Plan B

BELTON VILLA 1-2 GENESIS

Saturday 5th November 2011

North Leicestershire League Cobbin Trophy 2nd Round

Recreation Ground, Church Street, Belton

Like the heading says this was Plan B today due to my first choice being postponed. I had originally planned to watch the Castle Donington - Butler Court tie in the same competition, but on arrival at Spittal Park (home of CDFC) I thought it strange that there were no nets up or players warming up. When I enquired I was told it was postponed due to some players being involved in a road traffic accident on route to the game. Hopefully nothing serious has happened and everyone is ok. I was aware of other ties in the competition, and on having a quick look at the road atlas found out that Belton Villa were the nearest to Castle Donington. Fortunately I arrived at Spittal Park early and this gave me enough time to get to Belton and I arrived at the recreation ground in Belton with a couple of minutes to kick-off. The recreation ground in Belton is like the name suggests a basic affair. The football club share it with the cricket club and it is located on the southern edge of the village on Church Street, with open countryside to the south and houses to the north.

If anyone is unaware the North Leicestershire League's (NLL) Cobbin Trophy is for 1st teams only and this tie pitched second division Belton against premier division Genesis. I am not sure when Belton were founded or when they joined the NLL as my records for the NLL only go back as far as 1997. The previous two seasons were spent in division 1 but having finished in 10th place in the 11 team division they were relegated to division 2. This season they currently find themselves in seventh place recording two wins from their seven league games played. Last time out they drew 1-1 at home to Markfield Reserves. Opponents Genesis currently sit top of the premier division with an unbeaten record - further details on them can be viewed in the previous post.

Belton itself is a small village located a few miles north west of Shepshed and is sandwiched between the A453, A512 and M1 motorway. 

On paper this game should have been a complete mismatch but on the day we had an intriguing and interesting cup tie. Genesis, as expected started the brightest and made the early inroads but were limited to long range efforts. As the half wore on the home side grew in confidence, got into the game more and at times more than matched their opponents in the middle of the park. The opening goal came with five minutes remaining of the half and what a goal it was. Jorge Jimenez who was always a threat throughout the game controlled the ball on his chest some 25 or 30 yards out and hit a swerving volley that flew into the top corner. A goal right out of the top drawer that would grace any level of football. Genesis started the second half in the ascendancy and on 55 minutes doubled their advantage. A corner was won on the left and despite calls for handball it was stabbed home from a few yards out. Belton did not let their heads drop and midway through the half got a goal that their effort deserved. I did not have a good view of it but it appeared their #9's shot took a deflection before it looped over Wiggins in the Genesis goal. This gave the visitors a kick up the backside and within two minutes they nearly made it 1-3, only for the Belton keeper pulling off an excellent save at his near post. Genesis continued to make the most of the running but with seven minutes remaining Belton were awarded a free kick. It split the Genesis defence but the shot was well saved by the advancing Wiggins. In the end Genesis closed the game out and advance to round 3.

Admission / programme: none

Attendance: 7

Match rating: 7 out of 10

Some photos taken during the game can be viewed in the slideshow below:

Loughborough double - part 2

GENESIS 1-1 HOUGHTON RANGERS

(after extra time; Genesis won 9-8 on penalty kicks)
Saturday 29th October 2011
Leicestershire Intermediate Cup 2^nd Round

Lodge Farm, Oakley Drive, Loughborough

The drive from the University to Oakley Drive is less than a mile but with having some time to kill between the games I went and had some lunch before arriving at the venue about ten minutes before kick off. The venue is basic with three pitches and a wooden changing room block on site. Genesis use the back pitch with Loughborough United the front one. The third one which could be described as the "top" pitch with it being set above the other was not in use. Also at home today was Loughborough United Reserves Saturday Vase 2nd round match with Knighton EFC. There is nothing to distinguish each pitch from one another as none of them had dugouts or were railed or roped off. 

Despite watching a poor game in the last round of this competition, this did not deter me in any shape or form to stop me watching a game in the next round. The draw was finally released to the public just three weeks before the game itself – good planning and organisation from the County FA!!!! There are 16 ties in the second round with Genesis thrashing fellow North Leicestershire League side Markfield 8-2 in the 1^st round while District Leaguers Houghton received a bye. I did state in the report on the 1^st round tie between Asfordby and Glenfield that the competition was competed for by teams in only three divisions. Well I was almost right as there are two teams from other leagues – Ketton who play in division 1 of the Peterborough & District League and Witherley United who play in division 2 of the Coventry Alliance.

