Happy New Year ...........

..............and a very prosperous one, to all readers of the "On The Road" blog. Thanks to everone for the support and encouragement over the last 12 months ...you know who you are, and you are all bloody marvelous!!

First game of 2010 sees us on the road for at least 5 minutes as we make the short trip to Watnall Road, Hucknall, to see the Yellows take on Boston United.

Tuesday 29th December 2009

Our final fixture of 2009 was to have been at Wharfe Lane - Radcliffe Olympic were due to entertain Dunkirk on the 29th. Unfortunately the weather foiled our plans yet again, leaving us with a grand total of 4 games in December! With the amount of games that have been lost to snow/frost/waterlogging, there should be plenty of midweek games coming up in the near future.

We start 2010 on New Years Day with a trip to our local team, Hucknall Town who are scheduled to play former football league outfit Boston United. This is followed the following day by Forest Tn v Blidworth, but if this falls foul of the weather, we may nip over to Calverton who take on Sutton Tn AFC. Tuesday the 5th looks like Clipstone W v Kirkby Tn, but option would be Sutton Tn AFC v Blidworth. Then the big one.....Mansfield Tn v Luton Tn on the 9th -- a 1-4 reverse at Kenilworth Road earlier in the season needs avenging, but are the Stags up to the challenge?

2009-2010 season so far.....

54 games : 183 goals at 3.38 goals per game.

Grounds visited : 21

Most visited venue : Field Mill 15 times

Most goal in a game : 8

Worksop Tn 4-4 North Ferriby Utd

Hucknall Tn 7-1 Durham City

Monday results

BSP
Stags 2-1 Cambridge Utd

BSN
Alfreton Tn p-p Eastwood Tn

EMCL
Barrow Tn 1-3 Greenwood Mdws
Radford 0-3 Holwell Sports ( 12:30pm)

CMLS
Calverton MW 0-1 Newark Tn
Ollerton Tn p-p Kirkby Tn
Sutton Tn AFC p-p Forest Tn
Westella and Willerby p-p Blidworth W

CMLP
South Normanton Ath 1-4 Church Warsop

Mansfield Town 2-1 Cambridge United

Monday 28th December 2009 -- Blue Square Premier

Yessssss... at last a half decent performance by the Stags at Field Mill. First half was marginal poor, with only Ryan Williams standing out for Mansfield. Cambridge looked dangerous on the break and at times were a yard quicker than the home team.

It took 27 minutes for the Stags to put 4-5 passes together and this lead to the games opening goal. Real determination from Gary Silk to win the ball, then a smart cross in from the right by Williams to the near post where KYLE PERRY was on hand to steer home.

Cambridge levelled on 42 through CHRIS HOLROYD - the young striker finding far too much space in the Stags' 6-yard box, before slotting easily past keeper Alan Marriott. H-T 1-1

Stags had the better of the play as the second half settled down and replacing the ineffective Lee Morris with Louis Briscoe, and Rob Duffy with Jake Speight certainly added bite to the Stags attack.

Speight was booked with seconds of coming off the bench, but a glorious solo goal by the youngster after 73 minutes earned the Stags the three points. Again Gary Silk set up the play - winning the ball on the right before handing over to Speight who skipped past defenders like they weren't there, then firing past Potter in the U's goal. He really is a fans favourite is Speight - he looked raring to go as soon as he entered the field of play - more please!!.....F-T 2-1

Link to Mansfield Chad report

Footnote : It was good to be acknowledged by Eastwood Town Chairman Rob Yong - we have not been to see the Badgers so far this season, so he could easily have ignored us....

Temperature - brass monkeys will be looking for welders.......

Admission - season ticket

Attendance - 3364 ( 394 from Cambridge)

Next game should be Radcliffe Oly v Dunkirk in the EMCL on 29th Dec.... if the temperature keeps dropping, I wouldn't bank on the game being on!!!

Mansfield Town v Cambridge -- game is on.....

