Toolstation NCEL Division 1
at Cannon Park
Retford United (0) 0
Swallownest (1) 3
Alex Nightingale 45
Adam Daughtrey 80
Jamie Hopkins 90
Admission £5. Programme £2. Attendance 132
Flickr picture gallery click HERE
Pardon the double entendre out the out set of this piece, but:Willy's last stand today, do you think?
In spite of Retford United's spirited performance in their defeat against Armthorpe Welfare in midweek, the change of personnel in the Cannon Park hot seat is seemingly now inevitable anytime soon, as the Badgers now prepare for a Tuesday night date with destiny at high flying and high scoring Yorkshire Amateur.
This afternoon it was a case of will the real Retford United please stand up to be counted, because far too many of Mark Wilson's charges, with some notable exceptions, were way off the pace, both physically and mentally and actually looked nervous at times.
The rumour mill is in full swing pertaining to who will be Wilson's replacement anytime soon.
Yet though the pressure of working under such a big black cloud of scrutiny and uncertainty must be quite unbearable,Wilson has maintained his dignity throughout this difficult spell at the club and has remained open, frank and approachable.
This afternoon it was a case of will the real Retford United please stand up to be counted, because far too many of Mark Wilson's charges, with some notable exceptions, were way off the pace, both physically and mentally and actually looked nervous at times.
The rumour mill is in full swing pertaining to who will be Wilson's replacement anytime soon.
Yet though the pressure of working under such a big black cloud of scrutiny and uncertainty must be quite unbearable,Wilson has maintained his dignity throughout this difficult spell at the club and has remained open, frank and approachable.
Yet, although everybody who has ever dealt with 'Willy' Wilson within the game, must be rooting for him to turn things around, football is, in essence, a business, a results business, and when the big decisions have to be taken, you have to remove all emotion out of the equation and be ruthless sometimes, even if your actions make you unpopular... and to that end I don't envy the position of the Badgers chairman Simon Brammer one little bit, particularly when the recent run of form and league position are all but forcing his hand and he has reached a position where he is damned if he does take swift action and damned if he doesn't and the situation gets even worse.
Good luck to all of the people affected directly by this ever worsening situation, I wouldn't want to be the guy with his finger on thee trigger in this particular scenario, because I couldn't personally pull it while-soever the sights were trained on Mark Wilson, regardless of what the consequences of my own lack of bottle might be.
Good luck to all of the people affected directly by this ever worsening situation, I wouldn't want to be the guy with his finger on thee trigger in this particular scenario, because I couldn't personally pull it while-soever the sights were trained on Mark Wilson, regardless of what the consequences of my own lack of bottle might be.
The Badgers have lurched from crisis to crisis for far too long now, with many a good man (and woman) falling by the wayside over the past few years. The self destruct button was installed long before either Brammer or Wilson were involved at the club... and this being Retford United, nobody will have checked to see if it was even wired up correctly, because it's been so long since anybody was ever held accountable for anything at Cannon Park, or able to provide a receipt, proof or paperwork of such work ever being undertaken by person's unknown in the first place.
But it's actions and answers that the club needs right now, not even more questions, nor fiddling while Retford burns. Mark Wilson is my friend and I could never personally sanction any action that would effectively see him ousted from his management position and I would have given him a while longer to get the season on track.
But, that said, I wouldn't be able to remove the sentiment from such a big, and decisive make or break action.
But, that said, I think anybody, 'Willy' included, could wholly appreciate that facts are facts and unless their is a fairly immediate upturn in fortunes, then something has to change, and soon.
But, that said, I think anybody, 'Willy' included, could wholly appreciate that facts are facts and unless their is a fairly immediate upturn in fortunes, then something has to change, and soon.
I have heard said on my last two most recent visits to Cannon Park that living virtually on the doorstep to this football club, that I ought to consider getting involved.
Believe me, my head turns to putty trying to fathom the situation at Retford United out from a distance, so I wouldn't be of any use to anybody under the circumstances and I if I was daft enough to consider such a position, then I would always be AWOL from my post, at the doctor's surgery, getting the splinters removed out of my big bum from spending so much time sitting on the fence.
And at this point, I think that it's time to change the subject, before we all end up in a stupor of incurable anxiety and extreme depression.
The game might have had an altogether different complexion to it, if Lewis Francis' crashing angled shot into the side netting, inside the first few minutes, had found it's way into the goal just inside the right hand upright, instead of merely exposing the fact that somebody hadn't secured the netting properly prior to kick off.
Cue a short delay, while Alan Scott the Badgers Matchday Secretary and man of man talents, making some running repairs. Just what you need when there is a ground inspector making an unannounced visit to Cannon Park this afternoon.
Liam Bennett won the ball in midfield and played a well weighted pass out to Jack Carter, but is dipping cross was held by James Pollard.
After the final whistle I rang the Guinness Book of records, to ask them if I had any claims to a being a record breaker, because I had watched two games today where a ginger goalkeepers called James had both kept a clean sheet, namely James Leverton of Doncaster Rovers U18 and James Pollard of Swallownest.
But was shocked to discover that a) The publication hadn't been called that since 1998, and b) They get fed up of time wasting idiots like me and were blocking my number with immediate effect, before I even had the opportunity to enquire if this blog strayed off on more tangents than any other football orientated website in the known universe.
Mike Staley cleared Francis' through ball, before Swallownest made their first attempt on goal, when James Gamble punched away Jordan Stocks' long free kick from out on the left flank.
The visitors captain Jack Watts picked out Joel Evans with a tempting cross that the 'Swall' number four scooped over Gamble but hit the crossbar.
Stocks thumped another free kick straight into the Badgers wall while Pollard was nearly wrong footed at the other end as Joseph Hitch's cross almost dropped over the goal line.
Cue a short delay, while Alan Scott the Badgers Matchday Secretary and man of man talents, making some running repairs. Just what you need when there is a ground inspector making an unannounced visit to Cannon Park this afternoon.
Liam Bennett won the ball in midfield and played a well weighted pass out to Jack Carter, but is dipping cross was held by James Pollard.
After the final whistle I rang the Guinness Book of records, to ask them if I had any claims to a being a record breaker, because I had watched two games today where a ginger goalkeepers called James had both kept a clean sheet, namely James Leverton of Doncaster Rovers U18 and James Pollard of Swallownest.
Mike Staley cleared Francis' through ball, before Swallownest made their first attempt on goal, when James Gamble punched away Jordan Stocks' long free kick from out on the left flank.
The visitors captain Jack Watts picked out Joel Evans with a tempting cross that the 'Swall' number four scooped over Gamble but hit the crossbar.
Stocks thumped another free kick straight into the Badgers wall while Pollard was nearly wrong footed at the other end as Joseph Hitch's cross almost dropped over the goal line.
Jason Short flicked on a knock from the clean shaven Lloyd Gelsthorpe's knock forward and the ball hit Kyle Wesley on his arm, but the ever reliable referee Waqar Ahmed ruled that it had been an unintentional case of 'ball to hand', either that, or he was also feeling sympathetic towards Mark Wilson's plight.
Right on the stroke of half time, Stocks picked out Gelsthorpe with a well delivered long free kick and the he diverted a header against the cross bar and as the home side struggled to clear the ball away from the rebound Alex Nightingale took aim and drilled the it past Gamble, to give the visitors an interval lead.
It wasn't so long ago that a half time score of Retford United 0 v Swallownest 1, would've raised a few eyebrows and been considered something of a surprise, but today, giventhe respective plights of both teams, it was almost inevitable.
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| Retford United's Richard Williams, fit, fast and lean |
Three minutes after the restart, Dan Mullodley fizzed a shot fractionally wide of the Retford goal and moments later Gamble had to come out of his area to clear the ball, which fell to Gelsthorpe, whose long range first time knock from out on the right to try taking advantage of the stranded keeper went 'slightly' off course and bounced out for a throw in.
Ash Cooper linked up with Watts as Swallownest pushed forward to double their advantage but the Badger captain Brad Kilner cleared the danger.
Watts advanced down the left flank but Hitch got a tackle in at the expense of a corner, which Watts took quickly, finding Stocks with an in-swinging delivery, but the 'Swall' number eight headed wide of Gamble's goal.
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| Swallownest's Richard Williams, having a pie |
Gambles came off his line to collect a Watts corner, but didn't reach the ball amid a crowd of bodies in his area, but Retford got lucky when Adam Daughtrey hooked the ball back across the face of their goal but Aaron Nicolson couldn't quite make a contact with it.
The home side survived another scare, when Hitch lobbed the ball over his own prostrate keeper and it dropped just past the right hand post... "Somebody tell that chap that we changed ends at half time!"
Kilner was booked for an unnecessary but quite deliberate handball in front of the 'Care in the Community Stand' near the half way line. Not really the kind of example that a captain should be setting, but that is easy for me to say, sat with the intellects and deep thinkers in 'Compost Corner' putting the world to rights, while the frustration starts to kick in to the nth degree among the United players out on the pitch.
But there's still over ten minutes to go, there is a game of football to salvage a managers job to save and it is still only 1-0 to the visitors.
But hang on a second... what's happening here!?
Daughtrey saw off the attentions of Wesley, nudged the ball forward and sprinted after it, before planting a shot past Gamble.
Not since Johan Cruyff as the bright orange number 14 shirt been worn with so much style and aplomb.
There was no way back for Rertford United now and though I am highly delighted that my good friends from Swallownest finding their feet in the NCEL after finally reaching the dizzy heights of step 6 football, you couldn't help but ponder over the significance of the storm clouds brewing over Cannon Park.
As I strolled round to the entrance to make a quick getaway at full time, the Badgers defence, probably realising what another home defeat was likely to mean for a few people at the club, took their eye off the ball and while they all stood about moping about the inevitable consequences, Jamie Hopkins took advantage of their lack of focus and belted Swallownest's third goal into the roof of the net to seal an emphatic win.
Both teams had got exactly what they deserved today... and though I promised myself many years ago never to get involved with the home club, having realised the significance of it's geographical location a short distance away from Rampton Hospital, I allowed myself a small moment of emotional attachment when I saw a defender lambasting the United keeper and called out: "Take no notice of the **** James! He abandoned you today, he was a ****ing impostor and you can't be expected to play against them on your own!"
FT: Retford United 0 v Swallownest 2
Well played Swallownest, see you all again soon!
And good luck to everybody at Retford United who's going to be involved in the inevitable fall out from what is happening at the club any time soon.
Anybody who thought that things couldn't get any worse when the Badgers were relegated at the end of last season, doesn't fully comprehend how spiteful and vengeful a mistress football can be at times.
Hold on tight folks, because the ride just got bumpier.
I'm genuinely gutted for my pal Mark Wilson, but sad to say, this can't (and probably won't) go on.
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| Not guilty! |
