Harworth Colliery 7 v Phoenix FC 1 - CMFL North

CMFL North - Saturday 10th August 2013
at the Recreation Ground, Scrooby Road, Bircotes, DN11 8JT
Central Midlands Football League (North)
Harworth Colliery (3) 7
Ryan Paczkowski 2, 13, 39, 76,
Chris Belshaw 83, 89,
Makenzie Tomlinson 86
Phoenix FC (1) 1
James Lawton 28
Admission £3, Programme £1

Harworth Colliery:
Mark Latham, Makenzie Tomlinson, Simon Brewster, James Woodward, Jonny Bownes (Stuart Needham), Chris Belshaw, Ryan Paczkowski (Lee Edmondson), Dean Bonser, Lewis Hilton, Gareth Sides, Lloyd Wilkinson (Matt Smith)
Unused Subs - Tom Walker, Steve Wibberley

Phoenix FC:
Matt Herschell Smith, Nick Womack (Ebrima Mendy), Carl Garlick, Andy Woodhall, Danny Harrison, Andy Garlick, Kieran Gallacher (James Creaghan), Chris Lund, Steve McConnell, James Lawton (Aaron Cross), Sam Hadfield
Unused Subs - Neil Hurst, James Davis

A flying start to the season for the Colliery, who thoroughly deserved to win this game against a very physical Phoenix FC team.

The Brinsworth based side have had the better of recent exchanges between the two sides, so it was the icing on the cake that this emphatic opening day win, finally blew away the 'bogey team' status that todays visitors had over on us of late.
An excellent passing move at pace right at the start of the game, saw Kenzie Tomlinson send Gaz Sides away on a run down the right channel, his cross to Chris Belshaw was laid neatly into the path of  Ryan Paczkowski, who buried the ball past Matt Herschell-Smith from ten yards out inside the opening two minutes.

With less than quarter of an hour on the clock, 'Raz Patch' struck again to double Harworth's lead, as our Twitter feed reluctantly drew the attention of all the local NCEL and Evo-Stik scouts, who weren't already in the know, to the fact that the former Gainsborough Trinity and Brigg Town player was back plying his trade again on home turf.
All interested parties are hereby invited to post enquiries (with a second class stamp attached) to the players agent @ Non existent office, Outer Hebrides, Up North Somewhere ...  and he'll endeavour to reply to you before June 2014.
Mr R J Paczkowski is very happy to be playing his football where he is at the moment, ta very much.

Gaz Sides was thwarted by a point blank save from  Herschell-Smith, before Kenzie Tomlinson almost scored Harworth's third, when Chris Belshaw, flush from his run of goals and assists in pre season, found the 16 year old with a pinpoint cross from the left wing, that Kenzie, making his CMFL debut this afternoon, put narrowly wide of the target.
Against the run of play, Phoenix made some inroads into Harworth's half and James Lawton halved the arrears when he netted for the visitors from close range on 28 minutes.
Referee Kevin Guise, missed a blatant shove in Gaz Sides back inside the box, that warranted a blatant penalty and minutes later waved away appeals for a studs up challenge on Lloyd Wilkinson, also inside the box. Though it was Harworth who should have been incensed by both challenges, it was the visitors who became aggravated instead and a succession of heavy challenges from the Phoenix players went unpunished for a while.

Mr Guise had obviously decided to try and let the game flow and turn a blind eye to a few thundering tackles, after all, this was a full blooded Central Midlands League fixture, not a boy scouts picnic ... but rather than deciding to respect that approach, certain Phoenix players saw it as an excuse to up the ante and see what they could actually get away with, which led to Kieran Gallacher receiving the first of many yellow cards.
But amidst the lunging tackles and prevailing mood of the game, Ryan Paczkowski found time and space inside the Phoenix box and restored Harworth's two goal advantage while claiming a first half hat trick in the 39th minute.
Half Time - Harworth Colliery 3 v Phoenix FC 1

The visitors, anxious to turn the tide, made two changes at the break, with Kieran Gallacher and James Lawton, making way for Aaron Cross and James Creaghan. But their half time reshuffle was all in vain when their centre forward, Steve McConnell was given a straight red on 48 minutes for a challenge on Simon Brewster.
Some in the Phoenix camp obviously seemed to think the red card was harsh, but McConnell was fortunate not to receive a further card when he attacked the corner flag and kicked it out of the ground on his way to the dressing room.
All heat of the moment stuff and the Phoenix striker will no doubt be regretting his actions and momentary loss of discipline now.
Without their main striker, Phoenix were really up against it and the game became a bit scrappy, with no place for the feint hearted to hide for a while.
Matt Smith and Stuart Needham replaced Lloyd Wilkinson and Jonny Bownes who'd both taken knocks and for a while, play settled down and the heavy lunges relented, albeit briefly.

The classy looking Ebrima Mendy came on for Phoenix in place of Nick Womack and the ten men began to play some half decent football, with Harworth also finding their stride again.
But with the game slipping away from them, a few of the visiting players began to lose their composure and the tackles started flying in again.
Sam Hadfield was booked and before long Mr Guise was destined to be suffering from writer's cramp, because his book was out of his pocket so frequently.
Dean Bonser battled for possession in midfield, as he had done all afternoon, which gave Chris Belshaw the opportunity to break away at pace, leaving the Phoenix defence in his wake, before squaring the ball for Ryan Paczkowski who gratefully netted his (and Harworth's) fourth goal of the afternoon from six yards out.
The game was effectively over now.

 'Raz Patch' came off to a heroes reception, while Lee Edmondson entered the fray to add some pace to the attack to take advantage of the tired Phoenix defence.
Within the space of five minutes Phoenix saw another three players yellow carded as they began to completely lose their heads and their shape altogether now.
It was a real shame for their stand in manager, who is actually a really nice bloke.
Harworth ran riot in the last seven minutes of the game.
Matt Smith knocked a measured ball into the path of Chris Belshaw, who raced away to net the Colliery's fifth goal at the second attempt, after the grounded Phoenix keeper had got a hand to Belshaw's initial shot.

Lee Edmondson and Stuart Needham combined just inside the box and laid the ball back to Makenzie Tomlinson ... and as the visitors defence stood off waiting to see who he was going to pass to, Kenzie had a pop and scored instead and was mobbed by celebrating  team mates.
A local lad makes good, story book finale to Tomlinson's first ever league game ... a great moment for him to savour.
Gaz Sides, who'd been unlucky to pick up a booking when he was in the thick of it with the Phoenix players, had the last laugh in the final minute, when his hard graft carved out an opening for Chris Belshaw who netted Harworth's seventh and final goal.

A great performance from the Colliery, who kept their cool when the opposition evidently didn't and let their football do the talking.
In the cold light of day, Phoenix will probably know that they made it hard for themselves with an undisciplined performance. But Harworth warranted the margin of victory for withstanding a barrage of heavy tackles and refusing to be knocked out of their stride.
Full Time - Harworth Colliery 7 v Phoenix FC 1