Bank Holiday Monday

Eastwood Town v Ilkeston Town -- Bank Holiday Monday local derby.

We went to Coronation Park, Eastwood, to watch what we hoped would be a full-blooded, no-holds barred local derby. Along with 540 other people we were disappointed to have to sit and watch 90 minutes of hardly anything. It took until 41 minutes for the first real action, an Ilson "goal" disallowed for offside - then Howells made the Ilson keeper work, forcing him to dive to push away a decent shot. H-T 0-0. The second half saw Deakin in the Eastwood goal save well from Carruthers, but it ended 0-0.

Anyway, this coming Saturday..............

We went to watch Rolls Royce Leisure play Blackwell MW a couple of years ago - a game we have always said is the worst we have ever watched. Well --- Rolls entertain Blackwell this coming Saturday and I thought it would be a great idea to see if the teams have improved any.......maybe the scotch at half-time will be the highlight again, but you never know.............

A pleasant surprise at Rainworth MW

Rainworth Miners Welfare v Worsbrough Bridge -- Saturday 25th August 2007

We had no idea what to expect on out first visit to Kirklington Road to see Rainworth MW take on Worsbrough Bridge in an NCEL Div One fixture.
Pleasant surprise -- not only was a programme included in the £4 entrance fee, a team sheet was also provided free of charge....never come across that before !!
Managed by my old friend Rudi Funk, Rainworth were promoted from the CML last season. For this level, the ground itself is superb. Work on the new changing room block is still on-going, but it seems around £200 grand has been well invested. The playing surface was excellent, and the place had the "feel" ... just right....plus it was a nice sunny afternoon - how different from last Tuesday!!
Even better -- Rainworth took the lead early doors with a cracking 20 yard free-kick from skipper Lee Wilkinson. It was 2-0 a few minutes later -- as a Bridge free-kick was cleared, Malc Brown collected the ball and slapped it past the visiting keeper.

H-T 2-0.

Mark Shaw added the third on 47 after some neat passing play, effectively ending the game as a contest. Bridge had a couple of chances, but Andrew Brooke in the Worsbrough goal was kept busy, making a series of good saves to keep the score respectable.
Programme was 52 pages....free, and was a decent read. I dare say we will be seen at Kirklington Road again in the very near future....

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Next game?

Bank Holday Monday --choices, choices, decisions, decisions,,,,, ETFC v Ilkeston or Carlton Town v Grantham Town....

A night out at Arnold Town!

Arnold Town v Shifnal Town 21st August 2007

F.A. Cup extra preliminary round replay.

When will I get it into my thick head not to go to cup competition replays?

Kev and I decided to go to Gedling Road, the home of Arnold Town to catch an F.A. Cup tie. We were soon wishing we hadn’t bothered. The 1st 45 minutes were dull, but the second half was brain-numbingly bad. Never have I wished a game would hurry up and be over, than on this cold, rainy AUGUST evening. Decent enough attendance (176), even if quite a few were not quite on this planet – they gave the visiting keeper some right stick, but he who laughs last .............
Anyway, after suffering 90 minutes of pain, Arnold took the lead two minutes into the 1st period of extra-time. The thinking is then that there will be no need for penalties…mmm (note to self -- STOP THINKING).
Arnold, unbelievably sat back and invited the visitors onto them – and they got exactly what they deserved – with just 5 to go, Shifnal levelled it at 1-1. Damn!!

Anyway to cut a long story short, the first 11 pens were buried…. then Arnold’s number 7, Tom Watson, had his effort well saved by the Shifnal keeper and Arnold were out of the F.A. Cup – the keeper certainly had the last laugh.

We left the ground about 10:30 pm – I wonder what time the Shifnal lads got home? Shifnal is near Telford in Shropshire ..

Next game on Saturday -- NCEL Div One -- Rainworth MW v Worsbrough Bridge – life is exciting innit ?? !!!

Eastwood start 2007-08 campaign

Eastwood Town v Gateshead Saturday August 18th 2007

Had to be at Coronation Park to see Eastwood begin their NPL Premier season. Good start, Eastwood going 1-0 up after 7 minutes, Paul Mitchell's penalty after the visiting keeper had tripped Craig Swinsoe. Only a yellow card even though Swinscoe was through on goal and the keeper was the last defender ! Anyway, the goal just seemed to wake the Gateshead lads up - they started playing really good passing football, running the Badgers ragged, and with goals from Armstrong (15), Salvin (35) and Phillips (40) went in at the break 3-1 up. Eastwood made a change at the interval, my old buddy Kelvin Mushambi taking over from Deon Meikle up front, Meikle dropping into the midfield to replace the substituted Hutchinson. Made things better for the home team, but depite the considerable improvement in the general play, the Badgers were no match for their visitors. I just wonder what would have happened if the keeper had been dismissed?

