Eastwood CFC 6-2 Awsworth Villa

Wednesday 4^th January 2017

MID-WINTER FRIENDLY

Eastwood CFC 6-2 Awsworth Villa (H-T 5-0)

Admission:  £0.00

Attendance: H/C 25 pitchside + many more watching from the clubhouse

This may not have been a league or cup match, but it was a decent enough game and there wasn’t a lot else on offer. It also saw me chalk up my 150th game of the season. The game was played between teams plying  their trades at the same level (step 7), albeit in different leagues.

At the time of writing, both teams are having a good time in their respective leagues. Eastwood lie second in the CMFL South division, with Awsworth in a comfortable second place in the NSL Premier division.

The game was played on Eastwood’s 3G pitch and was never in doubt, despite the below zero temperature.

Jack Smith opened the scoring for the home team after just nine minutes had been played, his shot cum cross from the right wing flying across the goal and nestling in the far corner. I’m sure Jack will say he meant it as a shot, but only he will know for sure!

Eastwood pressed forward at every opportunity, and a slick passing move on 13 minutes lead to their second goal, Rory Smith latching onto the ball before turning and driving the ball home from 12 yards out.

It was 3-0 after 28, this time Jack Smith firing in from the edge of the box after he was given too much space to manoeuvre. Chay Betteridge added the Eastwood fourth on the half hour, drilling the ball across the Awsworth keeper and into the far corner. Danny Tring headed home from a free-kick seven minutes later to make it 5-0 at the break.

A different Awsworth team came out for the second period – not different in personnel, but in attitude. They were totally outplayed in the first half, but began the second firing on all six, as they say! They took the game to their hosts and were rewarded within 6 minutes of the restart when Matt Goodwin ran powerfully through the Eastwood midfield and hammered a shot home from all of 30 yards. 

Villa further reduced their arrears on 66, when Asher Phythian nodded home from close range. Eastwood were now on the back foot, but as the half progressed they gradually began to resume control.

The final goal action of the game came with 10 to play, Jack Smith completing his hat-trick after dribbling through the Awsworth back line and firing home from the corner of the six-yard box.  

F-T 6-2

This game was arranged to give players from both teams a little match action before their league seasons recommence – Villa on Saturday at Real Utd, Eastwood on Wednesday at home to Hucknall Town. Eastwood’s last league game was on the 17th December when they thumped Blidworth Welfare 6-2. That’s a long break, and based on their overall performance in this game, the Red Badgers look like they are raring to go! 

Teversal FC 1-1 Ollerton Town

NCEL DIV 1

Tuesday 3^rd January 2017

Teversal FC 1-1 Ollerton Town (H-T 0-0)

Admission: £5.00 / £2.50 concession

Attendance: 127

Referee: Mr. Christopher Darling

Programme: £1.00

Free team sheet

Not a very warm evening at Carnarvon Street with a strong, cold wind blowing straight across the pitch. The stand behind the dugouts was the ideal place to cut out the wind so, along with Richard Lane that's where I stayed for the whole game – cold, but draught-free!   

These teams met on the 27^th December, and on that occasion Teversal won the game 2-1, and Ollerton ended the game with 9 players. Whether we were to have more of the same in this reverse fixture seemed unlikely as the teams cancelled each other out in every department. Just two chances of note in the first 45, one for each team – Teversal’s was fired wide of the post from just a few yards out, whilst Ollerton’s sole effort was tipped over the bar by home stopper Josh Turton. H-T 0-0

With over 140 games watched this season so far and only two goal-less, I was hoping that tired legs and careless minds would produce something. As it turned out, replacing tired legs and careless minds provided the goals the game so desperately cried out for. Teversal brought on Craig Mitchell midway through the second half, and it was the striker who broke the deadlock on 77 minutes. After a failed free-kick routine on the edge of the Town area, Mitchell fired a tame, bobbly effort at goal and was probably as amazed as everyone in the ground when it made it’s way slowly through a crowd of players before rolling past Scott Gretton and nestling in the back of the net! Not a classic goal, but they all count. 

The lead though, lasted all of 60 seconds – and it was another substitute on the mark, this time Ollerton’s Josh Bowkett.  He collected a neat George Pearce through ball and ran into the box before slotting calmly past keeper Turton.

That was the end of the scoring, but as the final whistle approached, both teams were to end the game with less than their full compliments after Mitchell and Ollerton’s Alex Sennett were both shown straight reds, after an altercation on the edge of the Teversal box.

So after the two “festive” games, the goals total five, the dismissal total four, with Teversal 3-2 ahead in the goals tally, Ollerton 3-1 ahead in dismissals. I imagine Tevie boss Dean Short must be quite happy with the four points, less so with the red card. Town gaffer Dave Winter is still bringing in players to help his team survive in the league after promotion last term, and with three of his players having suspensions looming over them, I suspect there may well soon be a few more new faces at Walesby Lane. 

Teversal are currently in 15^th place in the league on 28 points, Ollerton 17^th  with 25 points http://www.ncefl.org.uk/tables/short/2016/ 

Arnold Town 2-5 Radcliffe Olympic 02/01/2017

East Midlands Counties League

Arnold Town 2-5 Radcliffe Olympic 3pm ko (H-T 1-2)

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 27^th 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 39^th 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 55^th 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

http://full-time.thefa.com/DisplayFixture.do?id=15935093

Heanor Town 4-1 Tividale FC

Saturday 31st December 2016

Midland Football League Premier Division

Heanor Town 4-1 Tividale FC (H-T 0-1)

Admission £6.00 / £4.00 concession

Programme £1.00

Attendance 183

Me and the daftlad were back on the road, albeit just a few miles across the Notts/Derbys county border. There were plenty of familiar faces present and we took up our favoured position with Heanor regulars Chris and Alan in the stand behind the top goal. We were later joined by Blidworth's Scott Ward and prolific hopper Pete Chappell - and the general consensus was that although Heanor eventually won the game by a reasonably comfortable scoreline, they should have killed the game off early doors. 

Tividale looked a very young side, but were arguably the footballing better side in the first half.  Heanor fluffed a plethora of chances midway through the first period, and their profligacy was punished on 39, when Daniel Smith converted a cross from the right after some really neat passing play had left the home defence flat-footed. H-T 0-1

Nathan Benger’s 55^th equaliser for the home team was somewhat controversial, and the “was it in, wasn’t in it” debate lasted a fair few minutes. Did it hit the keeper’s water bottle? Was it over the line? The goal was eventually given after Referee Darren Laska took advice from his assistant. The ball was down at the foot of the post and was heading over the line before it was cleared. From my point of view (behind the goal), the whole of the ball hadn’t crossed the line. My poor eyesight has been brought into question on many occasions in the past though, and as the goal was given, who am I to argue?

Alex Brown added a second for Town on 65, firing in off the bar. Town youngster Keenan Layton fired in from an acute angle to make it 3-1 on 80, and from an even more acute angle to make it 4-1 on 85. Two cracking finishes, but the goalkeeping for the final goal left a little to be desired, to say the least.

Heanor should have won by an even greater margin, but the usually dependant Benger had a bit of a ‘mare in front of goal – he should have scored more than the one he did chalk up, but I suppose everyone is entitled to an off day.

Listened to Radio Nottingham on the way home and had to smile when Notts County boss John Sheridan talked about his “game of two halves” (Notts lost again) – we were certainly treated to a “game of two halves”, but in reality Heanor should have had the result sewn up in the first half. 

F-T 4-1

Local teams in action - Saturday 31st Dec - Friday 6th Jan

These fixtures are subject to change and I strongly advise that you contact the home team, or visit their website, to confirm venue and kick-off times if you plan to attend a match.  Links to the relevant websites are in bold and underlined. Any errors and omissions – please let me know via twitter @ontheroadblog

Saturday 31st December

MFL PREMIER

Coventry Sphinx 2-1 Shepshed Dynamo 

Heanor Town 4-1 Tividale FC 

Long Eaton Utd 2-2 Loughborough University

Sunday 1st January 

NL NORTH

Alfreton Town 3-2 AFC Telford Utd

Monday 2nd January

NP PREMIER

Buxton FC 1-0 Mickleover Sports

Ilkeston FC 0-1 Matlock Town

NP DIV 1 SOUTH

Carlton Town 1-0 Rugby Town

Chasetown FC P-P Basford Utd 

Gresley FC 1-1 Belper Town

Lincoln Utd P-P Loughborough Dynamo 

MFL PREMIER

Shepshed Dynamo P-P Heanor Town 

St. Andrews 5-1 Long Eaton Utd

NCEL PREMIER

AFC Mansfield 1-0 Handsworth Parramore

Armthorpe Welfare 2-0 Retford Utd 

Rainworth MW 0-5 Bottesford Town 

Worksop Town 2-1 Clipstone FC 

NCEL DIV 1

Rossington Main 2-1 Shirebrook Town 

EMCL

Arnold Town 2-5 Radcliffe Olympic 

Belper Utd 1-1 Graham St Prims 

Dunkirk FC 2-0 Blaby & Whetstone Athletic 

Kimberely MW 2-0 South Normanton Athletic 

Radford FC P-P Gedling MW 

Stapenhill FC P-P Greenwood Meadows 

West Bridgford P-P Borrowash Victoria

Tuesday 3^rd January

MFL PREMIER

Loughborough University 4-1 Coventry Sphinx

NCEL DIV 1

Teversal FC 1-1 Ollerton Town

CMFL SOUTH

Matlock Town Res 1-3 Blidworth Welfare

Wednesday 4th January

NCEL PREMIER

Staveley MW 8-0 Albion Sports

FRIENDLY
Eastwood CFC 6-2 Awsworth Villa

Friday 6th January

CMFL NORTH

Newark Town A-A Bilsthorpe FC (serious injury to Lawrence Foster)

Midweek games - local teams in action w/c 26th December

These fixtures are subject to change and I strongly advise that you contact the home team, or visit their website, to confirm venue and kick-off times if you plan to attend a match.  Links to the relevant websites are in bold and underlined. Any errors and omissions – please let me know via twitter @ontheroadblog

  

Monday 26th December

NL NORTH

AFC Telford Utd 1-1 Alfreton Town

NP PREMIER

Matlock Town 3-1 Buxton FC

Mickleover Sports 7-0 Ilkeston FC 

NP DIV 1 SOUTH

Basford Utd 2-1 Carlton Town 

Belper Town 1-1 Sheffield FC 

Loughborough Dynamo 1-1 Gresley FC

MFL PREMIER

Long Eaton Utd 1-1 Heanor Town

Quorn FC 0-0 Shepshed Dynamo

Rocester FC 1-1 Loughborough University

NCEL PREMIER

Bottesford Town 6-1 Rainworth MW 

Clipstone FC 3-0 Worksop Town 

Handsworth Parramore 2-1 AFC Mansfield 

Retford Utd 0-0 Armthorpe Welfare 

NCEL DIV 1

Shirebrook Town 0-3 Rossington Main 

EMCL

Blaby & Whetstone Athletic 0-5 Dunkirk FC 

Tuesday 27th December

NCEL PREMIER

Albion Sports 4-4 Staveley MW 

NCEL DIV 1

Ollerton Town 1-2 Teversal FC 

EMCL

Greenwood Meadows 3-1 Stapenhill FC

Gedling MW 0-5 Radford FC 

Radcliffe Olympic 3-3 Arnold Town

CML SOUTH

Selston FC 1-4 Swanwick PR 

NSL PREMIER

AFC Dunkirk A-A F.C. Cavaliers 

Awsworth Villa 4-2 Bingham Town 

Basford Utd CFC 4-1 Bilborough Town

Magdal Amateurs P-P Clifton AW 

Real Utd 6-1 Sandiacre Town 

Underwood Villa 2-2 Aston Utd

Wollaton FC 2-4 Newark Flowserve

Wednesday 28th 

EMCL

West Bridgford P-P Borrowash Victoria 

South Normanton Athletic P-P Kimberley MW 

Thursday 29th

NP PREMIER

Skelmersdale Utd P-P Matlock Town

NP DIV 1 SOUTH

Bedworth Utd 5-1 Loughborough Dynamo 

Carlton Town P-P Spalding Utd

Lincoln Utd P-P Basford Town

Newcastle Town P-P Belper Town 

Top and bottom of the table at Christmas

Top and bottom at Christmas

NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH

Top : AFC Fylde

Bottom: Altrincham

NORTHERN PREMIER PREMIER

Top: Rushall Olympic

Bottom: Corby Town

NORTHERN PREMIER DIV 1 SOUTH

Top: Shaw Lane

Bottom: Rugby Town

MIDLAND FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER

Top: Alvechurch FC

Bottom: Brocton FC

NORTHERN COUNTIES EAST LEAGUE PREMIER

Top: Cleethorpes Town

Bottom: Retford Utd

NORTHERN COUNTIES EAST LEAGUE DIV 1

Top: AFC Emley

Bottom: Nostell MW

EAST MIDLANDS COUNTIES LEAGUE

Top: West Bridgford

Bottom: Ellistown & Ibstock Utd

CENTRAL MIDLANDS FOOTBALL LEAGUE NORTH

Top: F.C. Bolsover

Bottom: Welbeck Lions

CENTRAL MIDLANDS FOOTBALL LEAGUE SOUTH

Top: Selston FC

Bottom: Holbrook St. Michaels

NOTTS SENIOR LEAGUE PREMIER

Top: Bilborough Town

Bottom: F.C. Cavaliers

F.A. WOMENS PREMIER LEAGUE NORTHERN DIV

Top: Middlesborough Ladies

Bottom: Newastle Utd Ladies

EAST MIDLANDS WOMEN REGIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PREMIER

Top: Mansfield Town Ladies

Bottom: Ruddington Village Ladies

NMDFL U21 NORTH

Top: Handsworth Parramore

Botton: Worksop Town

NMDFL U21 SOUTH

Top: Ilkeston FC

Bottom: Eastwood CFC

NMDFL U19 NORTH

Top: Sheffield Utd

Bottom: Retford Utd

NMDFL U19 SOUTH

Top: Southwell City

Bottom: Kimberley MW