9 for Enderby

FRIAR LANE 2-9 ENDERBY TOWN 2012
Sunday 28th October 2012
Alliance Football League Bill Walton Cup 2nd Round
Western Park [pitch 6], Hinckley Road, Leicester

This morning I made the short journey to Western Park, a large public park in the (shock horror) western suburbs of Leicester. There are seven football pitches on the park, with this one being on pitch 6. It is set in the north east of the park, away from the other pitches and surrounded by trees and has a secluded feel about it.

On paper this was a mismatch with their being six divisions between the two teams, and in the end that is how it turned out. Enderby though were sluggish in the first half and struggled to break down the home team. Friar Lane were happy to put men behind the ball and hope to hit the higher ranked visitors on the counter attack.

I am not going into too much detail about the goals, but if I can remember give a brief description of them:

6 mins; 0-1 Stein Worthington - a shot from the edge of the penalty area
28 mins; 0-2 Sam Miller - a header from a free kick
37 mins; 0-3 George Young - a first time shot from 12 yards
42 mins; 1-3 Lewis Grainger - reacted first after a save from the keeper
49 mins; 1-4 Nick Owen - a side foot shot from a couple of yards out
52 mins; 1-5 Tom Marsh - lofted into top corner
54 mins; 1-6 George Young - powerful shot from edge of the penalty area
56 mins; 1-7 Tom Marsh - reacted first and finished from three yards out
61 mins; 2-7 Mike Gist - first time shot after a save from the keeper
77 mins; 2-8 George Young - curling shot into top corner from outside penalty area
80 mins; 2-9 Sam Miller - lofted volley into top corner from twenty yards out - superb goal and best of the eleven.

45 match photos can be viewed in the slideshow below:

Oadby v Harrowby

OADBY TOWN 1-2 HARROWBY UNITED
Saturday 27th October 2012
United Counties League Division 1
Wigston Road, Oadby, Leicestershire

No report but a fair result with the visitors from Grantham ending Oadby's unbeaten start in the United Counties League since they transferred from the East Midlands Counties League.

22 photos taken during the first half can be viewed in the slideshow below:

Newcy Town

NEWCASTLE TOWN 3-1 GRESLEY
Saturday 20th October 2012
Northern Premier League Division 1 South
The Aspire Stadium, Buckmaster Avenue, Newcastle-under-Lyme

With Oadby Town not having a game today I am joined today by good friend and also their secretary Kevin Zupp, and we are heading west into Staffordshire, which for myself is the first time in two years for a game of football. The destination of choice is Newcastle Town Football Club, and was until Evesham United moved into their new ground the nearest step 4 ground I had not previously visited.

Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in the potteries area of North Staffordshire, though should be noted that has or had no involvement with the pottery industry. In 2001 the town had a population of 73,944.

The Newcastle part of the name refers to a 'new castle' that was built in the 12th century, while the Lyme section could refer to the Lyme Brook or the extensive Forest of Lyme that covered the area with lime tress in the medieval period.

An apology now to the regular readers who were / are expecting a match report from the game. There is not going to be one as after uploading the ground and match photos I simply couldn't be bothered.

The match details are as follows:

Admission: £6
Programme: £1.50
Attendance: 157 (official)
Badge: £3
Coffee: £1

Goal scorers / times:

Newcastle: Christian Millar (15); Thomas France (44); Neville Thompson (67)
Gresley: Jordan Gough (69)

If anyone is reading a report on the game, Gresley FC have one on their website: http://www.gresleyfc.com/first-team/report/6479

32 photos of the ground and game are in a slideshow below:


Next fixtures:

Saturday 27th October: Oadby Town v Harrowby United (United Counties League Division 1)
Sunday 28th October: Friar Lane v Enderby Town 2012 (Alliance Football League Bill Walton Cup 2nd Round - 10.30am ko @ Western Park [pitch 6], Leicester)

attenborough

ATTENBOROUGH 3-2 COTGRAVE
Saturday 13th October 2012
Nottinghamshire Senior League Senior Division
University of Nottingham Sports Ground, University Boulevard, Nottingham

For the first time in two months I will be in the company of my dad at a football game, and with dad stating he would prefer a game in Nottinghamshire I looked around for possible fixtures. With having visited every ground in the county that plays in the first ten levels of English football my choice would come from either the Central Midlands League (CML) or Nottinghamshire Senior League (NSL). In regards to the CML it would be between Harworth Colliery Institute, Linby Colliery and Sherwood Colliery, but unfortunately the first two were away and Sherwood without a fixture. The NSL fixture list for today through up plenty of options, helped by the fact that I have not visited many of the grounds in the league yet. Of the eight teams at home in the top division, seven would at new venues to visit. One fixture stood out due to the venue that the respective fixture would be played at.

Attenborough Football Club have been playing home games at the University of Nottingham Sports Ground since the start of last season due to flood defence work in the village, and with the work completed or very close to the club are moving back to their ground in Attenborough itself in early 2013. The venue is one that I believe does not have any other Saturday side playing here, and it is also only a forty five minute drive from Leicester.

This season both teams have not had the best of starts and sit in the bottom half of the Senior Division table. Attenborough are the higher of the two and are in 9th place with nine points from five league outings. Last Saturday they recorded a 3-1 victory over CML side Thoresby Colliery Welfare in the 1st round of the Nottinghamshire Senior Cup. Cotgrave meanwhile have only six points from nine league games and at the start of play are in 13th place. In their last match they were spanked 6-2 @ Burton Joyce in a league fixture.

The Admiral Sir John Borlese Warren

I was picked up just after midday and we made our way up the M1, and with traffic light we stopped  off in Stapleford for a pre-match bite to eat and pint. We found a free car park on the Derby and went into the local JD Weatherspoon outlet, The Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren.

