Retford United 1 v Pickering Town 0 - Baris NCEL Premier Division

Tuesday 7th August 2012, at Cannon Park
Baris Northern Counties East League, Premier Division
Retford United (1) 1
Andy Walkden 38
Pickering Town (0) 0
Admission £5, Programme £1.50, Attendance 119
Mucho thanks to Annie Knight for the blackberries ;-)
Retford United:
Ward, Smith, Severn, Walkden, Sanderson, Aspinall, O'Neill, Hadley (Nesbitt), Cooper (Frost), Stannard, Scott (Slack).
Unused subs - Dorgan, Booth
Pickering Town:
Reid A, Reid T, Craig, Hillier, Sturdy, Shepherd, Stewart, Connor (Readman), Baxter, Salt, Danby (Gowen).
Unused sub - Taylor
Two games into the season and reigning league champions, under new management, Retford United have maximum points and they still haven't conceded a goal ... a flying start to their Baris NCEL Premier Division season then.
But, even the most biased of Badgers fans who were present tonight, will have had to hold their hands up and concede that Pickering were, just maybe, a bit unfortunate not to have taken at least a draw from this game, especially in light how much of the possession they had of the ball throughout the second half.
Before the break, the home side were ahead on merit, when Andy Walkden twisted, turned and got on the end of an Adam Scott corner, to fire them ahead on 38 minutes, shortly after Jake Stannard had been guilty of a glaring miss from Kyle Hadley's cross, that really ought to have provided the opening goal of the night.
Most of United's more productive forward play in the first half seemed to involve Adam Scott, who went close himself a couple of times ... but after the break, Retford appeared to play deeper and 'the Pikes' grew in stature, as they gained momentum and took the game to their hosts.
At the final whistle, the visiting fans who'd made the long midweek journey down to North Notts, must've been cursing their luck, as the usually prolific striking duo, Liam Salt and the Carl Stewart, both went close to forcing an equaliser.
Jack Ward in the Retford goal, did well in the closing stages to keep Pickering out and preserve his side's slender lead.
Credit where it's due, Pickering Town didn't play like a side who've just lost two games in a row and if they keep up that level of performance they'll soon get some points on the board.

But Retford United managed to hold on to their deserved, if sometimes frail and delicate, half time lead.
Remember kids; clean sheets win points as well as goals.
And it's usually the sides who grind out results when the opposition have given them a run for their money, who end up being successful, innit!?

Something for our female readers ... Prime beefcake totty!

Selected results elsewhere tonight:
Long Eaton United 3 v Staveley Miners Welfare 1 - NCEL Prem
Worksop Parramore 5 v Lincoln Moorlands Railway 0 - NCEL Prem
Teversal 2 v Rossington Main 1 - NCEL League Cup
Gainsborough Trinity 4 v Doncaster Rovers 0 - PSF
Harworth Colliery Institute 2 v Brigg Town 2 - PSF
Sheffield FC 4 v Mansfield Town 5 - PSF
As regards the pre season friendly results:
Aye right!
Wait until I'm nor there before you put on a really entertaining show.
You know who you are!