Houghton keeper Jimmy Greasley saving in the shoot out.

One thing that attracted me to this tie was that both sides are top of their respective leagues and are also unbeaten. Genesis have recorded seven wins from their eight league outings and last week beat Birstall Old Boys 5-1 @ Lodge Farm. Houghton meanwhile have five wins from their six league games and least week beat Mounsorrel Amateurs 3-2 at the Weir Lane ground.

Who are Genesis FC?

Taken from their official website and written by Jez Cromie:

“Genesis FC started in a pub in Loughborough by five guys who used to play football together in the Christian Union team at Uni. The five of us Si Brown, Adrian Holland, Stu Arnold, Steve Straker and myself Jez Crombie had stayed around in Loughborough to live and work. We were reminiscing at some of our glory days when someone suggested the idea of starting our own club. After much amusement the idea gained momentum and became a serious possibility. So in May 2002 we decided to go for it. We had a squad of five but that wasn’t going to stop us. Over the coming months many different mates joined us and we had a squad of 15 for our opening game in the North Leicestershire League Division 2.

The name Genesis was chosen as Si Brown was a huge Phil Collins fan, not really. We knew we wanted to set up a club that was a bit different to your average club. Some  of the guys were Christians and we wanted the club to reflect some of the Christian values in the way it was run and the way we played our football. So Genesis was chosen as it reflected our Christian influence and also because in the bible Genesis is known as the book of the Beginnings, and it was the beginning of Genesis F.C.”

Their playing since joining the NLL is as follows:

SEASON	COMPETITION	PL	W	D	L	F	A	PTS	POS
2002/03	N LEIC-2	18	10	2	6	64	38	32	4TH
2003/04	N LEIC-2	20	12	5	3	56	35	41	2ND
2004/05	N LEIC-1	18	10	2	6	59	37	32	3RD
2005/06	N LEIC-1	20	15	2	3	63	27	47	1ST
2006/07	N LEIC-P	22	5	3	14	39	61	18	10TH
2007/08	N LEIC-P	22	8	6	8	58	55	30	6TH
2008/09	N LEIC-P	18	6	4	8	43	44	22	7TH
2009/10	N LEIC-P	26	18	2	6	73	48	56	4TH
2010/11	N LEIC-P	26	16	4	6	80	41	52	2ND

On arriving at the venue the weather turned and the glorious sunshine from the morning game had turned into rain - thankfully it did abate during the game and also thankfully I managed to shelter from the rain under some trees. This was a game that could have gone either way - two inform teams producing an open, entertaining game or two inform teams cancelling each other out. Unfortunately it was the latter of the two that I witnessed. The first half was especially turgid with neither side seemingly up for it. Or it could have been the case that both sides were affraid to lose. The hosts only effort were a couple from long range that did not trouble Jimmy Greasley in the Houghton goal. 

The second half started as the first ended though as it wore on the game became more open. Genesis had three good chances midway through the second period in the space of five minutes, but two went wide and the other saved by Greasley. Houghton then stepped up a gear themselves but could not break the deadlock and the game went into extra time. Not something I was looking forward to following the previous ninety minutes!!! 

The first period of extra time was the most entertaining of the game. Genesis took the lead midway through it when their #6 was found unmarked in the penalty area and he side footed it past Greasley. The lead lasted just two minutes as Andy Almond headed home the equaliser following an excellent cross from the left. Almond should have give Houghton the lead on 114 minutes but somehow put the ball over from a couple of yards out when it was easier to score. The final fifteen minutes saw neither keeper tested and it invariably the game would be decided by kicks from the penalty spot. Both sides missed two from their first five kicks and on it went until it got round to the keepers having to take one. As always in penalty shoot outs there is a hero and a fall guy. Unfortunately for Houghton Greasley had his kick saved by the Genesis keeper and the game ended some two and three quarter hours after it had started!

Penalty shoot out sequence:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
GEN	O	O	X	X	O	O	O	O	O	O	O
HOU	O	X	X	O	O	O	O	O	O	O	X

Admission / programme: none
Attendance: 9
Match rating: 2 out of 10

Websites / sources:

Official Genesis FC

North Leicestershire League


Thirty photos taken during the game can be viewed in the slideshow below: