Retford United U19 1 v Worksop Town U19 3 - NMU19L Div 1

Thursday 28th March 2013

at Cannon Park/Jones & Co. Solicitors Stadium
North Midland U19 League Division 1
Retford United U19 (0) 1
Bobby Johnson 48
Worksop Town U19 (1) 3
Alex Nightingale 3, OG 68, Reece Twell 90+4
Admission £2, Programme £1
Thanks to Jon Knight for the photographs and Ann Smith for the line up details
Retford United:
McCracken, Armitage, Swannack, Munn, Lucas (Capt), Dennett, Colton, Downey, Booth, Johnson, Ellis
Subs - Stutt, Tittcomb, Jackson, Hall, S Hutchinson
Worksop Town:
Jepson, Robinson, Johnson, Flannery, Knight, Jackson, Sweetnam, Mason, Billau, Nightingale, Rice
Subs - Twell, Howard, Elliott, Shepherd, Matthewman

Just about everything that could have gone wrong for Retford tonight did ... but that isn't meant to take anything away from Worksop, who were impressive throughout this Bassetlaw derby.
In fact, if wasn't for several last ditch, goal line clearances, the margin of victory would've been even higher than it was.
The visitors needed the points to give themselves some breathing space in the league table, where they were stuttering perilously close to the drop zone prior to tonight's kick off.
But although Hallam have a game in hand over the Tigers, Kelvin Stalingrad's team have an infinitely better goal difference than them, which should see them preserve their first division status, especially if they continue to play as well as they did tonight.

It was a real shame that my good friend, Worksop U19's regular match reporter (and big supporter of local football), Paul 'Finchley Tiger' Stacey, had to miss tonight's game, due to illness, because his reports are always far better than mine and I was looking forward to  posting a link to his report on this blog, once he'd uploaded it.
It's great news that he is out of hospital and on the mend, get well soon mate.
You would have really enjoyed tonight's game.
It was good tonight, to rub shoulders and exchange pleasantries/banter/mutually heartfelt and unrestrained abuse ... neither of us would have it any other way Mr Marsden ;-) ... with friends, former colleagues, a couple of the players and old adversaries from Worksop Town. 
I'm not bitter about anything that happened when I was 'slightly' involved with the Tigers and I'd never speak out or say anything detrimental or damaging about WTFC, because I've got a lot of friends there, who I've shared some really great days out and camaraderie with ... that said, there is one certain poisonous individual connected to tonight's visitors, that I was particularly happy not to see, because he wasn't at the game.

Knowing the people involved with Retford United Under 19s as well as I do, they won't want to use the fact that they played with a depleted team tonight, because of injuries, player unavailability and a fairly significant two game suspension (you can take the man out of Harworth, but you can't take the Harworth out of the man, eh Reece!?), as an excuse for their defeat tonight.
The truth is, in local derby games, the form book often goes out of the window.
And the Tigers arrived at the Jones & Co. Solicitors Stadium tonight, tore that form book to shreds, raised their game and deservedly won.
Of course, tonight's reversal, is a real kick in the teeth for Retford's title aspirations and its given the three other sides at the top a massive boost.
But, looking at the bigger picture, the Badgers have the best crop of youngsters they've ever had on board right now and with ambitious plans to relaunch their reserve team next season, the club's infrastructure is looking very healthy indeed, they shouldn't be too despondent about the outcome of tonight's game, because long term, it's all going to plan. I guess it all depends on how you measure success.

You win some, you lose some ... it must feel like a massive kick in the teeth when your local rivals derail your championship challenge, but once the dust settles, Retford United need to be run on sensible and affordable lines to survive and a production line of homegrown players is paramount to their survival.
Well played Worksop Town Under 19s and congratulations on a thoroughly deserved win.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Aaron Knight, Worksop Town ... anybody who can be that entertaining while rolling around on the floor suffering from cramp, deserves a special mention.