Notts Senior League Division 1 - played on Saturday 13th August at Hollingwood Lane, Calverton
After seeing Southbank play pre-season, I decided to revisit sometime and take in a league game if the opportunity arose. As it happened, I chose the first game of the new season and was quite chuffed I did. Never expected a huge turnout, but just before kick off there were only two people pitchside, and I was one of them! When the game kicked off, I suppose there were a dozen or so bedsides me - but little did we know what a treat was in store for us.....
Teams:
Gedling SB : Dan Cockaine, Raphael Matthew, Josh Cranny, Aaron Broomfield, Andy Hammond (c), Luke Pickard, Ben Soar, Karl Clowery, James Needham, Reiss Coy. Bench: Adam Thomas, Tom Heap, Partick Grey, Aiden Johnsey.
Wollaton : Paul Stanhope, Alex Reeves, Dean Clifford, Mark Draycott, Oliver Reeves, Dino Labatte, Roy Killeavy (c), Ricki Turner, Andy Gill, Anthony Fragola, Mike Harding. Bench: Franko Labatte, Paul Markowski, Rob Katchatour, John Fawcett.
Wollaton began on the front foot right from the start, and won a series of free-kicks. The home defence coped well enough, and the one top class save that keeper Dan Cockaine was forced into, was not needed as the whistle had already been blown for offside.
Great stop - but all in vain!!
Despite Southbank offering little in the first 20 minutes or so, they did almost take the lead on 22 when Reiss Coy raced into the box but failed get past keeper Paul Stanhope. Wollaton then had the next real chance when an Anthony Fragola free-kick was met at the far post by Ricki Turner, whose header flew just over the bar.
The next Gedling attack saw them take the lead - and what a class strike it was! Josh Cranny ran through the Wollaton defence and slipped the ball to JAMES NEEDHAM who calmly curled it around Stanhope from 22 yards. Seconds later, NEEDHAM added the home teams second, firing a shot low past Stanhope and into the bottom corner.
NEEDHAM completed his five-minute hat-trick on 29, this time capitalising on a goal-keeping error - Stanhope had rushed from goal to try and intercept the ball, but instead of clearing the ball, it fell kindly to the Gedling no.10 who gleefully fired it into an empty net.
Alex Reeves heads clear for Wollaton
Josh Cranny and Roy Killeavy
With 33 played, NEEDHAM was on the mark again, this time firing home from just inside the box after he shrugged off a tame challenge from a defender. Luke Pickard almost added to the Wollaton worries on 37, but his header from a free-kick went just wide of the upright. H-T 4-0
Half-time
I suspect Wollaton had a bit of a roasting during the break - and from the restart they had the home team reeling, but it seemed their luck wasn't in - first Gragola saw his free-kick blocked, the Andy Gill saw his shot from the corner fly just wide of the far stick.
Defending by numbers!!
Needham tried an outrageous effort from way out on the left wing in the 53rd minute - but Stanhope was alert and collected the ball comfortably enough. Seconds later, Needham beat the Wollaton offside trap but this time his run was stopped successfully when Stanhope raced out of his goal to clear. Cranny claimed another assist for the Gedling fifth - his 58th minute long throw was met by the head of LUKE PICKARD and the ball looped gracefully over the stranded keeper and into the far corner.
Luke Pickard
As the Gedling team took their collective foot off the gas, Wollaton were allowed more possession and won a succession of corners, although nothing came of any of them. Andy Gill tried to play in Fragola on 69, but Cockaine intercepted well. Wollaton did reduce their arrears on 75 though, a low, hard free-kick fron about 25 yards beat Cockaine, who seemed to misjudge the balls path and looked a little shocked when it flew in at the far post. With the 90 minutes up, MARK DRAYCOTT rose well to head home a Fragola corner, and the same player should have grabbed his second in injury time, but somehow contrived to completely miss the ball as it was played across the goal by Gill. F-T 5-2
Thanks go to Gedling Manager Nick Edgar for the team line-ups and team photo, and I have to mention Referee Malc Cassidy. 63 years old and still as good as ever. No fuss, no shouting, no bookings....well done, Mr. Cassidy.
