HUCKNALL DENY HOLBROOK ST MICHAELS THE CHANCE TO ADD TO THEIR SOLITARY LEAGUE VICTORY

HOLBROOK ST MICHAELS 0 V HUCKNALL TOWN 4
CENTRAL MIDLANDS FOOTBALL LEAGUE SOUTH 29 APRIL 2015 6.45PM @HOLBROOK PARK

PICTURESQUE HOLBROOK PARK

Holbrook wound up their season unable to add to their solitary league victory with this defeat to Hucknall Town via two goals in each half, a result that secured the visitors a respectable fourth spot.  For the visitors a mere ten years has seen them fall from the highs of an FA Trophy final at Villa Park to an end of season Central Midlands Football League South game at Holbrook Park the heights of what seems a very few years ago all gone but at least there is still a Hucknall Town.
So to our hosts and although the blog has enjoyed many visits to the village and earlier in the season, before the blog started, a visit to Holbrook Sports of the East Midlands Counties-but St Michaels had never been visited for a game.

DRIVEWAY APPROACH TO THE HALL AND SAINTS

The journey for the 6.45pm start was made to Derby and then back out to Holbrook which is the prettiest of villages situated just 7 miles north of Derby and peeking over Duffield and the nearby town of Belper. 
The village is pretty steeped in history and well worth a walk around to admire the views over the Derbyshire countryside.
Having arrived in Holbrook an hour before the game a steady walk to the entrance to Holbrook Hall, residential home, shows a sign already in place to point people to the football club who are on the left of the approach driveway to the hall.  The sentry pay box was just being put into place and on arrival I paid my £3 entrance fee and added a pound for the programme, well done here for producing so many clubs especially in The CMFL seem not to bother near the end of the season.

THE GROUND FROM THE HALL'S DRIVEWAY APPROACH

The programme is a nice effort for the hopper and one off visitor with lots about the village, club and ground in history although if you attend regularly I guess this will not change.  But it was good to see a programme and it looks like the club had produced about 15 or so not just the 1 again that some CMFL do.
The blog got into conversation with a few of the club officials and I have to say thanks it really makes a difference to receive a warm welcome and you achieved that tonight guys so a quick thanks to Geoff Astill and Ray Owers, alongside the secretary Alan Scales for his assistance with the teams.  The changing rooms, toilets, secretary's office and tea/coffee area are all housed in large farm type green clad building behind the far goal from our entrance.  The ground is in a massively rural area with beautiful countryside views and the amount of trees and different types is enough to keep an Arborist happy for an evening. 

MOOVE OVER I CANT SEE THE GAME

Having covered a few games in Wales with sheep in close proximity it was interesting tonight to see a herd of cows mooving in to take a look at the game by the side of the driveway.  I was looking for for a few more puns to milk it for all it was worth but by this time with the increasingly cold wind its was becoming fresian so I will leave it there.

FORMER DUG OUT [?] STAND

So the ground is difficult to describe but here goes hard standing behind the far goal and down the side running parallel to the driveway to the hall.  The hard standing behind the far goal comes within the pitch boundary railings.  Behind this goal are is a small covered standing area for about 10 people, with a small set of uncovered seats to the front and to the left of the changing rooms is a small what looks like former dug out for about 4 people, very similar to the three at Uttoxeter [see blog a few weeks ago].  The far touchline and top goal are grass standing and behind the entrance goal is the clubs grassed car park.  The touchline which runs in parallel to the driveway contains two dug outs which are serrated by a three sectioned mini stand, to the near entrance side is a small gathering of uncovered yellow tip up seats.

DUG OUTS SPLIT BY 'MAIN STAND'

In fairness there is not a lot here in the form of spectator accommodation but probably enough for a normal sized crowd, tonight's head count was around 50 with a small following from Hucknall all well accommodated in fair weather.  But the real selling point here is a friendly welcome and a ground in a beautiful setting, although I cant speak for what it would be like in the middle of January!

A FURTHER SMALL STAND AWAITS OCCUPANTS

Tonight sees a few ground hoppers including from Liverpool and Ipswich and they had a good look round and I think came too a similar conclusion with regards to the attractive setting.

POSTS READY TO BE SLOTTED INTO PLACE

The build up to the game saw the posts and already attached nets installed about 15 minutes before the game started and on arrival they were flat on the pitch it appears the club take them down every game.

THE LINE UPS WITH MORE PICTURESQUE BACK DROPS

So too the game and when Hucknall took a lead in the first minute the blog feared for the score line, a long throw off the left found Aaron Evans who bundled the ball over the line from close range.  Hucknall continued to press and it was rare for Holbrook to form any attack that would take them into the visitors box.  However they were battling away well and the bar and a couple of saves from the home keeper Luca Palombo saved them from going further behind until the 42nd minutes.  Adam Nelson advanced into the box and was tripped referee abbott awarded a penalty and following a quick caution for dissent of a Holbrook player Niall Thompson stepped up to fire Hucknall into a clearer lead at 2-0.

MATCH ACTION WITH HOLBROOK IN YELLOW

Half time brought a greeting from Swanick Pentrich Road manager Kev Grundy, to which the blog would also like to say a massive thank you for a lift back to Alfreton after the game, thank you mate.  We had a nice catch up and chat during the second half and the return journey Kevs always good for a non league catch up especially with regards to the CMFL South a league the blog does not cover too much of normally.
Hucknall doubled their advantage with two second half goals in quick succession and lovely move around the left hand side of the box by Thompson saw him finish well for his second and the visitors third after 59 minutes.  Then two minutes later it was 4-0 to the visitors when Montell Gatland fired home.

MATCH ACTION

The dusk was ever threatening and the annoying wind that just would not go away was getting colder as the light faded finally gave way to Steve Abbott's full time whistle and Hucknall Town had secured a fourth place finish with Holbrook St Michaels finishing as the strongest team in the league, sadly because if a warm welcome was anything to go by they would be right up at the top of the table.  Keep going guys and all the best for next season.
If you have not visited Holbrook St Michael its a recommend for its beautiful setting and warm welcome although I guess you should go early or late season to enjoy it to the full.
Thanks to Kev I arrived back in Alfreton nicely in time for the TM Travel departure and was back at base an hour earlier than planned...result.

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