KNARESBOROUGH REMAIN UNBEATEN

SWALLOWNEST 1 KNARESBOROUGH 2
NCEFL 1 AT ROTHERHAM RD
2 SEPTEMBER 2017 --- 3PM

STEPHEN BROMLEY DIVES IN FOR THE KNARESBOROUGH WINNER

A steady victory for the home side against the unbeaten league leaders looked on the cards until it all went wrong in the final stages with the visitors equalising from the penalty spot before snatching a late winner, mingled in amongst this Swallownest somehow managed to get 2 players sent off in the space of three minutes.
Local journey today with the massive help of a chauffeur the amiable Mr W assisting and the chance to see a game at newly promoted Swallownest, its a ground I had taken a look at before but not on match days and then only a brief browse.

LOOK WHATS COME IN ON THE OCEAN BREEZE

As ever the blog managed to wangle a delicacy in and its was a visit to Ocean Fish Bar just 3/4 of a mile down the Rotherham Rd in Aughton.  The large fish certainly allowed me to undertake a small portion of cone size chips and all registered towards the top end of the burgeoning, much like my stomach, fish and chip league table.  Upon entry the said premises Mr W had mentioned rissole I had miss heard and had proceeded to shush him thinking he was off an insulting rant of somebody, not that he ever would!  Any way the rissole followed me to an appropriately positioned seat adjacent to Ocean establishment.  At this point with the sun in my eyes and a glaring look through the haze it was then that I asked Mr W "you know who you look like don't you"?  Having gone through the dictionary of names he thought I would call him I relented and told him your looking more like Brian Clough, I think it was the green top with red collar appearing out of the knitwear just as the great manager wore.  Anyway you decide but don't be too harsh.

MR BRIAN CLOUGH  ITS THE KNITWEAR OR... YOU DECIDE

Back towards the ground and parking spot allocated we entered by the side of the miners welfare by the much photographed impressive turnstile area, the first disappointment of the day was that there was no 'public' for sale programmes available.  In fairness the club did have a supply of former paperwork offered for free.  The positives here are a music p.a. and what looked a good food area.

OVERVIEW OF SWALLOWNEST FC

Unfortunately the ground is just 2 sided with the immediate behind the goal area and right hand side touchline accessible there is only a very small standing area, behind the goal, for probably 50 with no seats, the toilet facilities are tucked away in the clubhouse accessed by a gangway walked that end with the bypassing of snooker tables.  I have previously observed that it seems amazing that some clubs have to jump through hoop after hoop after hoop to get their ground grading and that some promotions from step 7 leagues are not equal.  As an example the CMFL has 3 officials, an admission fee and a programme as a standard requirement whereas the Pete's Patisserie League does not and also has around 5 teams less, anyway maybe this will be levelled out in the re organisation about to take place.
A quick description then to the right upon entry are the changing rooms and the far touchline as a concrete standing pathway with all the pitch railed off there is also about 14 yards space between viewing area and the pitch the far goal is not accessible and this applied to the opposite touchline which has remnants of a former mini terrace.  To the left on entry the snack bar and then the small covered shelter before the expanse of the welfare in the corner.

EARLY SWALLOWNEST ACTION

The game saw an early shock when the home side took the lead after 17 minutes when Ashley Burbeary fired across the visiting keeper and gave Swallownest the lead and to be honest that's about were it ended with not too much of a threat posed by the high flying visitors.

WHOSE LOOKING AT YA

The second period was following the same vein and Swallownest were coasting to three points or so it looked until on 77 minutes a push in the box led to referee Woodburn pointing to the spot and Tom Hesketh doing the honours.

LETS DANCE

It all went pear shaped for the home side then with a straight red for Daniel White for an altercation in the box on 83 minutes and the ultimate insult was added a minute later when Stephen Bromley worked his way in unnoticed at the back post to place his diving header into the back of the Swallownest net.  Could it get any worse for the home side?  Yes it could when on 85 minutes a further coming together on the far touchline saw Mitch Ward also shown the red card. 
Its not clear what Swallonest did here because they had this game wrapped up and probably should have held on for a point even after the equaliser but then the red mist descended.

CELEBRATION TIME FOR STEPHEN BROMLEY AND KNARESBOROUGH

The game was spent in the company at varying times of a hopper friend from Garforth, plus Dave from Chessie and the inimitable Mr 66pow.
Return journey with Mr Clough was comfortably completed and we were back over the border before the hours of darkness fell upon South Yorkshire.