Keyworth United FC

KEYWORTH UNITED 1-2 aet MOORGREEN

Saturday 26th October 2013

Notts Senior League Senior Cup 1st Round

Platt Lane, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, NG12 5GE

Nothing really stood out in terms of where to go, with my only requirement was that the fixture had to be local, and preferably an early kick off as well. This was due to winning two tickets to watch the Leicester Riders v Glasgow Rocks in the British Basketball League. Following a scan of the fixtures in the Nottinghamshire Senior League (NSL) this cup match caught my attention between Keyworth United of the Senior Division and Moorgreen of Division 2. 

According to the NSL website the kick-off was 2pm and also their (Keyworth United's) ground on Platt Lane was the nearest at step 7 and above that I had not previously visited. The ground (and Keyworth itself) is straight forward to get to for myself coming from Leicester - a few miles on local roads to the A46 Leicester Western Bypass, and then stay on the A46 until the exit with the A606 (Melton Mowbray and Nottingham). Heading north west on the A606 towards Nottingham, you turn left when signed for the British Geological Survey, and the ground is on the right after the bridge. You enter through some gates into a fairly large car park and the main pitch and clubhouse are to the right. The ground is home to numerous full size and junior pitches and also Keyworth Cricket Club. The main pitch is railed off on three sides, has dugouts on the Platt Lane side and had recently installed floodlights with connection to the national grid happening this week. The clubhouse is also new with the club receiving grants from the Football Foundation. 

the clubhouse

I arrived at the ground at around 1.45pm in readiness for what I thought was the advertised 2pm kick-off, but in turned out to be 2.30 which gave me enough time for a sausage cob which were on sale in the clubhouse for £2. I got recognised as a hopper by one of the home officials and he told me about the club, and that they were looking forward to being part of the NSL groundhop in April. 

The football club are one of the oldest in Nottinghamshire, and have played under various names, at different grounds and in different leagues throughout their existence. An excellent detailed history of the club can be found on the club website: history. 

programme cover

Keyworth went into this game at the bottom of the NSL's Senior Division recording just one league win so far, while their opponents from Eastwood sit top of division 2 with an unbeaten record. I saw Moorgreen earlier on in the record when they recorded a 3-0 victory at Greyfriars FC and they looked a decent side. Right from the off Moorgreen looked the better side and most of the action was in the Keyworth half. It felt only a matter of time before the visitors would take the lead, but the first half ended goalless. The visitors were again the better side, creating the better chances and at one point coming very close to opening the scoring but the ball struck the cross bar. Against the run of play on 82 minutes Keyworth were awarded a free kick on the right hand side, and the resulting kick was turned into the back of the net by a defender. Their lead lasted just three minutes as Moorgreen took the game into extra time when Sam Dilks levelled the proceedings. An even first period of extra time followed, with the home side having their first shots on target during this time. The visitors winner came on 108 minutes when Ben Holmes cut inside from the left and smashed the ball past the Keyworth keeper. Dilks should have put the game to bed but missed two excellent chances in the final ten minutes. No further scoring and the visitors deservedly booked their place in round 2.

Admission: Free

Programme: 50p

Attendance: 25

Websites / social media:

Notts Senior League - FA Full time

Keyworth United - official website - twitter

Moorgreen - twitter

Maps:

grounds visited in Nottinghamshire

new grounds visited during the 2013/14 season

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

Plan D

MOORGREEN 1-1 ASHLAND ROVERS
Saturday 29th September 2012
Notts Senior League Division 2
Birnam Park, A610, Eastwood, Nottinghamshire

After my trip to York last week I was always going to stay relatively local today, but over the past week or so changed my mind several times. Plan A was a double involving Nuneaton Town Under-18's followed by Moreton Rangers, while Plan B was to head south east into Northamptonshire for a Junior Cup tie @ Stanwick Rovers. Then on Friday evening I changed plans again and decided to head to Corby Locos in the same competition for a tie against Northampton Harlequins, but around lunchtime Rob Hornby put a post on Facebook stating he was going to be at the above game. This swung my decision as firstly I knew where the ground was, and secondly Rob is always good for a tale or two if the game is crap!!!

This was the first season for Moorgreen as an open age side, with the club more associated with junior or youth football. They were accepted into division two of the Notts Senior League (NSL) and before today had picked up four points from their four league games. The victory came last week @ West Bridgford Reserves. Opponents Ashland Rovers who this season are based at The Summit Centre in Kirkby-in-Ashfield joined the NSL in the summer after switching from the Notts Amateur Alliance. They are unbeaten so far picking up eight points from four league matches. Last week they recorded a 3-1 victory over Selston Reserves. 

The ground is very easy to find with it being located just off the A610 dual carriageway, heading north west from junction 26 of the M1 motorway. After passing IKEA on the right hand side take the next exit which is signposted sewage works, with the entrance to the ground on the right hand side. 

The changing rooms are immediately in front of you with the pitch being set further back. The pitch is railed off on three sides and there are dugouts and a stand also. During the game the club had a tea bar in operation, with hot drinks costing 50p. Also on the site is a model racing club next to the changing rooms and a shooting club to the left of the pitch.

Rob was already there when I arrived, in fact he was there when I phoned him at 1pm having stopped off here on his way home from a two week holiday in Cornwall. He had arranged with the club to take a team photo in their new kit, and kindly allowed me to do the same. 

Moorgreen FC

The game was played in bright sunshine for the most part, but there was also a biting wind that made conditions tricky at times for these amateur players. It was not the best game I have seen and generally a scrappy affair. Ashland settled quicker and looked the better side and came as no surprise when they took the lead on seventeen minutes. A corner was only half cleared and Mark Canon hit a sweet half volley from twenty five yards that flew past the Moorgreen keeper. There was plenty of effort from both sides but chances were at a premium. The equaliser came with eleven minutes remaining as Matthew Clowes chipped the ball over the oncoming Ashland keeper. In the final few minutes Mark Canon was sent off for violent conduct. A decision that bemused not only Rob and myself but also Mark himself. We saw a push from Mark on a Moorgreen player and thought yellow card here, but were not expecting a red.

Overall a very pleasant afternoon at a very friendly club. Rob did inform me that the ground was used by Priory (Eastwood) FC before they folded in the mid-90's, and that Moorgreen have been awarded a grant to make improvements.

Admission / programme: none

Attendance: 18

Rob's account on the game can be found on his blog "Around the Grounds" http://aroundthegrounds2012-13.blogspot.co.uk/

A slideshow of photos of the ground and game can be viewed below: