Saturday 8th September: k.o 3:00pm
EMCL
Eagle Valley
Arnold Town v Borrowash Victoria
Referee: Harry Jones
Assistants: Andy Wood / Zaydn Conroy
Admission: £5.00 / £3.00
Attendance: 48
Weather: cold and windy initially, with driving rain on and off throughout proceedings
Programme: £1.00
Teams:
Arnold Town: Elliott, Miles, Hallam, Mushambi, Woodward, Marsh, Binch, Knight, Kemp, Bird, Looker. Subs: Maxwell, Thurgood, Holt, Bowen, Betteridge
Borrowash: Soul, Gilmartin, Cooper, Oakford, Baguley, Turner, Vernon, Stirland, Taylor, Francis, Bennett. Subs: Raisen, Firth, Timms
My scheduled game was supposed to be at Eastwood, but some damned cyclists ruled that out as their route at match time was the same as mine, and for some reason they received priority!
Wherever I looked for a game locally, those pesky cyclists interfered, except at Eagle Valley where the cavalcade went past at mid-day – so Arnold v Borrowash it was…
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| Eagle Valley |
Both teams are really struggling at the wrong end of the table and have both conceded loads of goals. My biggest fear about the fixture was that neither are prolific in front of goal either, so it was fingers crossed to help ward off the threat of the dreaded goal-less draw!
Arnold made a few forays forward from the off, but their attacks lacked any penetration and they often gifted the ball to their opposition. That is precisely what happened with 16 played. The ball was given away in midfield, banged over the top to Vics’ striker MATT TAYLOR, who gathered comfortably before running at goal and slotting past Arnold keeper Jamie Elliott.
A few minutes from the restart, Arnold had a half decent chance when Dillon Bird ran in from the left and fired across the visitors’ goal. Unfortunately for the home faithful, his shot flew just wide of the far stick. The home supporters were in better cheer on the half-hour mark, when a cross from the right by-passed all the Town players in front of goal, but found the head of CALLUM GILMARTIN at the far post, and the unfortunate defender misdirected his clearance, and ended up nodding the ball into the back of his own net. H-T 1-1
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| Arnold set-piece |
With an hour played Taylor was given the chance to lob Elliott from 20 yards out, which he did successfully – unfortunately for the front man, the Arnold keeper was able to race back and clear the ball before it crossed the line. TAYLOR wasn’t to be denied though, and on 65 when his shot had seemed to be palmed away by Elliott, the Referee adjudged that the ball had indeed crossed the line. Lynton Francis did fire the loose ball back into the net, but apparently, the goal had already been awarded to Taylor.
Arnold’s Craig Binch tried his luck from 18 yards out in the 77th minute but his fierce drive was well blocked by visiting keeper Soul.
Another defeat for Arnold, and with only a poor West Bridgford outfit below them in the table, relegation already looks a distinct possibility. I hope I’m wrong, but there has to be a drastic improvement if the drop to step 7 is to be avoided. F-T 1-2
