Bulwell FC 0 v Linby CW 0 - AET - Notts Senior League, Senior Cup Final (Bulwell won on penalties)

Tuesday 15th May 2012, at Arnold Town FC
Nottinghamshire Senior League, Senior Cup Final,
Bulwell FC (0) 0 (0) 0
Linby Colliery Welfare (0) 0 (0) 0
After Extra Time
(Bulwell won on penalties)
Temperature; as always at Arnold, bloody cold!
Admission £3 inc. free programme
Attendance, hundreds,
Easily the biggest crowd I've ever seen at Eagle Valley
Bulwell:

Wheat, Murdock, Walker, Knight, Soar, Keetley, King, Niblett, Manders, C Carter, Moore.

Subs - J Carter J, England, Gretton, Horder, Logan

Linby Colliery Welfare:

Miles, D Marlow, Dakers, Peberday, Jago, Winfield, Mann, Ryan, Murphy, Payne, S Marlow.
Subs - Howell, Bradshaw, Ball, Bernard, Potter
Ta very much to Mr M Storer for the team lines ups.
I look forward to seeing the development and continuation of your blog next season ;-)
The Nottinghamshire Senior League.
Some people swear by it, others sweat at it!
If people want to see the superstar talents of the Lionel Messi's and Andy Carroll's of this world in action, then they can sit at home and subscribe to pay per view TV channels.
But if you'd rather see the warts n' all, no holds barred, rough and ready, doggy bag scraps end of football's food chain, then Eagle Valley was the place to be tonight.
In a crowd numbering several hundred, against a backdrop of a cloud of high grade hashish smoke, I watched these two sides put on a scrappy, but keenly contested, approximation of a game of football, whilst rubbing shoulders with several dozen of Nottingham's most wanted/unwanted* villains (I kid you not).
Bulwell had already won the this season's NSL league title prior to tonight's game, finishing some 21 points ahead of tonight's opponents, 4th placed Linby Colliery Welfare.
The first twenty minutes were all Bulwell, who should have made more of some of their chances. Connor Carter, came closest to scoring when he fizzed a shot over the bar from the edge of the box.
On 23 minutes, Linby finally registered there first proper effort on goal, but Matt Murphy's snap shot was easily held by the Bulwell keeper, Jamie Wheat.
Linby got into the game more before the break, but it was still the NSL Champions, Bulwell who were making most of the running in the final third.
As the teams left the field at half time, a larger than life character involved with Bulwell FC, let his over enthusiasm get the better of him and there was an angry exchange with his opposite number from Linby.
But I err ... 'accidentally' deleted the photograph I got of that and affected a 'Ferguson-Wenger stare' in the opposite direction.
The second half was less 'riveting' than the first.
On 65 minutes a Bulwell defender shouted to his team mates "Come on lads, it's gone a bit flat, it's getting boring!"
Jay Knight, I hereby bestow upon you, the title of 'the Master of Understatement'.
With 80 minutes on the clock, young Damian Mann, who had an impressive game out on the right (where he sensibly avoided most of the heavier challanges that would've been forthcoming if he'd played through the middle) for Linby, knocked an inch perfect pass through the right channel, for Matt Murphy to run on to and smash the ball over Jamie Wheat's head, but it crashed against the crossbar.
Never mind Matt, you can always get your own back on the Bulwell keeper when/if it goes to penalties ;-)
Extra time came and went, painstakenly and almost in slow motion, as I rocked from foot to foot and blew into my hands in an attempt to keep warm.
Bulwell squeezed the ball into the goal, but it had gone out for a goal kick, before it was crossed. So, the game reached the end of 120 minutes (plus stoppage time) without either of the by now, very tired looking teams scoring and it came down to penalties, at the northernmost end of the ground, to decide who was going to win the cherished NSL Senior Cup trophy.
Penalty shoot out - Blow by blow account
Bulwell, Jamie Walker, 1-0
Linby CW, Matt Pederday, 1-1
Bulwell, Dwayne Soar, 2-1
Linby CW, Matt Murphy, saved by Jamie Wheat, 2-1
Bulwell, Jamie Carter, 3-1
Linby CW, Simon Marlow, 3-2
Bulwell, Connor Carter, 4-2
Linby CW, Mark Jago, 4-3
Bulwell, Robbie England, 5-3
Bulwell win 5-3 on penalties, Linby CW's last penalty was rendered unnecessary.
Hence, Bulwell completed a NSL League & Cup Double for this season.

Damian Mann takes time out to count his legs following a
'mistimed' challenge on him during extra time

Getting out of the car park at the end, was like competing in a demolition 'old banger' derby, but I somehow managed to reach the road, without any new dents in my car.
Right, lets get the bloody heater cranked up!

Next up: Wednesday 16th May, Newark Town v Clifton, CMFL South