Thursday 4th July: 2019
at Carrside, EpworthEpworth Town Colts (0) 0
Winterton Rangers (1) 5
Elliott Broughton 8
Luke Anderson 52, 71, 74
Gaz Barlow 54
Attendance: 58
Point & hope photo gallery: click HERE
In actual fact, Crowle ended the season level on points with the champions: Sutton Rovers, who took the title on goal difference. Subsequently, both of the top two finishers in the CMFL Division One North have been promoted to the CMFL North.
Fieldside, the turning off of the main road that leads to Carrside, is only around fifty yards away from the entrance to the Academy where the Colts used to play, which acts as a handy landmark.
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| Epworth Town Colts former home |
Elliott Broughton put the visitors in front with a headed goal in eighth minute... that is to say: the ball ended up in the back of the net and came off of his head; but Hey! They all count.
Scott Barlow's Epworth side, were very adept at not giving their visitors much space or time to settle on the ball, nor were they shy about a few 'firm but fair' challenges, to cut off the supply lines to the Rangers attack... and they restricted the visitors attacking intentions for most of the first half, while keeping the interval score down to just 0-1 against the NCEL side.
Scott Barlow's Epworth side, were very adept at not giving their visitors much space or time to settle on the ball, nor were they shy about a few 'firm but fair' challenges, to cut off the supply lines to the Rangers attack... and they restricted the visitors attacking intentions for most of the first half, while keeping the interval score down to just 0-1 against the NCEL side.
Amidst a rack of half time substitutions, it was a different story after the break... and though the Colts created several half decent chances, it was the clinical quality of Winterton's finishing that saw them convincingly win the day, with Luke Anderson helping himself to a hat-trick of goals, the third of which was a delightful lob from outside the Epworth area, while Gaz Barlow also scored for the visitors... take that!
Of course, Rangers' Billy Ball deserves a special mention too, for adding a bit of steel and tenacity into the rough and tumble of the midfield during the second half tonight.
Epworth appeared more than capable of building on last season's decent campaign during the months ahead, while Scott Hellewell and Paul Grimes will no doubt be happy that their Rangers side looked to be chomping at the bit and hitting the ground running, in preparation for their new league campaign, where they'll kick off as one of the fancied sides to gain promotion... no pressure there then, eh!?
This was my first ever visit to this former Scunthorpe League enclosure, which has got lots of scope for development, a refreshment bar, decent sized car park and a few benches and seats knocking around in the roped off spectators area. I'm looking forward to re-visiting once the CMFL season starts for real. Carrside is only a thirty minute drive away from my current abode and I often work just down the road from here in Haxey.
The 'first game at a new ground' factor, attracted a good few familiar faces from the football travelling community across to this rural corner of Lincolnshire, which is probably more famous for it's annual Epworth Show and Festival of the Plough. It was good to catch up with several familiar faces who I've not seen since last season (AKA a few weeks ago), and who I won't see again until Newark Town play their first game at their new home (next Wednesday against Lincoln United).
FT: Epworth Town Colts 0 v Winterton Rangers 5
