THE66POW: Kiveton Park 1 v Parkhouse 3

Tuesday 8th May 2012, at Hard Lane
Central Midlands League North
Kiveton Park (0) 1
Gorman 55
Parkhouse FC (2) 3
Hill 25, Shelton 41, Morton 71
Admission £3 inc. programme

Kiveton Park
Smith, Poad (Barnes), Greagan, Harrison, Sainthouse, Taylor (Lawton), Gravelle (Green), McPherson, McDonnell. Gorman, Lee
Parkhouse
Thornton, Boamah (Whitford), Beatson, Sharman, Shaw, Barber, Pemberton (Butterworth), Needham, Goodison, Hill, Shelton (Morton)

Tonight my good friends Peter Rinkcavage and Jason Maybury, were taking charge of their last ever game for Frickley Athletic, at Hillsborough, in the Sheffield Senior Cup Final.
It would've been nice to drive over and offer them my support, but as Worksop Town were the opposition, I wouldn't go near the game on principle.
However, I have a lot of good friends connected with Worksop Town Football Club and out of respect to them I won't comment any further on that thorny issue.
Apologies for not being there Peter and Jason ... and good luck with whatever you decide to do in the future.
And a big 'well done Lakey!' to Andy Lake for being part of the winning team's set up on the night. Top man!

After Parkhouse's last game of the season, at home to Bentley Colliery this coming Saturday, they will be changing their name to Clay Cross Town.
Don't ever let it be said, that THE66POW doesn't get to the nub of all the vital scoops and hot off the press news, that you won't find elsewhere, in a quest to leave no stone unturned, to get the low down on what's what, in local grass roots football.
OK, a nice old gentleman in a Parkhouse FC scarf told me that, while the players were warming up, otherwise I wouldn't have known either.
It was nice to see that the local vandals have been leaving Kiveton Park FC alone for a while and that they've been able to repair and repaint the stand at the ground.

The length of the grass at Hard lane, hides a multitude of lumps and bumps, but the two teams, currently sat 8th and 9th in the 17 team CMFL North, didn't let the underfoot conditions stop them from putting on a well contested and entertaining game, on a balmy late spring night.
Kick off was delayed from 6.30pm to 6.50pm, due to the match officials being delayed en route, but there was still plenty of light when the game reached its conclusion.
I watched the game with the Lord Mayor of Scotter, who is always good value for his knowledgeable insight and reads a game of football very well.
Good to run into you again Captain Birdseye ;-)

Both teams demonstrated a willingness to attack and early on it was evident that there would be goals in this game.
The first one arrived on 25 minutes, when Jack Smith saved James Goodison's shot on goal, but Jimmy Hill (I kid you not) was on hand to put the rebound away, to give the visitors the lead.
Ironically, the goal came just after 'Kivo' had missed a couple of sitters.
Before half time, Parkhouse increased their lead, when Goodison's put the ball across the face of the goal from inside the left channel and Ollie Shelton was on hand to add the finishing touch.

"I can hear the grass grow, I can hear the grass grow"

Kiveton came out looking to find their way back into the game and made a lively start to the second half.
Steve McDonnell went very close to pulling a goal back a few minutes after the restart but his effort flew narrowly wide.

But on 55 minutes, Rob Gorman got the ball just inside the Parkhouse area, steadied himself and thumped the ball home to make the score 1-2.

Both teams continued to play an open and attacking game, with the home side now playing some quite impressive stuff as they pressed for an equaliser.
But, with twenty minutes remaining, there was an agonising moment for the Kiveton Park captain Jamie Taylor, who got himself into a tangle in the middle of the park. When, whilst attempting to control the ball, he stood on it and stumbled over instead.
Gary Morton, seized on the error and wasted no time charging off unchallenged towards the goal.
Jack Smith came off his line to narrow the angle, but Morton kept his cool and finished well.
Danny MacPherson thought he had pulled another goal back for the home side, but he'd wandered marginally offside before putting the ball in the net and his strike was ruled out.
MacPherson, has scored 6 times in 10 appearances for the Hard Lane side this season and he is obviously a decent player, but OMG! He never stops giving the match officials earache from the first whistle through to the last.
And I suspect that kind of stuff goes against you when close call, 50/50 decisions have to be made.

Jake Lee of Kiveton got an unexpected knock late in the second half, when the referee Chris Stevens mistimed his run towards the home side's number 16 and accidentally kicked and toppled the player over, when all he really meant to do, was have a quiet word in his ear.
At least it looked like an accident and they both saw the funny side of it.
Right at the death, Danny MacPherson went in heavy on the Parkhouse keeper as he ran out of the box to clear the ball, earning himself a booking in the process.
Less lenient referees than Chris Stevens, might have given him a straight red for that one.
All told, Parkhouse stuck to their task and delivered the goods when it mattered, but Kiveton Park will probably be disappointed to have come out of the game with nothing having contributed so much over the 90 minutes, especially in the second half.