.....but after recent displays and results, are we enthusiastic? I'm not sure about Kev, but i'm not too bothered about going.

I will go, but I hope the players give us something to warm us up a little!!!

BSP
Stags 2-1 Cambridge Utd

BSN
Alfreton Tn p-p Eastwood Tn

EMCL
Barrow Tn 1-3 Greenwood Mdws
Radford 0-3 Holwell Sports ( 12:30pm)

CMLS
Calverton MW 0-1 Newark Tn
Ollerton Tn p-p Kirkby Tn
Sutton Tn AFC p-p Forest Tn
Westella and Willerby p-p Blidworth W

CMLP
South Normanton Ath 1-4 Church Warsop

Monday 28th December 2009

BSP
Stags v Cambridge Utd

BSN
Alfreton Tn p-p Eastwood Tn

EMCL
Barrow Tn v Greenwood Mdws
Radford v Holwell Sports ( 12:30pm)

CMLS
Calverton MW v Newark Tn
Ollerton Tn p-p Kirkby Tn
Sutton Tn AFC p-p Forest Tn
Westella and Willerby p-p Blidworth W

CMLP
South Normanton Ath v Church Warsop

Saturday 26th December - local games

Stags lose again.... although there a couple of decent looking games to visit, Season Ticket dictates that we will be going to Field Mill on Monday to see them take on Cambridge United....

Rainworth win again... 13 straight league victories - well done to all at Kirklington Road !!

BSP
York City 3-0 Mansfield Town

BSN
Eastwood Town p-p Ilkeston Town

NPP
Worksop Town p-p Hucknall Town

NP1S
Carlton Town p-p Shepshed Dynamo
Chasetown p-p Belper Town
Glapwell p-p Sheffield FC

EMCL
Ellistown p-p Borrowash Victoria
Gedling Town p-p Gedling MW
Graham St Prims p-p Blackwell MW
Heanor Town p-p Gresley FC

NCELP
Long Eaton United p-p Arnold Town
Shirebrook Town 0-4 Rainworth MW

NCEL1
Staveley MW p-p Teversal

Saturday 19th December 2009

BSP
Wrexham p-p Mansfield Tn

BSN
Redditch Utd p-p Eastwood Tn

UniBond Premier
Kendall Tn p-p Hucknall Tn
Marine p-p Worksop Tn

UniBond Div 1 South
Carlton Tn p-p Stamford
Shepshed Dyn p-p Belper Tn
Spalding Utd p-p Glapwell

NCELP
Arnold Tn p-p Armthorpe W
Brodsworth W p-p Long Eaton Utd
Rainworth MW p-p Lincoln Moorlands Railway
Shirebrook Tn p-p Hall Road Rangers

NCEL Div 1
Hemsworth p-p Teversal

EMCL
Blackwell MW p-p Ellistown
Borrowash Vics p-p Heanor Tn
Dunkirk p-p Radford
Gedling MW p-p Barrow Tn
Greenwood Meadows p-p Gresley
Radcliffe Oly p-p Gedling Tn

CMLS
Forest Tn p-p Calverton MW
Kimberley Tn p-p Harworth CI
Kirkby Tn p-p Westella & Willerby
Nettleham p-p Clipstone W
Newark Tn p-p Louth Tn
Pinxton p-p Kinsley Boys
Southwell City p-p Parramore Sports
Sutton Tn AFC p-p Grantham Rangers

CMLP
Bulwell Tn p-p South Normanton

Plenty of footy planned in the near future,,,,,,,,

.............but will the weather be the big winner? Forecast is not too bad, but frozen pitches may be the cause of a lot of games biting the dust.

Planned game for Saturday 19th is Rainworth MW v Lincoln Moorlands Railway. The Wrens beat LMR 6-0 in the reverse fixture last week - and to heap misery on LMR, their ground has been broken into and some gits have nicked the copper water pipes, leaving standing water all over the place....

Tuesday 22nd should be Blidworth W v Ollerton Tn.

Boxing day fixture has changed - was going to be Gedling Tn v Gedling MW, but Worksop Tn v Hucknall Tn is a bit nearer and if it gets too cold, the clubhouse at the New Manor Ground is very welcoming!!

Monday 28th - season ticket dictates Stags v Cambridge, but not enjoying Field Mill much just lately.....

Tuesday 29th - working most of the day, but Radcliffe Olympic v Dunkirk is on the cards for 7:45pm kick off.

With temperatures at the moment hovering around freezing, and the odd snowfall also predicted, it will be a case of watching the local league websites and the excellent Tony Kempster forum to see what games if any, are going ahead......

Not going out........

Derbyshire Senior up matches......was going to Glapwell v Belper but working late and being slightly knackered gets me, quite conveniently, out of that one......

If it doesn't rain or snow, may take in Hucknall Town Unity v Blidworth Welfare U19's on Wednesday.

Failing that, may have a look at Calverton MW U19 v Mickleover Sports U19's on Thursday.

Greenwood Meadows 3-3 Radford

Saturday 12th December 2009 -- EMCL

As we approached the gates to the ground, we noticed it was blocked by a car towing a caravan....apparently there is a "Western Night" at the Greenwood Meadows club and the people attending all have caravans. I suppose if you get don't keep on the sarsaparilla, then you might well need somewhere to kip overnight!!! Still, after waiting a few minutes, Kev found a decent parking space - pole position for exiting the ground again!!!

Kev asked Greenwood Secretary Colin Woodward for the lineups and he duly obliged. He alo mentioned that the club was broken into last week, trays of beer and bottles of spirits were taken. Nothing is left on the premises overnight now, but it makes you wonder how desperate some people are when they risk possible imprisonment for a few trays of beer and a couple of bottles of spirits.....

Teams:

Greenwood ; Farnsworth, Boafo, Jenkins, Walker, Graham, Irons, Burton, Francis, Atkins, T Smith, Harrison. Subs; Robinson, Pollard, Blair, Hall

Radford ; Johnson, Berry, O'Hara, Gray, Henstock, Wilkinson, Blewitt, M. Smith, Croft, Shipstone, Moran. Subs; Nicholson, Bowen, Woolridge, Thomas, Spencer.

Referee Mr. S. Royston

Greenwood were ahead after only three minutes had been played, CHRIS ATKINS tapping home from just inches out after Radford keeper Dan Johnson had dropped a Theo Smith cross in from the right. The general play was not among the best we have witnessed this season, but after 15 minutes, when Neil Wilkinson shouted "come on lads, the quality has got to be better!", he wasn't joking!

Greenwood doubled their lead on 18, ATKINS this time going it alone, beating one defender, flicking the ball around another before delicately chipping past Johnson. Should have been 3-0 after 36 minutes - a mad scramble saw the ball tapped past Johnson, but the keeper managed to grab the ball after it had hit the post and stopped dead!! H-T 2-0

Went into the clubhouse for a beverage during the break ... has to be the hottest cuppa ever.... I was still drinking it 10 minutes into the second half!!!

Radford began the second half looking a different team, taking the game to their hosts right from the restart. They were rewarded on 49 when Referee Mr. Royston awarded them a penalty after Keiron Walker had tripped a Radford player. JOSH CROFT hammered home the spot-kick, giving Farnsworth no chance.

Greenwood almost added to their lead after 66 minutes when Atkins challenged Johnson for the ball and it flew loose. Atkins tapped home, but the Assistant decreed that the keeper had full control of the ball, therefore the challenge by Atkins was illegal. The visitors levelled the scores with 10 to go, CROFT looping a header over Farnsworth after he was allowed too much time in the area.

Radford were only level for a minute or so. They were still celebrating when ATKINS completed his triple heading home Smith's right wing cross. When a player has scored against you twice already, there can be no excuse for leaving him unmarked three yards from goal - Radford got no less than what they deserved.

The Radford lads never gave up though, and as the clock ticked on to 90 minutes, CROFT ran clear down the left and cut in before firing a sweet shot across Farnsworth and into the back of the net. F-T 3-3. On reflection the draw was a fair result, and Radford's "never say die", plucky attitude was a joy to behold - although it has to be said that overall, the game wasn't very good......

First out of the car park again - home by 5:15pm

Admission £4

Attendance 21 officially, but nearer to 50 after half-time.....

Programme £1

Tea £0.60 coffee £0.70 -- nice and hot on a chilly day.......


Nice afternoon, although it was a bit chilly!!


Die-hard support


Radford keeper Dan Johnson

Over the bar from there?????

Half time repairs

Next game - possibly Glapwell v Belper Town in the Derbyshire Senior cup.. Tuesday 15th December.

Saturday 12th December -- local results

F.A. Trophy
Stags 0-2 Tamworth

UniBond Premier
Hucknall Tn 1-4 North Ferriby Utd
Worksop Tn 4-0 Durham City

UniBond Div 1 South
Belper Town 0-1 Lincoln Utd
Glapwell 1-1 Kidsgrove Ath
Mickleover Sports 4-0 Carlton Tn

NCEL Premier
Armthorpe W 1-1 Arnold Tn
Lincoln Moorlands 0-6 Rainworth MW
Long Eaton Utd 2-0 Brodsworth W

NCEL Div 1
Bottesford Tn 1-0 Teversal

EMCL
Barrow Tn 3-2 Radcliffe Oly
Borrowash Vic 0-3 Holbrook MW
Greenwood Md 3-3 Radford
Gresley 3-0 Blackwell MW
Heanor Tn 3-3 Gedling MW
Ibstock 2-0 Gedling Tn

CMLS
Blidworth W 0-1 Calverton MW
Harworth CI 0-1 Kirkby Tn
Louth 3-1 Clipstone W
Ollerton Tn 3-0 Pinxton
Southwell City 0-2 Sutton Tn AFC
Westella and Willerby 1-4 Newark Tn

CMLP
Kiverton 1-3 Bulwell Tn
South Normanton Ath 2-0 Hutton Cranswick

Dunkirk 2-2 Pickering Tn ( 4-5 pens AET)

Tuesday 8th December 2009 -- F.A. Vase replay

Half time 0-1

Full time 2-2

AET 2-2

Pickering won 5-4 on penalties

Attendance 129

To try and describe this game and the effort put into it by both teams is slightly beyond my literary expertise, but I would like to say a big thank you to the teams and officials for dishing up a hell of a game as my birthday treat....THANK YOU!

If you weren't able to get to this game, hard lines, because you missed a gem. It's becoming less and less usual lately for me and the Daft Lad to talk about a game non-stop on our way home, but this was such a good game and there was such a lot to talk about that we rediscovered a bit of our enthusiasm for the game...... I have to mention though, that if the Sutton/Blidworth game hadn't been called off then we would probably gone to the Fieldings and missed this.

The game kicked off in pouring rain that wafted across the pitch in waves, beautifully back-lit by the floodlights. The rain ensured most of those in attendance were huddled together under the limited shelter on offer at the Ron Steel Sports ground. We watched the majority of game standing on a row of seating – the slight elevation ensuring we had a decent view of the proceedings.

We were with a good friend from our YEFL past, Mr. Maurice Simpson. Moz is now 76 and still referees at youth level. Looks really well for 76 let me tell you – he had to help me up onto the seats . .. and down again! Mind you, we didn’t see him again after half-time – he went for a cuppa and never came back! Whether that was because he had to wait a long time for his beverage, or he was not happy with our company, we’ll never know – surely not the company, Maurice!!

Brian Dennett supplied the team line-ups…thank you Brian.

Dunkirk : Ivanov, Moore, Frawley, Wilkes, Soar, Robinson, Garmston, Gregory, Grant, Day, Brady. Subs : Hopkinson, Westcarr, White, McCaughey, Beck

Pikes : Martin, Aziz, Pallender, Eeles, McNaughton, Hepple, Wrigley, Thompson, Newton, Salt, Fox. Subs: Clough, Towse, Burns, Johnson

Referee Mr. James Thornhill ( Ilkeston)

Both keepers were exceptional throughout the game, Pikes’ Kevin Martin and Dunkirk’s Nicky Ivanaov both performing at their best in awful conditions.

Martin was forced into a decent save from a Brady effort after 11 minutes, then as the teams gradually came to terms with the pitch, more and more chances followed. Ivanov had to be alert on the half-hour mark, tipping over Salt’s shot after the striker had been played in on goal by Thompson. Eeles was booked 5 minutes later after appearing to elbow Frawley, leaving the defender in a heap on the ground.

Seconds later, the visitors took the lead against the run of play. A quick dart down the left ended with the ball being fired across the goalmouth, a slight deflection off a defender placed the ball straight into the path of LIAM SALT who calmly tapped home from close in. H-T 0-1

It had continued to rain right up until half-time --- then it stopped! Just as the players left the field the rain stopped, the air cleared and we thought the worst of the weather was over and we could have a potter around. Not to be. Shortly after the players re-appeared, down it came again. We were back to standing on the seats again!!

During the break, we had listened to the scores from other games being bandied about – Forest, Derby, West Brom etc. and Grantham Rangers…..yes, Grantham Rangers. They were playing Kimberley in a CMLS game and was incident packed. To begin with, Kimberley were late and the game kicked off at 8:10pm instead of the advertised 7:45pm. There were apparently 3 sendings off and 12 bookings and Grantham won 1-0, the result taking them off the bottom of the table.

Anyway, back to Lenton Lane ; after a bit of early pass and move, 8 minutes into the half Andy Frawley ran into the Pickering area and went over a defenders leg. A penalty was duly awarded by Mr. Thornhill – LEE DAY slammed home the spot-kick to level the scores. On 56, Garmston saw his free-kick fly just wide of the post, then Grant saw his effort blocked on the line.

The game went through a bit of a scrappy period then as the pitch slowly went from slippy to sticky to quagmire. How the players kept going, I have no idea, but they did and the game took off again on 70 when Pickering had three chances in as many seconds! The first shot was parried by Ivanov, then the loose ball was hit at goal and cleared off the line – the header in from this clearance just cleared the far post – breathtaking stuff!!

Grant had a powerful shot saved by Martin on 87, the keeper diving to his left to tip the ball away, leaving the young striker watching in agony as the ball trickled inches past the outside of the post.

Now came the madness…… we had settled for extra time and were quite looking forward to another 30 minutes of this fayre, when young sub Darren Clough raced down the left wing and fired in a low cross that appeared to hit LIAM SALT and ended up in the Dunkirk net. Groans all around, except from the few hardy Yorkshire folk in the crowd. 90 minutes played and 1-2 down after all that effort? We headed towards the exit and were right behind the goal when a ball in from the right ball sat up nicely for ANTHONY GREGORY, whose diving header left Martin for dead and the Dunkirk players in raptures. 90+4 I timed it….. F-T 2-2 and back under the cover and back on the seats!

The action continued into extra-time, Ivanov pulling off one superb save early on. Day should have scored when he received the ball 6 yards from goal – but his shot flew over the bar. Martin made a fine stop to keep out Ben Moore’s terrific 25 yard effort, but despite both teams best efforts and non-stop battling, we entered the dreaded lottery of the penalty shoot-out.

While the Ref was sorting out the teams, Kev nipped out to see if he could re-position the car for a quick getaway. Somehow, he managed to turn the thing around 180 degrees in the couple of square yards of space available and ensured we were going to be among the first out of the packed car-park.

We stood just to the right of the goal for the spot-kicks and the first 9 were all converted. For players that had just ran their socks off for 2 hours, the kicks were superb. Then came the turn of Reds skipper Andy Frawley. At 4-5 he had to score – and both me and Kev knew he wouldn’t …..you just knew that Martin was going to save it and he duly obliged, leaving Frawley in despair.

