Harworth Colliery 6 v Yorkshire Main 0 - CMFL North

Saturday 2nd March 2013
Central Midlands League (North)
Harworth Colliery (3) 6
Matt Smith 23, 40, 51,
Gaz Sides 44 (pen),
Tom Pick 70, 77
Yorkshire Main (0) 0
Admission £3, Programme £1

Harworth Colliery:
Mark Latham, Jordan Hardman, David Cornthwaite, James Woodward (Paul Burns 10), Simon Brewster, Chris Belshaw, Tom Padgett (Scott Hardman 62), Jonathan Bownes, Lee Edmondson (Tom Pick 62), Gaz Sides, Matt Smith
Yorkshire Main:
Aaron Kamara, James Smith, Jordan Smith, Andrew Galloway, James Cheswick, Chris Dainse, Mohammed Sabah, James Connor, Lee Stevens, James Ferguson, Viladick Manofanov
Subs - Michael Barker, Richard Thomas, Richard Jones, Liam Coxon

Anything, other than a convincing home win, would have been completely unexpected today.
But, Harworth had to be on their guard against becoming too complacent, after their impressive semi final win in the CMFL North Floodlit Cup at Glapwell and needed to avoid letting this afternoon's game becoming some kind of 'after the lord mayor's show' display.
While Yorkshire Main, who were on the sharp end of a recent 14-0 drubbing at AFC Mansfield, were fired up and hell bent on avoiding another going over.
On the face of it, a top four side at home, against one of the CMFL North's whipping boys this term, should have been a nailed on three points for the Colliery side, but even given that the visitors from nearby Edlington started the game sat on a goal difference of -83 (minus eighty three), the form book often goes out of the window in local derbies, particularly when a lot of the players and staff at both clubs know each other.

I don't think I'm being too unkind, when I say that there was a vast difference in the respective fitness levels of both teams, in so much as Harworth had one 'Belly' (AKA Chris Belshaw), whereas Yorkshire Main had several rather large bellys.
Some cheeky sod asked me if I was related to the visitors right back, given his 'bulky' proportions, so I told him it as my little brother, who often gives me his shirts to stretch for him ... eff off!
I can always go on a diet, but whatever size you might be, you'll always be what you are!!!
Obviously, as the game went on, several of the Yorkshire Main players would been struggling to keep up with the pace of the game, whilst the superbly athletic home side, would still have something in reserve.

It soon became apparent that it was more of question of when, as opposed to if, Harworth were going to take the lead, as they started on the front foot and went on the attack from the off..
But the visitors were putting up a stubborn resistance, to repel a home side who's application level never really got anywhere near the heights it had reached at Glapwell in midweek.
I guess that sometimes, players will instinctively raise their game, especially in a semi final, against a quality side, away from home.
But other times (no offence intended to Yorkshire main), the motivation isn't quite there, when you can only beat what is in front of you ... and today's opponents are nothing like the trail blazing, trophy winning side they had a couple of years ago.
Their manager Chris Rix (who is related to the former Hearts manager Graham), seems to be working with a mandate to just keep the club going, so fair play to him, because in spite of the stacked odds he's up against, that is exactly what Rixy is doing.

You could almost say that Yorkshire Main have become the 'Bash Street Kids' of the CMFL North this season (though they're not quite as handsome as Plug and Co.) and that they are going through a 'transitional' spell. Hopefully they'll pull through it, because there are some genuinely nice and colourful characters around the club and they would be sorely missed if they ever disappeared off of the local football map completely.
Five minutes into the game, Simon Brewster demonstrated why he is a defender, when he thumped the ball high and wide of the visitors goal from 18 yards out.
A minute later, Aaron Kamara got down well to his left to tip a Tom Padgett effort round the post for a corner.
From the resulting flag kick, James Woodward twisted awkwardly as he narrowly failed to connect with Chris Belshaw's in swinging ball, into the six yard box.

Alas 'Woody' played no further part in the game as the sharp turn had aggravated his hip and Paul Burns came on from the bench to replace him.
Matt Smith broke into the visitors box and went down in a tangle with a defender.
It was a six and two thirds coming together of bodies and the referee, Scott Mason, awarded a drop ball, from which Tom Padgett won a corner.
Once more, Chris Belshaw dropped a well balanced ball into the six yard box and Matt Smith headed home at the back stick.
At this point, Yorkshire Main really should have have taken note of the Belshaw/Smith combination at corner licks, for future reference.

