Sunday 23rd - Saturday 29th September
We begin with a Notts Sunday league cup game at Titchfield Park in Hucknall - AFC Dowhan v Trent Athletic. Advertised as an 11:00 am kick off, I was in my front yard and actually heard the ref's whistle start the game at 10:35am. Living just a couple of hundred yards from the park, I was there for 10:45am and was informed by Dowhan keeper Gary Hickman that there was no score, so I'd missed nothing! The home team were never in trouble and easily won the game 3-0 with goals from Jonathan Bernards, Tom Coupe and Aaron Potter.
Sunday afternoon saw me at the Stoke Lane home of Carlton Town to see Forest Ladies entertain Hull City Ladies. Due to kick off at 2pm, it was 3:00pm before the game actually began. The officials had decided that the white lines (or lack of them) were a problem, particularly one of the 18-yard areas. White lining machine located and lines duly painted, the actual game was well contested throughout, with Hull winning by a solitary goal scored by Hope Knight in the 85th minute.
Tuesday's game was a Notts F.A. Senior Cup game between F.C. Cavaliers and Selston FC. Cavs were the home team, but the game was played at the Parish Ground home of Selston - I think lights have to go out at 9:00pm on the Forest Rec, so the tie was switched. Strange game - six goals, two red cards, two penalties (one converted, one not) and some neat football made this encounter a thoroughly enjoyable affair.
Cavs went ahead on 24 when Andy Danylyszyn converted from the spot, and could have doubled their advantage when they were awarded another penalty 10 minutes later. Unfortunately for the Cavs, Danylyszyn on this occasion hammered the ball way over the bar. Selston levelled on 38 through Lee Sutton. H-T 1-1
As the game entered what we thought were it's final knockings, Mo Babikker saw two yellows and a red in the space of two minutes. Reece Campbell then did the same and with ten minutes left to play Cavs were down to nine men. They did however score the next goal, a free kick that went through home keeper Baldwins hands. Almost from the restart, Selston drew level thanks to a Scott Taylor close-range header. F-T 2-2
Carl Moore nodded home Ben Moore's corner to give Selston the lead for the first time in the game with just a few seconds of extra-time played. Moore (C) added a fourth with eight to play. FT (aet) 2-4
Wednesday afternoon it was a visit to Basford Utd to see their U19's take on Norwich City U19's in a National League U19 Alliance game. The visitors were two ahead with 20 played, and although Basford pulled one back on 25, Norwich added a third on the half hour. H-T 1-3
The visitors added their fourth with 10 to play, but they lost a little composure and allowed Basford to grab two goals in as many minutes to make the final three minutes a bit of a bum squeak! They managed not to concede again and took all three points back home to East Anglia. F-T 3-4
Wednesday evening was Notts F.A. Senior Cup action again, this time Hucknall Town hosting Bingham Town. Goals from Matt Brian, Tom Hubbard, Jack Smith and Jamie Crawford saw the home team through to the next round. Phil Leggett did grab a goal for Bingham with 10 minutes to play, but the final score reflected Hucknall's dominance throughout proceedings. F-T 4-1
Familiar territory on Friday evening, Coronation Park, the home of Eastwood CFC. The fixture was a North Midlands Development League U21 South Divison game, the hosts entertaining Blidworth Welfare. Prolific striker Kieran Knight grabbed four goals on 9, 20, 22 and 27 minutes, with Welfare’s solitary reply from Matt Fowler five minutes before the break. H-T 4-2. Kieran Hobday netted Eastwood’s fifth 7 minutes into the second period, then Knight struck again on 59, before Hobday bagged his second with an hour played. Eastwood added their 8th with 10 to play, but the goal of the game has to be the 25-yard curler into the top corner from Blidworth’s Jack Layzell in the 86th minute. Wonderful hit, gave the home keeper no chance! F-T 8-2
Probably the weeks best game was Basford Utd v Workington AFC in the Northern Premier League, Premier Division. The home team were two-nil down after half an hours play, but Liam Hearn pulled one back five minutes later to make it 1-2 at the break.
Kole Lambert had replaced out of form Kieran Fenton just before the break, and the young striker was on a Basford score-sheet yet again, when he fired home in the 54th minute to bring the scores level. Dion Meikle powered home a header from a well-taken corner on 70 to give Basford the lead for the first time in the game. Nat Watson had a penalty saved by Aaron Taylor, giving Workington a boost. Although they pressed tremendously hard to get back on level terms, the home defence managed to hold on and see Basford secure all three points. F-T 3-2
