Basford United U19 2 v Parkgate U19 1 - NMU19L Div 2

Monday 3rd December 2012,
At Mill Street PLaying Field, Greenwich Avenue, Basford
Baris North Midland U19 League
Basford United (1) 2
Dan Jackson 29, Jack Hodson 52
Parkgate  (0) 1
George Morley 81
Admission £2 inc. programme. Attendance 31

End to end stuff, on a night that polar bears would've considered to be too cold, for venturing out of their caves, to watch a game of football for.
Before anybody goes all pedantic on me, I know most polar bears actually live in tunnels or burrows, but some of them, mostly those of the football watching variety, live in caves.
It was good to catch up with Malc Storer tonight, keeper of the On The Road football blog and his Basford United supporting chums.
Both goalkeepers were kept very busy and pulled off some great stops over the course of the game and all four posts and both cross bars featured frequently, at regular intervals, too.

From a Basford perspective, they'll think they did enough to warrant the win tonight. And they certainly produced enough chances to have registered several more goals.
While Parkgate would also have some justification in claiming that; as Josh Downie, the home side's 16 year old goalkeeper (and man of the match contender), had to make a string of outstanding saves, that they possibly deserved the three points instead.
But, from a neutral(ish) point of view, I'd have to say that a point apiece would've been a fair outcome.
And ... by way of a massive coincidence, a draw would've suited Harworth Colliery U19's better too, because Basford's three points saw then leapfrog over the Northermost Notts side to move up to second place in the table.
Dan Jackson put United ahead on 29 minutes, when he nipped in to pinch the ball from the Parkgate keeper, in a 50/50 race to meet a pass that had been knocked into his path over the visitor's back four, before tapping the ball into the net from ten yards out.
Jackson's strike, was, surprisingly, given the way both teams had thrown caution to the wind and gone for a policy of all out attack for the first 45 minutes, the only goal scored before the half time interval.
After the break, Parkgate were unlucky not to pull level, before Basford forced a corner out on the left flank, that led to Jack Hodson nodding home their second goal.
With 9 minutes remaining, George Morley powered home a free header from a right wing cross to raise the South Yorkshire side's hopes of rescuing a point, but try as they might, the equaliser wasn't to be forthcoming.
Full time - Basford United U19 2 v Parkgate U19 1
Man of the match, Jack FrostOn my way back to the car, in darkness, I nearly went my full length, when I stumbled momentarily, as I stubbed my big toe on a tripping hazard, but I just about spared myself any blushes and almost maintained my dignity, elegance and composure by staying on my feet.
It's a good job the pensioner who was following me hadn't tripped instead, it could've done the old bugger untold harm and injury, hey Mr Storer!?
The 'On The Road 2012-13' blog's view of the night's events