Retford FC 6 v Renishaw Rangers 0 - CMFL North

Tuesday 8th May 2018
Central Midlands League (North)
at the Rail Ground
Retford FC (5) 6
Jack Johnson 18
Adam Scott 31
Ryan Evans 38, 56
Jack Stanley 42 OG, 45+ OG
Renishaw Rangers (0) 0
Admission £3.Programme £1.50.

Retford's left sided defensive mischief maker Jason Swannack twice came close to opening the scoring during the opening exchanges, but had one shot charged down and another turned around the post by Will Mott. Sadly, Swannack took a knock and had to be replaced after just half a hour... such are the riskd of being so competitive and always willing to put a foot in.
As the game picked up momentum, although Retford looked to be the team most likely to take the three points on offer, their was no real indication initially that the final result was going to be quite so top heavy in the home side's favour.

But the Choughs didn't look back once they had secured the lead in the eighteenth minute, when Jack Johnson opened the scoring with a well placed downward header from Aaron Hutchinson's right wing cross.
Having gone ahead, the home side were soon in the hunt for a second goal, but Josh Robson couldn't keep his shot on target and struck the ball high and wide of the visitors goal.
Callum Featherstone had Rangers first effort of note, but didn't get enough purchase behind his angled strike to trouble Jon Kennedy unduly.
Moments late the visitors were on the attack again, as Featherstone threaded the ball through the left channel for Ryan Bates to chase, but it went out of play before the attacking midfielder could reach it... I bet his sister would've got it!
Jon Kennedy did well to back pedal and tip a free kick from outside his area over the bar.

But Renishaw's spell of pressure had all been in vain, because in the thirty first minute, Adam Scott danced through the Renishaw defence from the right flank and doubled the home side's lead with a well executed shot, that he drilled across the front of Mott before the ball nestled just inside the far post.
Ryan Evans had been involved in most of Retford's attacking play and his efforts were rewarded seven minutes before the break, when he steered a decent knock forward from Paul Middleton past Mott.
The final five minutes of the first half were something of a personal disaster for the visitors defender Jack Stanley, who netted twice in quick succession, at the wrong end of the pitch, nudging the ball past Mott under pressure from Evans in the first instance and diverting Jack Johnson's sideways knock across the Rangers six yard box over the line from close range.
Oh well, at least he'd get to keep the match ball if he scored again.
There was only a solitary goal scored in the second half, but there were a score missed opportunities in the mean time.

Hutchinson, marauding forwarding from his right back berth, delivering a dipping cross towards Evans, but Mott plucked the ball out of the air to claim it.
Evans and Scott were looking sharp and keeping their opponents back line on their toes.
The ever menacing Scott lobbed the ball over the Renishaw back four, for Martin Woodhead to run on to, but as he took it down on his chest, Mott snaffled it away from him.
Scott pulled a right sided cross back from the dead ball line towards Evans at the near post and the Choughs number ten squeezed the ball past Mott through the narrowest of gaps to claim a sixth for Retford.
Credit to Renishaw, who kept plugging away, instead of chucking the towel in, and Kennedy had to be at his best to keep the ball out as Theo Wilson surged into the Retford area and went one against one with the vastly experienced keeper.

The crowd held it's collective breath as Stanley rose to meet a right wing delivery from Scott, but drew a sigh of relief when he headed it away from his own goal. Once again Scott ventured forward on the right: "Take him off and give Renishaw a chance!" shouted out a neutral visitor, but Evans couldn't quite get a final touch on the Retford number seven's sweeping cross, despite sliding in at full stretch.
Ollie Bilham ventured forward for the home side, but shot over from long distance, while Mott picked up his binoculars from his goalkeepers bag to check out where the funking hell his defence had gone... I'd always wondered what they kept in those bags.
Danny Talbot charged towards Kennedy's goal, but having done the hard work and getting himself into a good position to shoot, he sliced the ball wide.

Josh Foster got lucky when he deflected Scott's stinging shot against the upright, moments before Evans almost claimed his hat trick, but shot over from twenty yards, disturbing the tranquility of a bowls match on the adjacent green.
Brad Nunn made a last ditch clearance, heading the ball virtually off the line as Woodhead smashed it across the face of the goal, while Stanley threw himself in front of Leigh Hutchinson's shot and deflected the ball just wide of the upright... hence he won't be getting that match ball now.
In the last five minutes, Renishaw showed that they had merely been luring Retford into a false sense of security, by giving them a six goal start all along, when Wilson forced Kennedy into making a quality save, while Luke Tong had to block Talbot's shot, after Bates had shown some neat footwork out on the right hand side of the area before setting the chance up with a measured pass.

Retford almost added a seventh goal in stoppage time, as Scott linked up with Middleton and Matt Bryce, to set up Woodhead, but Mott did well to keep the ball out.
FT: Retford FC 6 v Renishaw Rangers 0
All told, an enjoyable night, in good company, enjoyed by travellers from Lancashire, Fulham, Pontefract and Shrewsbury, a good few souls who regularly respectively support these two teams, Mad Lizzie, some glory hunting Lincoln City fans and a family of Worksop Town supporters.