Bend it like Belly

Johnny Bownes was fouled 25 yards from the visitors goal. Belshaw stepped up and put his free kick narrowly wide of the right hand stanchion.
Jordan Hardman. knocked a pin point pass into the path of Lee Edmondson, who's low cross into the six yard box picked out Belshaw who saw his effort go just wide of the post this time.
Belshaw, once more, found himself in a goal scoring position, but in a 50/50 race for the ball with Kamara, was thwarted by the Main keeper.
The visitors made two 'tactical' substitutions.
Their tactic was: replace the two knackered lads.
On 40 minutes, Chris Belshaw shaped up to take a corner kick and Yorkshire Main let Matt Smith drop into exactly the right place at the right time again, to nod Belly's flag kick past Kamara to double Harworth's lead.
Gaz Sides and Lee Edmondson but played good balls into the box as the home side turned the screw, but the Main defence scrambled the ball to safety.

On the stroke of half time, Matt Smith ran onto a Jordan Hardman pass into the box and was bundled over, by a push in the back, as he cued up his shot.
A penalty was awarded and I don't see how the referee had any option but to give it, despite some rather loud protestations from the Yorkshire Main bench.
Smith was on the receiving end of a fair few 'heavy tackles' this afternoon, but not nearly as many as Gaz Sides copped for. I think it would be fair to say that they won't be opening a branch headquarters for Gaz Sides fan club in Edlington, but he just kept getting up and dusting himself down and will have thoroughly enjoyed crashing the spot kick into the back of the net.
HT - Harworth Colliery 3 v Yorkshire Main 0

Matt Smith completed his hat trick of headed goals, six minutes into the second half, from yet another Chris Belshaw header.
Time to consult the oracle (AKA Rob Needham in the Pavilion bar) to see if anyone else had ever achieved such a feat before: 'Paul Wilson in 1981 and Steve Evans in 1987' he replied as quick as a flash.
For a centre half, Rob had been a prolific goalscorer for Retford Town (R.I.P.) in the NCEL, just in case you're one of the few people he hasn't told yet ;-)
For purposes of clarification, I have most of Retford Town's match programmes from that era and I can vouch for the fact that they contain the evidence that his claims are all true.

Chris Belshaw tees up a corner kick as Matt Smith wanders into the left hand side of the picture. Guess what happens next?

Gaz Sides went for goal as the floodgates threatened to open wide, but Kamara blocked his effort at the expense of a corner.
Scott Hardman and Tom Pick came on for Harworth in the 62nd minute, in place of Lee Edmondson and Tom Padgett, who had both put in a lot of leg work for the team over the last couple of games.
Tom Pick was soon on the score sheet. His initial shot was saved, but when the rebound came back to him, he slotted the ball home.

 A Belshaw corner was cleared, for a change, but only as far as Jonny Bownes, who bulged the back of the net from 18 yards out ... unfortunately it was one of the five aside goal nets on the adjacent astroturf!!!
Pick scored again, when he dribbled across the face of goal through a crowded defence and slotted the ball home from an angle. Six-nil to Harworth.
Chris Belshaw broke into the box from the left, riding a couple of strong challenges (AKA fouls) en route and was scythed down in the box ... penalty to Harworth.

And that is why Gaz Sides will be taking all of the penaltys in future

Tom Pick claimed the kick, wanting to bag a ten minute hat trick for himself, but Aaron Kamara got down well to keep the ball out.
Tomo's kick was low, hard and on target, but Kamara guessed right.
And regular penalty taker Gaz Sides will be getting his job back with immediate effect.
Jonny Bownes found Matt Smith with a right wing corner, but he headed narrowly over the bar.
Yorkshire Main carried on kicking Gaz Sides at every opportunity and as the game entered the last five minutes, he was virtually rugby tackled out on the right flank while trying to get a cross in.
Referee Scott Mason did well to keep certain players in check and ensure that the game finished eleven aside.

Belshaw and Bownes, both had goal bound efforts cleared late in the game ... and Pick was denied his elusive hat trick in injury time, when the referee's assistant Wayne Davenport put his flag up for offside, following a great run down the right flank from Bownes.
FT - Harworth Colliery 6 v Yorkshire Main 0