Ollerton Town 2 v Kimberley MW 3 - PSF

Wednesday 20th July 2016
Pre-Season Friendly
at the Lane, Ollerton
Ollerton Town (1) 2
Bingham 8, Munson 86
Kimberley Miners Welfare (1) 3
Grigg 29
Westcarr 57, 73
Admission £2

On the whole, probably a fair result all told, as a slightly out of sorts Ollerton side came up against Kimberley, who were obviously well up for this encounter... particularly in the second half, when they were actually the better side.

But from the outset it looked as if the home side would cruise to a comfortable win and when Lewis Bingham paced forward twenty yards before chipping the ball over the advancing visiting keeper's head and secured the opening goal via the right hand upright, the home crowd were buoyant in anticipation of a first home win of the season for the NCEL's new boys.

Bingham opened up the visitors defence again via the same route, but instead of going for goal, he unselfishly opted to knock the ball to his right for Danny Wiltshire, but Stevenson cut out the pass and Kimberley cleared their lines.
Both teams had somewhat optimistic penalty appeals waved away, while Chris Hewitt, in the process of trying to get the ball forward for the home side, was getting kicked from pillar to post in the middle of the park as receiving no small amount of close attention.

Westcarr & Grigg, Kimberley's goalscorers
get the ball rolling at the Lane

He was withdrawn at half time by the home side's management, who wisely decided the last thing he needed on the verge of the new season, was an overly physical game.
Kimberley couldn't be faulted for their effort and just before the half hour mark, Griggs hit a low angled shot towards Ollerton's goal and the bounced deceived the trialist goalkeeper Hankey as the ball evaded him and ended up in the back of the net.
The effect of the goal was that Kimberley's spirits were lifted and they raised their game another notch and were unlucky not to be in front at the break when Hankey pulled off a vital save from Slade. Not all of them you understand, just the shouty singer with the big top hat festooned in mirrors.
HT: Ollerrton Town 1 v Kimberley MW 1

8 minutes, Lewis Bingham, 1-0.
What could possibly go wrong?

Bingham threatened the visitors goal right from the off, but as he rounded Bodders with the ball, his touch was too heavy and as a consequence he had to shoot from a tight angle and Webster had got back to cover his keeper and cleared the ball off the line.
But it was the visitors who were looking like the most likely team to add goals and in the 57th minute, Westcarr ran onto a well measured long pass from Lench, took the ball down with one touch and planted it firmly past Hankey with the second. A quality strike, that even the Ollerton supporters applauded.

Kimberley were riding on the crest of a wave as Ollerton were forced to defend deeply and Westcarr claimed another goal to put the visitors three one ahead after 73 minutes, when Lewis threaded a through ball to the live-wire striker.
The game should have been over as a contest when Dockwray upended Lewis inside the penalty area. But Hankey did well to keep Lewis' firmly struck spot kick out.

It's a free country and if he chooses to
go out wearing a nappy, that's his choice

Inside the final five minutes, Munson pulled a goal back for Ollerton, when he beat Bodders from six yards, but having done the difficult bit, the visitors were in no mood to let 'Town' get back on level terms now and they held on, for what in my unbiased opinion, was a hard fought and well deserved win.
Ollerton shouldn't be overly concerned about having lost three pre-season games in a row, especially with a depleted side, because it's still only effectively dress rehearsal time, but Dave Winter will have seen a few creases that need ironing out, while on the Kimberley bench, Ian Deakin looked very pleased with his teams efforts... and so he should be.

FT: Ollerton Town 2 v KImberley MW 2
EMCL side Kimberley looked very impressive at times and quite physical too, I haven't visited the Stag Ground for a while, so we'll have to organize an expedition over that way again soon.
And it goes without saying, I'll be at the Lane fairly often over the course of the season seeing as it's only a ten minute drive from my swanky penthouse suite in the sprawling metropolis of East Retford.