Parkgate U19 1 v Basford United 7 - NMU19L Div 2

Monday 29th April 2013
at Roundwood Pavilion
North Midland U19 League Division 2
Parkgate U19 (1) 1
Curtis Wilkinson 28
Basford United U19 (4) 7
Anton Robinson 13
Dan Jackson 24, 51
Luke McKeag 36
Jack Hodson 43, 75
Kyle Keetley 67
Admission £2 inc team sheet

Congratulations to Basford United U19, who were (finally and deservedly) crowned as champions of the NMU19L Division 2 tonight.
The last time I visited Parkgate, was the unfortunate night (this one) where I ended up missing most of the game to accompany an injured Harworth Under 19's player, Tom Sowden, to Rotherham A&E.
The reasons for my visit to Roundwood tonight were two fold, 1) To seek out the guy from Parkgate's ground staff who'd helped us to get Tom to hospital, because I didn't get chance to thank him properly when things were getting a bit hectic that night & 2) the championship for the NMU19L was probably going to be decided tonight and it's only right that representatives of at least some of the other clubs in that division were present to pay there respects to Basford for their achievement.
Of course, it also got me out of attending a committee meeting at Harworth Colliery FC ... but I'll make sure I'm at the next one, paying attention, listening intently and taking my responsibilities as seriously as ever (cough).

Basford United bagged seven quality finishes tonight, to underline their credentials as worthy champions of the NMU19L Division 2, even though the eighth goal of the night, or the third in chronological order, netted by Parkgate's right back Curtis Wilkinson was probably the pick of the bunch, after he raced down the right flank, before smacking home a peach of a goal from just outside the Basford area on 28 minutes, to give his side a brief hope of getting back into the game, before the visitors turned the screw, upped the ante and vanished out of sight and over the horizon.

Anton Robinson opened the scoring after 13 minutes, getting onto the end of a multi pass move, before rounding the keeper and putting the finishing touch to some neat build up play, from ten yards out.

Dan Jackson netted Basford's second, with a calm and confident finish after he was picked out by, err ... a Basford player, out on the left flank, with a cross deep into Parkgate's area.

The home side then gave themselves a temporary respite from Basford's attacking play, through Curtis Wilkinson's aforementioned 'wunder strike' and threatened to get back into the game, until Luke McKeag headed home another goal for the visitors to restore their two goal cushion.

Dan Jackson almost made it 1-4, but his effort came back off the underside of the crossbar.

But Jack Hodson netted Basford's 4th a couple of minutes before the interval anyway.

HT - Parkgate U19 1 v Basford United U19 4

45 minutes gone and the Nottingham based champions elect already had one hand on the trophy.

Shortly after the restart, Jack Hodson put Dan Jackson through with a measured pass and the prolific Basford striker chipped Parkgate's keeper, to all but finish the game off and claim the title for the visitors.

Basford could now afford to slow the tempo down a bit and be a little blase' in their approach play. 

Kyle Keetley's goal to make it 1-6 was pure show boating as he lobbed the ball home from 25 yards after the Parkgate keeper had strayed from his line. And then Jack Hodson belted home a 25 yard free kick from almost 30 yards out to complete the rout, with 15 minutes still to go. 

Basford could, possibly, have really gone to town in the closing stages, but that would just have been showing off and they didn't need to do that. 

This victory was already just about as emphatic as it could've been.

FT - Parkgate U19 1 v Basford United 7

A real champion class performance by Basford on the night.

Well done to all concerned.