East Midlands Counties League
Arnold Town 2-5 Radcliffe Olympic 3pm ko (H-T 1-2)
Attendance 72
Attendance 72
Admission £5.00 / £3.00 concession
Referee Mr. Martin Beard
The Daftlad and the Bearded Wonder back on the road again!
Another very local fixture, but one that suited us both.
Eagle Valley, the home of Arnold Town has a reputation for
being a chilly venue. Today it was positively Baltic – as soon as the sun
dipped below the tree line on the horizon, the temperature went from zero
degrees and more or less bearable, to “f*** me, it’s f***ing freezing”!
This fixture was the reverse of the game played on the 27th
December, which ended up three goals apiece.
Arnold were slightly understrength - three of their usual first choice
eleven were unavailable for one reason or another.
Radcliffe almost conceded in the first minute, just
managing to scramble the ball away from danger, but the home defence failed to
do so in the fifth minute, allowing Ian Marley too much space in the box, and
the no. 8 took full advantage, gleefully firing past keeper Ross Cherry. The
Eagles were level on 13, Radcliffe centre-back Jan Yeomons misdirecting a
header over his own keeper and into the net. Ryan Smith restored Olympic’s lead
in the 39th minute, turning and firing past Cherry from 8 yards. H-T
1-2
Smith was on target again five minutes after the restart,
looping a shot over Cherry from 20 yards out. The goal of the game was
undoubtedly Arnold’s second in the 55th minute – a superbly weighted through ball from Jack
Smith was collected without breaking stride by Rian Charles, and the youngster
ran into the box before firing across the Radcliffe stopper into the far corner
of the net. Terrific goal and well worth the entrance fee! So, 2-3 and it was
game on – but although the home team drove forward in search of the leveller,
some of their passing was a little wayward at times, and the Radcliffe goal was
rarely threatened.
As the game entered it’s final minute, the ball was fired
at the Arnold goal and after hitting the framework it fell very nicely to Scott
Litchfield who has a simple tap in at the far stick to notch his twelfth of the
season. The thirteenth followed two minutes into added time, his low drive
flying in past Cherry at the near post – the keeper could probably have done
better, but it was academic really as Mr. Beard ended the game immediately
after the restart. F-T 2-5