at the Windsor Food Service Stadium, Babbage Lane, Worksop
Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup, First Round
Worksop Parramore (1) 4
Scott Bates 13, 51, Jordan Hatton 65, Lee Holmes 90
Harworth Colliery Institute(0) 1
Matt Smith75
Admission £5,Programme £1.50, Attendance 29
Before the players came out, match referee Adam Smith entertained some of us with a display of his ball juggling skills ... clearly demonstrating why he picked up the whistle instead of becoming a player.
Referee: Adam Smith (Sheffield)
Worksop Parramore:
Steve Hernandez, Andy Wood, Scott Lowe, Gareth Griffiths, Ashley Foyle, Adam Fretwell, Luke Federenko, Simon Murfin, Scott Bates, Lee Holmes, Andy Dawson
Subs - Lee Whittington, Jordan Hatton, Paul Sykes, Lee Thompson, Louis Axcell
Harworth Colliery Institute:
Mark Latham, Jordan Hardman, Paul Burns, James Woodward, Stuart Needham, Chris Belshaw, David Reeve, Tom Walker, David Cornthwaite, Gareth Sides, Kyle Pashley
Subs - Matt Smith, Shay Dunning, Simon Brewster, Tom Pick
As always, the first thing you ever see upon arrival at any Parramore game, is the smiling, happy and welcoming face of Max Ross, who it is always a pleasure to share mischievous gossip with, any day of the week. Max and myself have very similar likes and dislikes, but I'm keeping schtum about that!
It's no exaggeration to say that: if only there were more characters like Max involved in local football, then the world would be a happier and far more harmonious place.
When the team sheets were exchanged, I was happy to see that Worksop's prolific scoring and in form striker, Lee Whittington, was on the bench tonight, but at the end of 90 minutes, I wished that Scott Bates, returning tonight after being out of the Parramore side through injury, had been rested by Darren Bland too.
However, a few minutes later, Parramore, strong favourites to win this game from the off, were in front, when Mark Latham's finger tip save from a stinging Lee Holmes shot, was pounced on by Scott Bates, who netted the ball, just inside the left hand upright from close range.
So, was this the moment when the underdogs were going to cave in against their free scoring neighbours from t'other side of the A1 junction formerly known as Blyth Roundabout?
Not bleedin' likely!
Harworth's David Cornthwaite had joked during the pre match warm up that he was off to try out his position before the game started, while heading for the bench. But in the event he was actually in tonight's starting line up and completely justified his selection too.
The Colliery side were giving a really good account of themselves, while Andy Dawson and Lee Holmes played some neat football between them for Parramore, including a neat one two just before the break that required a timely interception from Chris Belshaw, to deny them with a goalscoring opportunity.
So, hey oop! Craig Shithouse, Baz Inga, Coups and his flag bearing crew and Mr Rainsford.
See you all again soon no doubt ... and don't forget, when the Tigers aren't playing and your landlords are away from home, Harworth Colliery's Recreation Ground is only just up the road.
Catch a bus (there are several services to choose from) and spend loads in the Pavillion while you're at it!
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| Harworth's assistant manager writing his half time speech? |
The second half started pretty much as the first one did, with the home side looking for a goal, to put some distance between themselves and their CMFL North neighbours, in what, from the outset, was always going to be a tricky fixture for Parramore to negotiate. In comparrison, there was no burden of expectation on Harworth whatsoever, they were here to enjoy the experience and to see how they measured up against a very good team, who are absolutely soaring the heights in the Baris NCEL at present ... anything else would be a MASSIVE bonus, of course.
Six minutes into the second half, things got a 'slightly' more difficult for the Colliery, when Scott Bates nipped in and got on the end of a Lee Holmes corner to head home his second goal of the night.
Mark Latham in the visitors goal made a couple of good stops to prevent Worksop getting too far in front, but as Harworth pushed forward and probed for an opening themselves, it seemed as if the final ball was never going to fall for them and they were getting no luck at all from any 50/50 exchanges.
James Woodward shot narrowly wide after some good work in the build up from Tom Walker.
And then Stuart Needham couldn't keep his effort on target, after he'd charged down a clearance from the Parramore defence.
Gaz Sides and Jordan Hardman combined well along the right flank and fed the ball to Tom Walker who swung a dangerous looking ball into the mix ... the ball was scrambled away out of the box, but fell to Gaz Sides who fired over the bar from twenty yards.
The visitors were having their best spell of the game, but as so often happens when a team has just had a purple patch and gone close a few times, the Parras broke straight from the goal kick and Jordan Hatton fired them three ahead from outside the box.
With the game slipping away from them, Harworth went looking for an immediate response, but it was obvious that it just wasn't going to be their night, when Gaz Sides fired narrowly wide again on 70 minutes.
Cue a triple substitution from the Harworth bench, to see if the injection of some fresh legs could make any in roads, into Parramore's emphatic lead, with Matt Smith, Shay Dunning and Simon Brewster, coming on in place of Jordan Hardman, Tom Walker and Kyle Pashley.
Harworth were still two goals behind, to a team from two divisions above them, who by now had introduced the Baris NCEL's top scorer Lee Whittington from the bench, but they weren't about to chuck the towel in.
A mate of mine from Worksop commented on how the Colliery side had played much better than he'd expected them too and said he was impressed by how fit they looked and how well they were passing the ball around.
The CMFL North isn't all about chain smokers playing hoof ball y'know!?
Well ... not all of it anyway ;-)
Mind you, the playing surface at the Winsdsor Food Service Stadium, lends itself to such an aesthetically pleasing approach, whereas certain other pitches I've seen recently, render the possibility of any kind of 'tippy, tappy football' inert and sometimes a direct approach is the only way to get the ball out of the rough.
Alas, with the clock running down, Lee Holmes capped off a great shift for Worksop on the night, with a 90th minute, solo breakaway goal and there was no way back for Harworth now.
Over the 90 minutes, although Lee Holmes thoroughly warranted his goal, having turned in such a great display, I thought that his late strike gave the final score a slightly flattering edge, but Harworth had given a good account of themselves anyway, in a game that was played in such a great spirit that the referee could've left his cards in the dressing room and nobody would've noticed.
Worksop Parramore had the quality in depth to see themselves through to the next round of the prestigious Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup competition, whereas Harworth Colliery won't have the added burden of fixture congestion once winter kicks in now.
Harworth are away again on Saturday, at Fourth Avenue, Edwinstowe, against Thoresby Colliery, in a CMFL North fixture. While Parramore entertain Staveley Miners Welfare in a Baris NCEL game ... what a mouth watering prospect that one is.
Alas, I'll be at neither ... because I'll be at bloody work!
After match comment on the Worksop Parramore website: Credit to Harworth who came to play football and took part in a smart and entertaining game.
They were not disgraced.
The referee did very little which is a compliment to him, his team and both sides.
Wednesday 10th October, Harworth Colliery Institute U19 v Retford United U19, NMU19L League Cup, at Scrooby Road, Bircotes, DN11 8JT
