Clipstone 1 v Shirebrook Town 3 - PSF

Friday 14th July 2017
at the WVH Stadium
Clipstone FC (0) 1
Ross Henshaw 50 OG
Shirebrook Town (3) 3
Eden Homer 12
Declan Brewin 22
Sam Dockwray 35
Admission £3

Rumours swept the local football grapevine towards the end of last season, that Clipstone's resignation from the NCEL and application to join the CMFL was imminent.
Thankfully all of the conjecture turned out to be 'fake news' and I am happy to report that the Cobras didn't opt to bow out, but wisely decided to dig their heels in and continue to ply their trade in the top flight of the NCEL.

Granted, they probably won't be among the contenders to be trail blazing for glory on all fronts any time soon, but if they had of taken the easy way out, instead of slugging it out through the forthcoming season, then who is to say how long it would take them to climb back up to such a lofty perch, if at all?
As the eminent philosopher Jaz Coleman once said: Dodge the bullets, or carry the gun, the choice is yours!

It took the home side a while to get going tonight, they were getting the ball forward often enough, but missing the final touches in the last third.
Shirebrook had no such problems and swept into a comfortable three goal half time lead, with the kind of collective calm and assurance that would suggest that they are on the verge of good things at Langwith Road this coming season.

Tom Cooke almost opened the scoring for the visitors when he cut into the Cobras area from out on the right flank.
Eden Homer opened the scoring, with a snap shot from twenty five yards out after twelve minutes.
Shirebrook took the lead when a burst of pace saw Declan Brewin round the Cobras keeper and roll the ball into an empty net.
Clipstone continued to plug away, but were firing blanks and failed to trouble Gav Saxby, the evergreen Shirebrook keeper.

Brewin almost scored again when his shot crashed down from the crossbar, but the visitors all but sewed up the game after thirty five minutes, when Sam Dockwray was on hand to steer Kieran Watson's left wing delivery into the back of the net.
The second half was far more evenly matched, as the game wound down to it's conclusion, through the pre-season formalities of substitutions and tired legs.
Five minutes after the break, Ross Henshaw did offer Clipstone a glimmer of hope, when he sliced a clearance over his own keepers head, but that mishit strike brought the goal action for the night to an unceremonious end.
Good luck to both sides for the forthcoming season, see you soon.
FT: Clipstone 1 v Shirebrook Town 3

Clipstone's work experience lads from the
Mansfield Town youth team, watch on