Retford United 2 v Denaby Main 1 - PSF

Saturday 28th July 2018
Pre Season Friendly
at Cannon Park
Retford United (1) 2
Denaby Main JFC (0) 1
Admission £4
THE66POW point & hope photo gallery: Click HERE
Jon Knight's proper photo gallery: Click HERE 

Both teams not only had each other to overcome this afternoon, but also had to contend with an unrelenting 'North Wind' that was howling diagonally across the Cannon Park pitch and making light work of dictating where the ball was going, way too often.
It wouldn't have happened if they still played with those rock hard, heavy as hell, stitched leather 'Casey' balls, but they don't... and these lightweight synthetic things just aren't up to scratch on days like today.

A very fetching ensemble Jack Hood.

Jack Hood, the visitors keeper was kept busy early on, but kept his goal intact well, while Olly Lawrence and Darius Smith had efforts blocked by Danny Golde and Alan Wooley respectively.
I must apologise to Denaby, because I missed their goal completely after my bladder had rudely interrupted my second game of the afternoon, but I saw United's two goals, one each in half, that both came from headers, the first of which was powered into the roof of the net by Matt Moore, after Lawrence had played the ball wide to Joe McDinnis on the left who put in a cross to the back stick... and the second, which glanced off of the head of Cory Goodwin to beat Hood.

At least I think it was Goodwin, it looked very much like him, but had quite a bit less hair than the previous time I'd seen him in action, so it might have been an older family member.

Ryan Smith went close when he headed narrowly over from Danny Abdula's right wing delivery and McDinnis was unlucky that the ball held up in the wind, meaning that he couldn't connect properly with it from fifteen yards out and he subsequently shot wide.

The visitors gave a good account of themselves, in particular their captain Matt Gillam, against a badgers side who collectively played better than they have on the previous two occasions that I've watched them this month... with Dean Smith slotting in comfortably at the back, between Liam Flint and Liam Bennett, which gave them a solid defensive foundation to build on.
FT: Retford United 2 v Denaby Main 1
It was good to see Matty Bradley in action for the visitors today, even though Craig Mitchell kicked lumps out of him after coming on as a sub in the second half for United.
It's character building Matty lad!