Thursday 22nd November 2018
WVH North Midland U19 League
Retford United (2) 3
Oliver Ashwell 30
George White 38
Liam Jepson 58
Worksop Town (2) 2
Sam Jones 31
Alfie Dodsworth 37
Both teams appear to have bolstered their ranks with a few decent signings since the last time that I saw them play, and subsequently, that had a positive effect on the quality of this high tempo game, that was also enhanced by the manner in which the referee: Gareth Tye, controlled the game, given his obvious understanding that he was in charge of twenty two testosterone charged teenagers, charging around the field of play at a breakneck pace.
There was very little to choose between the two sides as this open and high tempo encounter, swung one way and then the other for the opening thirty minutes, until Oliver Ashwell opened the scoring for the home side, after Liam Bennett's measured pass had freed Liam Jepson on the left, who found Ashwell on the edge of the Tigers area, who took the ball down under control with his first touch and planted it into the bottom corner of James Gambles' net with his second.
For purposes of clarification, that
is the same James Gamble who has also been playing in goal for Retford United in the NCEL and CMFL; it is seemingly a common practice in the North Midland Development League that players represent different clubs than they do at first team level. In fact, there was one lad in action tonight, who I have seen turning out in the colours of four different clubs this season, that operate at different levels and separate leagues. It's great that they're getting so much game time while they're still young and fit enough to do it, but it must be a nightmare for registration secretaries trying to avoid the multitude of pitfalls and trip wires, hidden among the minutiae of any number of governing bodies and league rule books.
Anyway, in the time that it took me to scribble down the previous paragraph, Worksop went straight down the other end of the pitch from the restart and Sam Jones netted an equaliser, with an emphatic strike that flashed past Warren Squires, from just inside the right hand edge of the Badgers area. And yes... that is the same Warren Squires who has previously appeared on this blog during this past year playing for a number of different clubs and is earmarked as being destined for bigger things by those in the know.
Jepson, who has recently arrived at Cannon Park via a tie-up with Mansfield Town, was proving to be a constant nuisance for the visitors defence and went close twice before Alfie Dodsworth picked up the ball forty yards from goal and advanced purposely towards the hosts area, before thumping the ball just inside the right hand post from inside the D.
But United copied the Tigers trick from seven minutes previously, by equalising almost straight away, when Bennett stroked the ball forward from inside the centre circle, in front of George White, who looked up and saw Gamble advancing from his line and netted with an exquisite chip that dropped just under the crossbar.
Early in the second half Isaac Darrian, almost restored Worksop's lead, with a firmly struck volley on the turn, that Squires did well to save.
But their was little that the keeper Gamble could do just before the hour mark, when Jepson escaped his marker and advanced towards him, before feigning a shot and dragging the ball round the stranded, exposed and committed keeper, before rolling the ball in between the post, to score what turned out to be the winning goal.
Gamble made two good stops as the clock ticked down, from both White and Peter Voase and inside the final few minutes Alfie Dodsworth was unlucky to see his goal bound curling right footed shot turned around the post off of the head of a Retford defender.
FT: Retford United U19 3 v Worksop Town U19 2
The persistent drizzle and descending mist, meant that taking pictures on my phone was a virtually a non starter tonight, but the pitch held up well and the weather didn't spoil anyone's enjoyment of what was a bloody good game of football.
