Yes, oh yes!
I treated my passengers to a Johnny Cash selection on the car stereo en route to Edlington ... those lucky swines don't know they're born!
Our select band of travellers today consisted of: two Mansfield Town supporters, one Frickley Athletic fan, a guy from Chesterfield (who hastens to add he just lives there, but isn't actually from that neck of the woods ... every few minutes) and a sad git who has a subscription to Guinea Pig fanciers magazine, it takes all sorts.
Tuesday 27th December 2011, at Edlington LaneCentral Midlands Football League North
Yorkshire Main (0) 5
Lee Isaac, Leon Osborne 2, Lee Atkinson 2
Bentley Colliery (0) 1
Brad Sykes
Admission £3 inc. programme
Attendance 50 (ish) it fluctuated from time to time
In the south west corner of Doncaster, deep in the heart of Edlington, Yorkshire Main, sat 3rd in the table prior to kick off, today welcomed ... from the north west quarter of 'Donny', just 6 miles away, 11th placed Bentley Colliery, from err, Bentley.
Bentley showed (but only in sporadic bursts) what they are capable of during the first half.But they were unable to sustain any kind of rhythm, while their hosts took control of the game and set about creating chance after chance.
For a while home side were camped in and around the visitors goal area and Bentley should be grateful that 'Main' seemed to be tripping over the tent pegs and guide ropes at critical moments, or maybe their vision was impaired, because their eyes were stinging from the smoke wafting across from the 'camp fire' over near the fence by the touch line on the right wing???
They certainly faired better after they changed ends at half time.
I couldn't quite put my finger on the aroma of whatever it was that was burning and creating the smoke cloud, but I was reliably informed during the course of the afternoon, that it was "fuggin' top grade skunk mate", by a very cheerful, red faced teenager who appeared to be wearing his clothes inside out and back to front ... maybe that's all the rage these days and I'm just an old codger who's not 'with it' any more. But he looked liked he'd got dressed in the dark or when he was stoned to me ... and he wasn't alone in that.I like 'Edlo', but, being 'blunt', some of the locals have got a funny way of going about things ... they're all harmless and perpetually friendly enough though, for some reason.
Back on topic ... despite their dominance, Yorkshire Main had nothing to show for their efforts at the half way stage as both sides went in goalless at the break.
A couple of minutes after the restart, Lee Isaac finally broke the deadlock and 'Main' were ahead.Initially it looked as though he was going to slip just as he was about to shoot, but he regained his balance and scored never the less ... perhaps it was a cunning ploy to wrong foot the visitors keeper all along.
Within 10 minutes Leon Osbourne had doubled that lead and on 70 minutes Atkinson finished neatly from 12 yards out to give the home side a three goal cushion.
On 75 minutes, Sykes pulled a goal back for Bentley, when a free kick from out on the right wing found him unmarked just to the left of the penalty spot and he drilled the ball home.The home side almost found themselves hanging on for the three points, when another Bentley effort was cleared off the line ... but then 'Main' turned the screw and put the game out of the visitors reach.
With 7 minutes (approx) to go Leon Osbourne smashed the ball against the Bentley crossbar with so much force it's probably still rattling now the ground's been locked up and everybody has gone home ... but a couple of minutes later, he went for precision rather than power and lobbed the Bentley keeper in a one on one race for the ball on the edge of the box to make 4-1.There was a goalmouth scramble in the visitors box in the last couple of minutes and Atkinson managed to get a touch on the ball and put it into the back of the net.
It wasn't as neat as his first goal, but they all count and it sealed the victory that keeps Yorkshire Main within one point of the league leaders Clipstone Welfare who also won today, 5-2 at home to FC05 Bilsthorpe.
Dronfield Town and Westella & Willerby, the other teams in the top four both drew their away games today, at Parkhouse and Kinsley Boys respectively.
Transport complications permitting - i.e. if there are any local garages open over this festive lazy week - I'll be taking in some more Central Midlands Football League (North) action in the near future too.I heard a rumour at Yorkshire Main today that Easington United have resigned from the CMFL (North), but as of yet I don't know if there is any truth in it, or if the so called 'well informed' sources who quite often circulate these kind of stories for whatever reason motivates them, have been on the Sherry over Xmas.
It seems a bit odd if there is anything in the rumours, because Easington have only recently signed four new players following the sad demise of Hutton Cranswick United.
I hope the 'East Enders' are staying on board because I'm looking forward to another trip out there soon.
Either way, best wishes to everybody at EUFC and I hope all is well at Low Farm.
Note, the players names in the above post were provided by reliable sources at Yorkshire Main FC and Bentley Colliery FC, the times however, are rough estimates that I got from a crap Ben Sherman watch that came to me via a very cheap and very unreliable source.
The A1 southbound was clear, a rarity if ever there was one and we got home in next to no time. On our way out, I could've sworn I saw these guys having a sing song in the Yorkshire Main Community Centre car park, though I could've been imagining it
