Tuesday 12 January 2016

Rainworth MW 6 v Sherwood Colliery 0 - Notts Senior Cup QF

Tuesday 12th January 2016
Notts Senior Cup, Quarter Final
at Kirklington Road
Rainworth Miners Welfare (4) 6
Jamie Yorke 24, 50
Liam Theakstone 26, 45
Liam Morris 31
Declan Brewin 68
Sherwood Colliery (0) 0
Admission £4.
Programme with team sheet 50p.
Attendance 79.
At Six-nil, obviously Sherwood Colliery, of the CMFL took a bit of a spanking in this local derby game, but, for a while, they held all of the aces and ought to have been a couple of goals to the good already, when the Wrens drew first blood in the twenty second minute, but chances for Julian Topliss and Bradley Wells went begging in the opening exchanges, before Connor Smythe forced a corner out on the left wing.
Liam Theakstone firmly planted a header from Jamie Yorke's measured cross into the back of the net, that gave Gav Saxby, in 'the Wood' goal, no chance, you couldn't fault him for that and in fairness to the Sherwood keeper, who hasn't played for ages he didn't deserve to be on the wrong end of a six goal hiding tonight... the margin of victory says more about Rainworth's prowess in the final third tonight than it does about any shortcomings the Mansfield Woodhouse based club had.
Smythe continued to show that Rainworth's gain was most definitely Worksop's loss as he added a bit of bite to 'the Wrens' defence, while getting up and down the touchline and fulfilling his role as link man.
That said his opposite number three, Ricky Starbuck, well known at a host of football clubs in the locality, had even more of a stand out game in the blue and black of Sherwood, in my humble opinion.
Within two minutes of them taking the lead against the run of play, Rainworth rammed home their advantage, when Smythe's throw in to Liam Morris, was nudged into the path of Jamie Yorke who drilled the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Almost instantly, there was a chance for Sherwood to half the arrears, when Wells was fouled by Smythe inside 'the Wrens' area. But though Topliss hit the spot kick well and on target, Sam Leigh got down well to keep the ball out.
Rainworth netted their third when Liam Morris struck a sweet shot home on the turn from a great ball from Matt Thompson.
On the balance of play and goal scoring opportunities, on another day it could've been 3-3 at this point, but the visitors now had a hill to climb as their NCEL Premier Division hosts moved into cruise control to see out the half.
Matt Sykes missed a sitter as half time approached, but the Wrens could afford to chalk that one off, because on the stroke of half time, Liam Morris pulled the ball back into the path of Theakstone, who drilled a shot into the corner beyond the reach of Saxby.
Although that smashing gentleman with the microphone at Kirklington Road announced that Yorke had scored again... C'mon Gordon!!!
You could say it had been a 'half of two quarters', with 'the Wood' dominating the first twenty minutes or so, before Julian Watts side swept them away with a demonstration of lethal finishing.
HT: The Wrens 4 v The Wood 0
If they thought that they had a mountain to climb at the interval, Sherwood must've feared that an avalanche was imminent too, when Theakstone cued up Yorke, who netted his second and Rainworth's fifth, right at the start of the second half.
You could have forgiven the visitors for chucking the towel in by now, but they didn't and to their immense credit, Sherwood kept the ball on the deck and were pressing for a goal of their own. Leigh did well to save from a Tristan Burrell free kick from twenty yards out... I don't think anyone in the ground, with the exception of Leigh (these goalies like their clean sheets), would've begrudged 'the Wood' a goal or two for their efforts tonight, but it wasn't to be.
Declan Brewin, Rainworth's recent capture from AFC Mansfield, came on in place of Jamie Yorke in the sixty sixth minute and his first touch lead to the home side's sixth and final goal, when his angled shot from the right hand side of the visitors area, took a heavy deflection off of Jobe Shaw that saw the ball dip over Saxby.
Leigh denied Eden Homer late in the game, turning a crashing shot away for a corner off of the upright.
Morris almost netted a seventh for the home side, on a tiring wet surface, he didn't seem to have the strength left in his legs to keep his shot on target. I'd wager he feels stiff as a board in the morning.
Brewin had been a bit fortunate with the six Rainworth goal, that he was officially credited with, but lightning didn't strike twice for him when he unleashed a thumping shot from the same range in the final minute, that Saxby stretched to reach and turn over the bar.
FT: Rainworth Miners Welfare 6 v Sherwood Colliery 0
Sherwood had played very well in parts, but ultimately, they were conquered by some ruthless finishing from a team who ply their trade two divisions above them.
The visitors emerged with a lot of credit for the way they had played, in spite of the final score line, but Rainworth's prowess in the final third deserved a lot of plaudits, their engine room purred at times when they went forward.
An enjoyable night all in, spent in the company of some of the cream of the Nottinghamshire non league football watching fraternity.
The inaugural meeting of the 'Shuttleworth Society' and singsong was a lot of fun too; you know who you are!
Weather permitting I'm back at KIrklington Road on Saturday for the 11AM kick off between Mansfield Town and Rotherham United in the Football League Youth Alliance, see you all there!?
Here we go, two, three, four...