Carlton Town 0-3 Grantham Town

Tuesday 24th November 2009 -- UniBond Division 1 South

Millers v Gingerbreadmen

With our scheduled game Stags / Luton being called off, we had a straight choice between Carlton / Grantham of Rainworth MW / Brodsworth W. Although Brod are bottom of the NCEL Premier division and a win for Rainworth would see them hit top spot, I made the decision to go to Carlton based on the knowledge that if we went to Kirklington Road and the Wrens lost, our good friends at the club would say it was our fault!! As it happens, the Wrens did the business beating their lowly opposition 5-0 and now they sit proudly in 1st place in the table. Well done to everyone at Rainworth.

So, off we went to Stoke Lane with Kev driving. On arrival at the ground I was pleased Kev was at the wheel because the car park was chock-a-block......but Kev always manages to find a space - and the one he found was the only one left.

We were a little late arriving though - apparently Kev had lost track of time whilst taking a shower....I didn't ask what he was doing to make him lose track of time ....that would have been too much information!!!

It turned out that some cars had to park on the road outside the main gates.. Been to Stoke Lane quite a few times, but I can't remember seeing that before at a Carlton game. What is really surprising about this is that the official attendance was only 112!!

Met fellow blogger and serial hopper Stick Palms along with side-kick the "Taxman" - last met up with the Taxman at a Hucknall Rolls game in September last year...

We were going through the Grantham team, and the list of ex-this and ex-that players made the Gingerbreadmen seem like an old boys reunion. With this amount of talent this tream will not be struggling for long. The addition of Asher and Sucharewycz will be of tremendous benefit - and watching them play together against Carlton they gave very little away....solid performances from the ex-Hucknall Town duo.

Danny Brooks ex-Eastwood Ali Asher ex-Worksop Gary Sucharewycz ex-Hucknall/Eastwood

Dave Frecklington ex-Shepshed Ian Robinson ex-Eastwood Ben Saunders ex-Shepshed

Sam Saunders ex-Shepshed

The home team apparently had 12 of their squad unavailable, including keeper Ali Bercherini, and it has to be said, defensively they looked woeful at times against determined opposition. The first lapse came on 20 when a ball in from the right went straight across the goal and TERRY HENSHAW diverted the ball into his own net. Seems that Grantham's no. 7 Danny Hargreaves has been given this goal, but it looked to me like Henshaw had the last touch.

The game was fast and furious with a few tasty challenges going in, but nothing really nasty. You would think that the Referee would take into account the windy conditions and slippery pitch. Not Mr. David Benton --- Football League ref he may be, but altogether he dished out 10 yellows .. 5 per side, and hardly any were justified - no malice from the players, just a few mis-timed challenges and nothing more. Just plain crazy officiating!! Oh, he sent off both the Grantham managerial team of Jimmy Albans and Wayne Halcro as well....... H-T 0-1

Grantham doubled their lead on 53 when GARY SUCHAREWYCZ bundled home after a corner from the right lead to a mad scramble in the six-yard box. Striker Martin Wormall put the game beyond Carlton's reach in the 67th minute, composing himself really well before side-footing past Ross Cherry in the Carlton goal. F-T 0-3

Said our goodbyes to Sticky and the Taxman - raced to the car and out of the car park as quick as you like.. back home a few minutes after ten -- just in time to see all ther Champions League goals on t'telly.

Line-ups:

Millers : Cherry, Henshaw, Price, Hayes, Martin, Breach, Simmons, Ball, Whitman, Chaplin, Gent. Subs : Corrigan, Ghizlanzoni, Poole, Griffiths, Amory

Gingerbreads : Stainsby, Clarke, Brooks, Asher, Sucharewycz, Frecklington, Hargreaves, Robinson, Wormall, Saunders B, Saunders S. Subs: Norris, Carchedi, Potts, French, Jones

Admission £7

Programme - never saw one

Tea - Kev had a cup and drank it so I assume it was ok.

Attendance 112

Next game - probably be 25th Nov either Gedling Tn v Dunkirk (now postponed) Worksop tn v Leek Tn - other than that Hucknall Tn v Durham City on Saturday 28th.