game couldn't end in a honourable draw (which it did, as things panned out), then I'll hold my hands up and say, I wouldn't have been unduly upset if Harworth had recorded an away win tonight against the favourites to win Division 2 this season ... in the event, they very nearly did.
I have some very good friends involved with the Under 19's at both clubs, people I have a lot of time and respect for, but there are certain things that have happened behind my back ... not, I hasten to add, involving anybody connected with the Tigers Under 19s ... that have somewhat soured my feelings for Worksop Town FC as a whole since the end of last year.
Keiron Stallington and his team
After I got to the turnstile, via putting my prize money on the WTFC weekly tote back into the club and sorting out my final payment on the Tigers Supporters Trust goal sponsorship fund raiser from last season, I was £90.60 out of pocket on the night ... but that did include my admission to the match, a 10p programme and a raffle ticket.
Add on the round of drinks I got in the Shirebrook Town club, combined with the cost of fuel ... and I'd spent over £100, just to attend an Under 19's second division fixture ... what a fickle traitor, turncoat and treacherous tight fisted **** I am, eh!?
The people that last sentence is dedicated to, know who they are, but they don't merit further comment.
So ... moving swiftly on.
The people that last sentence is dedicated to, know who they are, but they don't merit further comment.
So ... moving swiftly on.
From the outset of this overview of the night's action, let me state ... I spoke to the management and secretaries from both teams, before, during and after this game. I even kissed one of the secretaries at the end of the match (don't worry Simon your turn will come!) and I'm generously disposed enough, to write only positives comments about Under 19's teams, never negative criticism (not that anybody merited any tonight).
So here, in a completely unbiased and upbeat manner from a genuinely neutral viewpoint, is what happened ...
Harworth murdered Worksop throughout the game and the Tigers got lucky ... err, on reflection, that's not really proportionally equal as regards bias is it, so I'll start again ...
Tonight's visitors started as underdogs and would have been happy with the draw before kick off, but in the event they came agonisingly close a couple of times to claiming all three points.
In an evenly matched contest with the balance of play ebbing and flowing one way and then the other, it was Harworth who created the best two chances of the night, only Lewis Francis and later Ryan Foster, will know what was going through their minds when they squandered absolute sitters ... they'll learn from the experience.
Worksop looked the stronger side and did have their visitors on the back foot a lot of the time, especially in the first half, but the Harworth back four defended admirably, particularly the centre half pairing of Jason Markell and Chris Marriott.
The former maybe had a point to prove tonight after moving on from the Tigers U19's at the end of last season, the latter was playing in an unfamiliar position and had only been 'converted' to a centre back half an hour before kick off as emergency cover in that position.
For Worksop the ever busy Adam Browne looked impressive on the night, Josh Sweetnam is improving all the time, the new left back Liam Pashley put in a sold performance as did Greg Taylor on the right and the forward players Cole Payne and Reece Twell looked a real handful.
For Harworth, the aforementioned Ryan Foster's fresh pair of legs when he came on made some serious in roads into the Worksop defence, Matt Smith bust a gut to try keeping Adam Browne in check, Jordan Waplington impresses me more every time I see him play, and Aaron Lowder put in a real stand out performance, but it would be unfair to single out individuals ... Glenn and Hasan's team worked hard together as a team and stuck to their game plan determinedly right up 'til the final whistle.
Last season, Harworth lost so many games due to late lapses, after playing well for 80 minutes or so, that it must have been a real sickener for them.
Tonight, they held it together as a unit for 97 minutes ... Lord knows where the referee found so much stoppage time from though.
On 90 minutes Worksop did score, but two of their players had wandered offside and the referee's assistant was right in line with it.
A last gasp defeat would've been hard to take for the visitors after putting up such a fight, but in fairness to Worksop, it would've been equally unfair to them if they had lost the game, having worked so hard to dominate the midfield and try breaking Harworth's 4-1-4-1 formation down.
A great game to watch and a fair result according to the two neutral spectators I watched the closing stages of the game with.
I'm happy to report, that having had to come off with concussion towards the end of the game, Harworth's Jason Markell is OK and recuperating after his late night hospital visit ... get well soon Jason.
Thanks to WTFC U19's secretary Ann Smith for providing me with the team line ups, well done on your official home début 'Tigger'.
COMING SOON - Darlington v Mansfield Town on Saturday ... hmm, I seem to recall these two sides met not so long ago too :-/
