Retford United Dev. 1 v Sutton Rovers 2 - CMFL North Div 1

Tuesday 22nd January 2019
CMFL Division One (North)
at Cannon Park
Retford United Development (1) 1
Chris Rock 17
Sutton Rovers (2) 2
Adi Parker 14
Connor Evans 40
Admission £3

Retford United team sheet

All of the goals in this 'competitive' and at times ill tempered contest, were scored inside the first half, as the visitors took a hard won three points off of the Badgers second string, to just about stay with chasing distance of runaway league leaders Crowle Colts and four points ahead of Alfreton Town Reserves, who have played three games fewer than the Askern based side.
I can't imagine that this would have been an enjoyable game to referee, in fact to that end, George Salloway's thankless task, might well have been slightly easier, if the 'sin bin' ruling, that is coming in to use in the CMFL next season, had already been implemented prior to this oft unruly gathering of testosterone charged alpha males taking place. Or if he'd only remembered to bring a pocketful of chill pills along with him, to administer to a few of the more animated and grumpy types.
Boys will be boys!

Sutton Rovers team sheet

To my way of thinking, it's one of life's great mysteries, why anybody would ever want to be a match referee, especially for games towards the lowest of low echelons of non league football. I have no comprehension whatsoever, as to where or what the motivation comes from, for anybody to want to pick up the whistle on a night like tonight. But let's be grateful for the hordes of 'men (and women) in black', who turn out in all weathers, every single day and night of the season, for without them, the game of football would not exist.
The visitors made a lively start, with Mitch Wain in particular looking pivotal to most of their attacking endeavours while showing a decent array of deft touches from set pieces. It was Wain who had the first shot on target of the night, when Kieran Conway did well to turn his well struck free kick around the post at full stretch. It was no surprise, given how the game had started, that the South Yorkshire side took the lead in the fourteenth minute, when Adi Parker, the Sutton captain, took advantage of an whole acre of space that opened up ahead of him in the middle of United's goalmouth, when he stepped forward and belted the ball into the back of the net from twelve yards out.

The opening goal acted as a wake up call for the home side, and Rovers lead only lasted three minutes, before Owen Evans, the visitors keeper, saved well from Joe Candlin, but could do nothing about Chris Rock reaching the ball first from  the rebound and tucking it away from close range.
Rock, Retford's captain, filled the same kind of role as Wain did for the visitors, and was United's engine room in the middle of the park; it was inevitable therefore that their paths would cross, numerous times, and that old adage that 'familiarity breeds contempt', certainly got an airing tonight, as the two of them, though obviously revelling in their midfield tussle, were evidently never going to become the best of friends or pen pals any time soon.
For the benefit of younger readers, pen pals were something that sad loners without any real mates used to have, before you could pretend to know hundreds of people on: Bebo, MySpace, Facebook and the like... or even, in extreme cases, start writing a blog because you are a completely desperate anorak type.

Mr Salloway, to his credit, tried to keep the game flowing and let a few hefty challenges from some of the more robust combatants on both sides go, but this backfired on him somewhat, as the first half unfolded... and a few players saw his purported leniency as a green light to see how far they could really up the ante. And sadly, there were no shortage of candidates wanting a piece of that kind of action, as the first half threatened to simmer over.
With half time approaching, which would in essence offer a bit of a cooling off period, for several characters who were having a 'red mist moment' or two, the visitors took the lead again, amidst a moment of apparent controversy, with United appealing for an offside offence in the build up, a few moments before Connor Evans curled the ball just inside the left hand upright from outside the area.

The referee was beckoned across by his assistant/linesman (both clubs provided one apiece, because George Salloway was the only appointed official), who was with the home camp, but decreed that under the current interpretation of the offside ruling, the goal stood.

Blame the powers that be, for their frequent amendment of the offside rule, if you need a scapegoat or somebody to shout and cuss at, but the referee had applied the rules of the game in this case, to the letter of the law. Much as it went against the grain with quite a few very outspoken and obviously unimpressed locals.
Where's that bloody Video Assisted Refereeing thingamajig when you really need it, eh!?
In the closing moments of this eventful forty five minutes, Wain unleashed a long range shot that crashed back off of the top of the left hand upright and went behind for a corner as it ricocheted off of the back of Conway's head.

Thankfully, a lot of the excesses displayed in the first half relented after the break and the game became a better spectacle for it, as a consequence.

The hosts were almost on level terms when Candlin latched onto a poor clearance and let fly on the half volley from outside the Sutton area, but Owen Evans reached out and managed to tip the ball over the bar. The visitors keeper then repeated his acrobatics,when Danny Dean's delivery into the mix was only half cleared as far as Rock who struck a first time shot towards the top left corner.

At the other end, Conway was called on to make a double save, when both Callum Stockton and Luke Chambers went close from close range.

Konor Slack rolled the ball back into the path of (C) Evans who was once again denied by Conway, who also held onto another strike from Wain as the clock ticked down.

Rovers were holding onto their lead and thwarting any inclinations that the Badgers had of getting something out of this game, with a well drilled and determined rearguard action in the closing stages... and almost caught the home side out with a quick break forward right at the end, that saw (C) Evans side-footed the ball wide of Conway's goal from twenty yards out.

FT: Retford United Dev. 1 v Sutton Rovers 2