Thursday 6th October 2011at Langwith Road, home of Shirebrook Town FC
Baris North Midlands U19's League Division 2
Worksop Town (0) 0
Retford United (0) 1 Bobby Johnson 10
Admission £2, Programme 10p, Attendance 51
Weather ... BLOODY AWFUL!
Now that I've seen how most teams in this division are playing this season, I reckon, in my unqualified opinion, that the favourites for the title were playing at Shirebrook Town tonight.Apologies to my old pals at the Tigers Under 19s, but if I was a betting man (I'm not, I use up my quota of vices elsewhere), my prediction was aimed at tonight's visitors, who play just up the road from my house on the outskirts of Retford.
No need to feel the extra pressure of being favourites Chris and Phil, but I shall be completely scathing in future write ups if the pair of you don't live up to your star billing now ;-P
Most clubs have several outstanding players in their team, not least Worksop Town with Browne, Taylor, Payne, Hutchinson and Sweetnam in the ranks, but the two players who have stood out for me the most this season are Luke Walker and Bobby Johnson from the Badgers Under 19's.
Come up against one of them on form and you've got problems, but if they're both on song on the same night, they'll torment the life out of even the strongest of rearguards.
Tonight's game was at times the stuff of sheer farce.
Not because of any shortcomings any of the players had, or due to a lack of ability from either side ... but because of the atrocious weather.
I've seen football league games where the officials have taken the players off in better conditions than this.
"Hello, emergency services? Can you get me the coastguard please!?Bobby Johnson's strike to put Retford ahead on ten minutes was quality, Sam Jepson in the Tigers goal never had a chance of stopping it ... not that I'm criticising the lad, Johnson had struck the ball so well it was a nailed on cert for the back of the net from the moment it left his foot.
Nobody would've stopped that.
But from then on in the weather just got worse and worse, the Shirebrook pitch turned into a gluepot and there wasn't really much either side could do in the way of aesthetically pleasing football as they battled on against the strong wind and lashing rain on a worsening surface.
Worksop's plight wasn't helped on 70 minutes when captain Jack Hutchinson came off because he had to go to work.
Greg Taylor and Greg Marshall both put in good shifts for Worksop tonight, though to be fair everybody out on the pitch, including the officials. did well to see this difficult game out to the bitter end.
It was bloody hard work for all concerned.
Thanks very much to Ann Smith for the Worksop Town U19 line up, to help me recognise this seasons new influx of players.
Next port of call for me, assuming the world isn't actually ending and tonight's weather was just a pre taste of the impending devastation to come ... Mansfield Town v Grimsby Town at Field Mill on Saturday in the Blue Square Bet Premier.
