Toolstation NCEL Division 1
at Cannon ParkRetford United (1) 1
Matty Parkin 12
FC Bolsover (1) 3
Callam Lytham 41, Oliver Perry 68 pen,
James Manson 84
Admission £5
Programme - none printed
Attendance 128
 |
| Late amendment John Styring started as number 6 for Retford United |
Retford United finished the night at the bottom of the table, having played more games and with a worse goal difference than any of the teams directly above them in the table.
Worse still for the Badgers, is the fact that they're now five points away from safety, with just two games left to play, namely: Dronfield Town away on Wednesday night and Glasshoughton Welfare at home on Saturday.
It's seemingly inevitable (and if truth be told, has been for a while) that the Cannon Park outfit are going to finish bottom of the division, so much so, that some of the local townsfolk invited me along to their 'relegation party' later in the week at Stonelow Road... but I am not going.
Watching Retford United this season has been akin to sitting by the bedside of this terminally ill patient, watching them deteriorate beyond recognition until they eventually pass away, leaving only memories and perhaps regrets about what might have been.
So, though it was only right to call by and pay my respects tonight, I have no close ties to the club, so it wouldn't be appropriate for me to be present when the plug is pulled on their life support machine. Truth be told, I was only present at Cannon Park tonight, because I got home too late from gallivanting up and down the East Coast Mainline and didn't have enough time to get to Frickley Athletic and Carlton Town.
Credit where it is due to the small band of people who have striven to keep Retford United afloat, after a fashion, in the NCEL, but the rot had set in long before any of them were involved.
And that probably even applies to the last few generations of club volunteers and helpers too.
There was no small amount of conjecture doing the rounds tonight, about which Step 7 level league United will, or might be playing in next season (three different ones were mentioned, but all rather speculatively) and also a few rumours were circulating that they might even get a reprieve and stay in their current position, when the restructuring of the regions non league divisions takes place, during which promises to be a very busy and massively interesting closed season.
It is a fact that several clubs will be leaving the NCEL at the end of this term, for a whole variety of different reasons, but I can't imagine that there will be any kind of stay of execution for the Badgers, particularly while there is so much other more prioritous reorganisation going on, in the very near future.
One elderly gentleman, who is usually 'in the know' about what's happening in local football, went so far as to insist, that Retford United won't even have a first team at all next season, because they're going to concentrate their efforts on becoming a youth football and development aged players club, though I do recall somebody who resembled this said person, telling me that the moon was made of cream cheese and a dish ran away with a during my formative years. There is even a story doing the rounds, that the monied chairman of a local Football League club, is on the verge of buying the club out. When any ship (or shit) goes down, there will always be a certain amount of scaremongering, rumours and conjecture doing the rounds.
That said, nothing... and I mean absolutely nothing whatsoever, that happens at Cannon Park surprises me anymore. The club has lurched from one crisis to another, more times than I can remember and made so many fresh starts, where an ever dwindling number of people are addressed in the clubhouse with speeches that invariably contain the well intended words that: "It will be different this time!"
But it never bloody is though, is it?
I suspect the person who suggested that a merger between Retford FC and Retford United is a distinct possibility and definitely on the cards, was on day release (or had just escaped) from Rampton Mental Hospital and spent the afternoon smoking a copious amount of crack rocks, before he rolled up at Cannon Park this evening.
But it never bloody is though, is it?
I suspect the person who suggested that a merger between Retford FC and Retford United is a distinct possibility and definitely on the cards, was on day release (or had just escaped) from Rampton Mental Hospital and spent the afternoon smoking a copious amount of crack rocks, before he rolled up at Cannon Park this evening.
So what of tonight's game? Well, to be perfectly honest, it would be difficult to say anything very positive, about the way that the hosts played after making a promising start... and in a nutshell, they probably got what they deserved in the end, as did their visitors.
Both teams had chances to open the scoring early on, but Zac Casburn shot over at one end for the Badgers, while Ollie Perry, who bust a gut tonight to impress on his return to Cannon Park, repeated the same trick at the other end. But United drew first blood, when Ollie Presley played the ball across the Bolsover area from the right flank and picked out Matt Parkin, who drilled the ball under the advancing Ryan Parkin.
The home side went close to adding to their lead twice, with Casburn glancing a header wide from Jack Walters delivery, while Liam Bennett nudged the ball just past the right hand upright from Parkin's left wing flag kick. But as Bolsover started to get to grips with the opposition, Jake Ashton tested James Gamble from twenty yards and the Retford stopper did well to turn the ball away for a corner.
Moments before Reece Treasure scooped a decent chance over the bar from close range after Austin Hallam had played the ball to him inside the six yard box.
Things were obviously not boding well for the hosts, who were misfiring at both ends of the pitch, anonymous in the middle of the park and almost looking as though they had accepted that relegation was now an unavoidable fate, while Bolsover stepped up their tempo and were obviously relishing the challenge ahead of them after the break.
HT: 1-1
I have a lot of friends who are connected to, play for, or are supporters of Retford United, but I wouldn't be surprised if that isn't the case anymore, if any of them read any further than this point.
You have been warned guys and gals... but remember I am only reporting things as I saw them, as neutrally and impartially as is humanly possible.
The second half was a disaster for the home side and if truth be told, I'd only need my thumbs and little fingers to count the number of United players who emerged from it with any kind of credit whatsoever.
Bolsover almost took a deserved lead halfway through the second half, when James Manson's free kick dipped narrowly wide of the right hand post. But though clear cut chances were at a premium, on the overall balance of play after the interval, the result was a fair one... and the only surprising aspect of the final result, was that it took the visitors so long to actually grab the lead.
Ollie Perry deserved his goal, scored from the penalty spot after sixty eight minutes, in lieu of his efforts throughout the entire game and for the way that he took the good natured banter in his stride, that a few of the home crowd dished out.
There are those who pointed to the referee as contributing factor to the Badgers demise, but yours truly doesn't buy into that nonsense, not one bit.
In the build up to the penalty award, Cory Goodwin turned his marker and sprinted forward before delivering a cross into the Retford area that Jack Walters did well to clear at the expense of a corner. And when the kick was delivered into the Badgers goalmouth, a Retford player (names withheld to protect the culprit and victim) quite clearly grabbed hold of a Bolsover player by both shoulders to prevent him from jumping and used him to gain enough leverage to reach the ball himself.
All well and good if you can get away with it I dare say, but it's pretty crass if you behave like that a few yards away from the watchful eye of one of the best referee's you're ever likely to see at this level, namely Waqar Ahmed.
It is Mr Ahmed''s job to punish rule infringements like that, so lets not be blaming him.
Bolsover's third goal, was a free header scored by the completely unmarked James Manson... and it isn't the match officials job to pick up players who are making blind side runs, is it!?
Apparently nobody in the home side thought it was their responsibility either.
The home side had a complete shocker of a second half, but though they were dreadful, lets not take anything away from Bolsover, they at least looked as though they wanted to win and thoroughly deserved the result. The old adage that 'you can only beat what is in front of you' applied big style tonight.
FT: Retford United 1 v FC Bolsover 3
I'm sure that there will be a lot of people locally who will be hoping that Retford United opt to join the Central Midlands League next season, which would of course, throw up the prospect of local derby games against Retford FC.
But as the lay of the land currently stands, I'm not so sure that those of a Badgers persuasion will be relishing that possibly nearly half as much as the Choughs from across the other side of town. Hopefully a statement regarding the immediate future of the Cannon Park outfit will be made soon, to keep their loyal fan base, who have stood by the club through some pretty thin times, in the loop. They deserve better... even if they'll probably not be talking to me anymore.