Kev and I agree that Gateshead were one of the better teams we have seen at Coronation Park for a long, long time - our next visit there should be the Ilkeston game on Bank Holiday Monday.

Next game on the road should be FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Arnold Town v Shifnal Town on Tuesday 21st August

Gedling Miners Welfare v Graham St Prims

CML Supreme Division 14th August 2007

First visit of the season to Plains Road to see Welfare take on the Prims. Men against boys as far as talent goes. Gedling had enough chances in the first 5 minutes to end the game there and then, but with James Needham and Chris Henson firing wide at every opportunity, it seemed Prims had survived --- not to be. In the 7th minute, a Ryan Thompson corner was headed powerfully home by centre-half Brett Peel to open the scoring. Needham found the net after 33 minutes to make it 2-0 to Gedling. H-T 2-0. Needham finished off good play by Henson and Thompson to make it 3-0, then after dropping down a gear, Prims managed to grab a goal on the breakaway. The gap was soon back to three goals when Thompsons excellent cross was headed home by a Prims defender. F-T 4-1

Special mention for the programme. Great value .. £1 for 28 pages, full colour - match pics, player profiles -- quality !!

New season - new teams - new venue !!

Forest Town v Heanor Town Saturday 11th August Central Midlands Supreme League ( step 7)

Former Eastwood keeper and long time friend Danny Bryant is now 1st team Manager of Heanor Town and this was a great opportunity to meet him again - and also to see him back in action --- Heanor are still looking for a keeper......

~Never been to Forest Town - how easy is the ground to find ? Very !! A60 onto B60 whatever and there you are!!

Plenty of parking, £3 to get in ...

Heanor were the underdogs, fielding no fewer than 6 under 18's. It was one of these youngsters that gave Heanor the lead in the 3rd minute -- Marvin Hudson curling a great shot past the home keepers despairing dive. It was the only goal of a thoroughly entertaining game - Forest Town are one of the favourites to gain promotion ... and with the leadership of ex- Mansfield Town winger Gary Castledine, they will not be far away.

Gedling Town - another of our popular venues

Gedling Town v Eastwood Town -- 7th August

Trips to the riverside usually feature quite a lot during the season. Our first visit this season was to see Gedling Town take on Eastwood Town. Nice to see Caroline and Rob Whitehead again...James Whitehead back at Gedling after a rather torrid time at Sutton Town last term. Also bumped into old mate Maurice Simpson - a friend from way back!!

A magnificent 25 yarder from Phil Massingham gave the home team the lead, but Gary Breach levelled right on half-time for the Badgers. Half-time - never usually bother going to the snap-shed because the tea is usually awful - however a Zero Coke and a smashing sausage roll may see me in there more often in the future. Anyway - a mediocre game was won by the home team after Eastwood Academy keeper Ricky Turner failed to hold onto a last minute inswinging corner, and could only watch as the ball drizzled into the net.

Back to Coronation Park

ETFC v Stocksbridge Park Steels -- Saturday 4th August

Eastwood went in at the break 2-1 up, Howells and Mathews on target. SPS had missed a penalty. Mitchell hammered home Eastwood's third just after the break, and although SPS pulled it back to 3-2, Eastwood sub Antwon Bonnick smashed home three superb efforts to make the final score 6-2. Strange game..........

1st pre-season visit to Coronation Park

Eastwood Town v Alfreton Town -- Tuesday 1st August 

A visit to what has been my spiritual home for the past 5-6 seasons - newly promoted ETFC v Alfreton Town of the Blue Square Conference North. Andy White headed the Reds in front after just 5 minutes, but Craig Swinscoe levelled to make it 1-1 at the break. Straight from the re-start Ricky Hanson made it 2-1 to the Badgers, and only a late effort from Matt Glass saved Alfreton's blushes.

1st match of the pre-season

Carlton Town versus Gedling Miners Welfare -- 28th July.

Bit of a palaver getting to the ground after the road through to Burton Joyce had been, unknown to us, blocked to cars. Still, we managed to get intro the ground well before kick off. UniBond League standard? Hardly. But the League had to fill two divisions this season and standards seem to have been relaxed slightly. The game? GMW took an early lead, but Carlton were soon on top, thanks to goals from Daryl Thomas and Phil Bignall. The latter went on to complete a superb hat-trick as Carlton ran out 6-3 winners.