A save that saw his team into the next round, and saw him up to his eyeballs in mud as his team mates engulfed him!!!! Out to the car – and despite almost running a few people over, we were first out of the car-park.

Official attendance was 129 – they must have had one car each!! The main car park was chokka, and 100 yards of Lenton Lane was also crammed with parked cars.

Overall, a brilliant birthday present, and a real shame that one team had to lose. Well done all.

Admission £4

Attendance 129

Programme £1

Weds -- hoping to go to see Calverton U19 in action at Rainworth MW

Mansfield Town 0-0 Grays Athletic

Saturday 5th December 2009 -- BSP

"Ladies and Gentlemen, with an away following of eight" --- !! Yes.... just eight hardy souls bothered to make the journey from Essex, but their trip back down the M1 will be happier than our short return to Hucknall.

After a really poor first half, the Stags threw everything at their struggling opponents, but a combination of poor finishing, a missed penalty, excellent defending, bad luck and ridiculous saves from 6ft 12" Grays' keeper Stuart Robinson, ensured that the 2700+ home fans had yet another frustrating afternoon at Field Mill.

Stuart Robinson saves Duffy's spot kick

I'm not one to aim mindless criticism at football club Managers, and I am sure Dave Holdsworth knows what he is doing ; but - it was only after the forced introduction of Matt Somner at half time, replacing the injured Jon Challinor, that the Stags played anything like we know they can. The midfield of Briscoe, Challinor, Hopkiss and Burgess was largely ineffective and the steel that Somner added meant that at least the second half kept us awake and cheering as the Stags pressed for a goal.

The withdrawal of Briscoe for Morris left us scratching our heads as the Stags seemed to go to a 4-3-3 formation, but then a few minutes later Duffy was replaced by Williams, the team ( I think) reverting back to 4-4-2.

The fact that Kyle Perry was limping when Duffy was replaced also left us bemused ...but as I said earlier, I'm sure DH knows what he is doing.

Gary Silk was our MOM as well as the sponsor's - and the full back really did have a great game. Having said that, you would think that against a team 4th from bottom of the league, a striker should be staking a claim to be MOM...................

Admission : season ticket

Attendance : 2726 (8)

MOM : Gary Silk

Link to MTFC website match report.

Tuesday -- probably go to wherever the rain permits. Sutton Tn AFC v Blidworth W is our planned game, but Dunkirk are to play Pickering Tn in a Vase replay

Saturday 5th December - local games

BSP
Stags 0-0 Grays Ath

BSN
Eastwood Tn 1-0 Harrogate Tn

FA Vase
Pickering Tn 1-1 Dunkirk (replay Tuesday 8th December)
Rainworth MW 1-2 Norton & Stockton Ancients

NPP
Buxton 2-0 Hucknall Tn
Worksop Tn P-P Burscough

NCELP
Arnold Tn 6-3 Hall Road Rangers
Hallam 4-1 Shirebrook Tn
Liversedge 1-2 Long eaton Utd

NCEL 1
Rossington Main 1-1 Teversal

EMCL
Bardon Hill 4-3 Borrowash Vics
Gedling MW 1-0 Greenwood Mdw
Gedling Tn 3-0 Blackwell MW
Ibstock 3-3 Heanor Tn
Radford 1-2 Radcliffe Olym

CMLS
Blidworth W p-p Kimberley Tn
Clipstone W 3-0 Southwell City
Forest Tn 0-1 Sutton Tn AFC
Newark Tn p-p Harworth CI
Pinkstone 3-1 Nettleham
Westella and Willerby 3-0 Calverton MW

CMLP
Bentley MW 3-2 Bulwell Tn
FC Brimington 6-0 South Norm Ath

Tuesday 1st December 2009

With Kev off to a concert with his better half, I decided to give football a miss. Watch a bit of Man U v Spurs while listening to Gateshead v Stags on BBC Nottingham...