Saturday 25 July 2009

Gedling MW 1-0 Hucknall Town

Always a pleasure to visit Plains Road, home of Gedling Miners Welfare FC.

Welfare play in the East MIdlands Counties League ( step 6) and have more or less a new squad, most of last season's Calverton team following Manager Graham Walker to Plains Road. Hucknall are members of the UniBond Premier Division (step 3) and also have more or less a new squad - relegation from the Conference North seeing an exodus of players from Watnall Road...

With Forest playing County, I suppose a large gathering at Plains Road was never going to happen, but there were maybe 60 or 70 present...

Blessed with a programme and team sheet - but it was noticable that the players hadn't seen the sheet - or had they swapped shirts on purpose? Pre-season friendlies are always a bit tricky - with players being changed every five minutes, but in the second half Hucknall caused even more confusion by playing two no. 4's!!

The programme was the usual decent publication - and featured the "On The Road" blog - always a compliment to see my efforts are appreciated. However, programme editor Tony Hay made us smile using a pic of me and Kev, with the caption " what shall we have tonight for tea, dear?"....

It has to be said though, that having a team sheet did help - although we knew most of the Gedling players, and quite a few of the Hucknall squad.

The game began brighly enough, with Hucknall's first chance coming with only 20 seconds on the clock - a firece drive delected away from goal fora corner. It soon transpired that both teams were still in the process of getting to know each other and although Hucknall centre-half Cyrus Richards headed over from close range, and Gedling keeper Lance Walker did well to save from a free-kick, there was little to enthuse about.

The home team scored the games only goal on 43. From a free-kick, Simon Gould's perfectly timed run saw him get to the far post ahead of the sleeping Hucknall defence and volley home. Great ball in, great run, greatfinish, but Town's Assistant gaffer Richard Liburd must have wondered why his defenders had not reacted.... maybe they were thinking of their half time cuppas! H-T 1-0

Hucknall changed so many players in the second half it was difficult to keep track - but the addition of Gary Sucharewycz to the back line ensured that the home team were kept at bay.

For Hucknall, their no.18 should have done better with a diving header on 75, while Laurie Wilson flashed a shot just wide from 30 yards just after.

Welfare's impressive right back, Chris Hall should have doubled the home teams lead just before the final whistle, just failing to connect at the far stick. F-T 1-0

Tuesday -- back to Field Mill -- Stags v Walsall ....

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