The University of Nottingham Sports Ground is located on the A6005 University Boulevard, just inside the Nottingham city boundary if coming from the M1, while the entrance you need to take is the 1st on the right about 50 yards after the island. It is a large complex and was very busy today with numerous football games plus rugby, netball and lacrosse matches going on. The pitch that Attenborough use is in front of the cricket pavilion and was roped off, this despite there being a railed off pitch with dugouts not in use close by.

the pavilion at the sports ground

The game was not bad with and the early exchanges were fairly even. Attenborough took the lead just after the quarter hour mark through Chris Myton, though even though it only happened around six and a half hours ago I can't actually remember how the goal was scored!!! Anyway four minutes later and it became 2-0. Paul Ireson received the ball on the left hand side of the penalty area, cut inside and beat the Cotgrave keeper at his near post with a low shot. Cotgrave did not let their heads drop and got a goal back ten minutes before the half time interval. A free kick was parried by the Attenborough keeper and Kyle Waddell was quickest to react and finished off the rebound.

Attenborough started the second half with purpose and it was no surprise when they increased their lead on 56 minutes. After a good move and cross on the right Myton got his second of the afternoon with a header at the far post. From this the home side seemed to take the foot off the gas and seemed intent to turn three points into one or none. Fortunately for them Cotgrave were unable to take advantage of this, though they did get a goal back with twenty minutes remaining. A cross from the left was turned in at the far post by Mark Holvey. 

Overall a pleasant afternoon and the forecast rain failed to materialise while we were watching the game. 

Admission / programme: none
Attendance: 30
Free tea and coffee at half time

31 photos taken during the 1st half can be viewed in the slideshow below:

Thurmaston have the keys at Scotlands

CROSS KEYS NEWBOLD 1-5 THURMASTON W.M.P. 2009
Leicestershire Sunday Intermediate Cup 1st Round
Sunday 7th October 2012
Scotlands Playing Fields, Forest Road, Coalville

For the first time since early July yesterday there was a Saturday without football. Not because of anything untoward, but that I was attending the East Midlands Food Festival in Melton Mowbray with the wife. This was a date that had been put in the diary for some time as we went to the event last year.

All was not lost as I still managed to get to a game this morning, helped with the wife working this morning as well. 

The majority of first round county cup matches under the jurisdiction of the Leicestershire & Rutland  Football Association are being played this weekend, though the county FA must be one of the worst run in this regard. The reason being is that despite knowing which clubs are to be entered in which competition they still gave the clubs less than two weeks notice. This causing problems not only for the clubs but for the fixture secretaries of the leagues themselves. Surely it is not too much to ask for the draws for the opening couple of rounds to be done before the respective leagues issue fixtures, like the Football Association do on a national scale with the FA Cup, Trophy, Vase, Youth Cup etc. I know one of the reasons given for the delay will be that of pitch shares, but if this happens then make one team play one week and the other the next. It is not difficult. Severely clutching at straws here but if anyone at the Leicestershire FA is reading this then I will be more than happy to get involved with next years draws. 

The Sunday Intermediate Cup is one of five competitions organised by the county FA for open age Sunday footballers. The others being Premier, Shield, Trophy and Vase. The draw for round 1 is as follows:

Cross Keys Newbold (H) v Thurmaston WMP 2009 (A)

FC Union (H) v Birstall Stamford Reserves (C)

Market Bosworth 2000 (H) v Duke of Rutland Reserves (H)

Kirby Muxloe Rangers (A) v Westfield Wanderers (L)

Tin Hat (H) v Leicester Echos (L)

Enderby & District Social (H) v Sileby Athletic (C)

FC Hoskins (A) v Thurlaston Magpies [Sunday] (H)

Key: A - Alliance Football League; C - Charnwood Sunday League; L - Leicester Sunday League; H - Hinckley & District Sunday League


Before a ball had been kicked this morning Westfield Wanderers went through to round 2 following Kirby Muxloe Rangers folding a couple of days ago.

The Scotlands Playing Fields are literally just that - playing fields. Entrance is via drive on Forest Road on the south side of Coalville. If coming from Leicester go past the Bardon Quarry and Bardon Sports Club, and when at the 1st island take the first exit into Coalville. Forest Road is the first turning on the left, with the entrance to the playing fields on the left hand side before you cross the railway line. 

Thurmaston started this game as favourites, having a 100% record in all competitions so far this season. This includes four league games and a match in the Arthur Moore Cup. Cross Keys meanwhile sit third in division one of the Charnwood Sunday League.

The home side came out of the blocks quicker and looked the better side early on, but with ten minutes on the clock found themselves a goal down. After good work down the inside right channel, the ball fell to Ant Morris who poked the ball home from a yard out. A couple of minutes later and it should have been all square, only for a Keys shot to strike the bottom of the left hand upright. This was the closest the home side came in the first half, and by the end of it were three down. Jamie Sharman (24 minutes) and a superbly struck free kick from Connor Packwood on 34 minutes giving Thurmaston a comfortable lead.

It should be said that players from both sides struggled with the autumn sun and clash of kits, with Cross Keys playing in red and Thurmaston in orange.

The second half was pretty much a non-event with Cross Keys unable to break the visitors  defence down, while Thurmaston did not have to get out of second gear to secure the victory and a place in round 2. Luke Winfield made it 0-4 on 54 minutes with a shot across the Cross Keys keeper. The hosts got a deserved consolation goal with fifteen minutes left on the clock, only for Packwood to get his second of the game on 89 minutes to round off the scoring.

37 photos taken at the game can be viewed in the slideshow below: