THREE GOALS IN FIVE MINUTES WINS IT FOR SELSTON

CLIFTON ALL WHITES 2 SELSTON 4
EMCL @ THE NORMAN ARCHER MEMORIAL GROUND
24 FEBRUARY 2018 --- 3PM

FIRST HALF ACTION CLIFTON ALL WHITES V SELSTON

Three goals in five second half minutes allowed Selston to continue the pressure on top of the table Teversal in their search for the league title.  Much of this quality spell of play came as a direct opposite to what had gone before it but showed the visitors ability to turn on the 'good stuff' when needed the most.
The mini tour of 'localish' grounds not visited continued this Saturday with a trip south of Nottingham again to Clifton All Whites a club who had veered around a few leagues recently from CMFL, NSL and of course now the EMCL.  This fixture had a little problem of an abandonment at The Parish Grounds when both sides decided to get a little too friendly but todays fixture was a mouth watering prospect with both sides in the top echelons of the table.

A SMALL PRE MATCH MEAL ALWAYS GOES DOWN WELL

Usual pattern of play got us to Nottingham, Comet and Red Arrow, before the Nottingham Tram whisked us away to the darkest south of the city.  Eatery wise research had found a decent chippy but travelling companion Mick opted for a sit down of which either The Ferry Boat or the Harvester at Wilford Lane came on the list of options.  Having selected the latter its a grandiose entrance with a smart interior too the added option here is of course the salad bowl and small bread cobs by the plateful!  An excellent fish and chips was complimented by a Rocky Horror Sundae and by the time I left I needed air. Anyway before this turns into a food critique here is the footy.

NORMAN ARCHER MEMORIAL GROUND HOME OF CLIFTON ALL WHITES

Back to the tram to complete the journey a short one to Clifton Centre and a departure down Green Lane to the edge of approaching Ruddington and the ground is in front of us.  With its clubhouse and changing rooms just outside the edge of the ground the players entrance to the pitch as a separate walkway and after a visit inside the bar to obtain the teams entrance fees were paid.

CORPORATE COLOURED DUGOUTS

Entrance is behind the goal to the left takes you round to the stand which consists of a mixture of bench and static white seats continuing to the far goal you meet the out of bounds grassed area.  The opposite touchline was also out of bounds today and houses the dugouts this seemed today possibly to do with the earlier goings on in the game at Selston but it does offer a nice view back to the houses of Clifton and the double electricity pylons for a back drop to the game.  The perimeter of the pitch on both sides has quite a gap taking you a little away from the action, overall a tidy ground which behind the dugouts has a mini training pitch too.
The first half well most of it was probably the must unmemorable of any game this season with both sides opting for a long ball approach the poor thing spent a long time in the air although in defence their was a sharp wind blowing down the pitch towards the bar end.

SELSTON GO CLOSE

It was though Clifton who broke the deadlock on 34 minutes when Corbi Brown fired home and now Selston would have to come to the party something they did just seven minutes later with a lovely finish from Jamie Renshaw who placed the ball superbly over the out coming Clifton keeper Alex Smith.
Half time warm drinks and how we were to need them as the second half proved to be a very cold watch weather wise.

BOSS LETS GO FOR THE 3 GOALS IN 5 MINUTE ROUTINE

Selston though did warm us up if only for the fact of three goals in five minutes that secured them victory a lovely 20 yard drive from Keenan Leyton set the ball rolling on 58 minutes and then immediately Carl Moore slotted the ball home after an initial blocked effort fell to him.  It was 4-1 shortly after when Moore produced a solo wonder strike spinning round to get the ball under control on the left hand side of the box he fired home a superb dipping shot over Smith in the home goal.  Clifton used their subs and the impressive Goran Seymour tested Jake Ball in the visitors goal who turned his long range effort away, the All Whites also saw a header crash back off the bar had any of these efforts gone in we could have seen the game come to life.  Clifton had to settle for a late second from the penalty spot on 89 minutes when Theo Smith was upended by Garren Haslam and Jeavon Seaton converted the kick.

AERIAL ATTACK FROM CLIFTON

Neither side really got going in this disappointing game but as so often when you are at the top it goes for you and on this occasion Selston cold be thankful for the sharp finishing of Renshaw, Layton and Moore as their march to the top continued.

50/50 WHOSE BALL?

Reverse journey went remarkably well, again, with tram to Nottingham a 2 minute change onto the Arrow allowing a brief interlude in the Spar, hoppers shop not some water bubble fitness place you understand, at Derby Bus Station before arriving back at base at 7pm.

WEST BRIDGFORD HOME TO VICTORY

WEST BRIDGFORD 4 GRAHAM ST PRIMS 0
EMCL @ REGATTA WAY
17 FEBRUARY 2018 --- 3PM

REFEREE DANIEL GHENT LEADS OUT TODAYS TEAMS

A comfortable victory in the end for West Bridgford in this bottom of the table battle but with half an hour gone there was nothing to pick between the two sides with the visitors probably having the upper hand but 3 goals in a fourteen minute period before half time settled the home side and ultimately secured the three points.
Shock horror two days without any rain gave way to hope of no phoning around although some clubs still managed to find their pitches waterlogged.  Todays visit would be a 'new one' but one of the small merry band of about five clubs relatively close to home that had not been visited so with the Comet a few minutes behind it was with a slight anxiousness that we set off.   Time caught up we dashed across the concourse at Derby bus station within 3 minutes we were aboard The Red Arrow to Nottingham departure at Upper Parliament St saw us with a four minute dash, not mile, to catch the Mainline service to West Bridgeford and we made it!

THE IMPRESSIVE HOLME PIERREPONT

Arrival in our destination found it raining, what...........   The area is certainly on the upper market side of Nottingham to 4 miles to the south of Nottingham we had of course passed Notts County FC and their neighbours Nottm Forrest and then the cricket ground at Trent Bridge.  After a brief look around we hopped on a further bus the five stops or so to the edge of Regatta Way and with half an hour or so in the tank we walked the mile or so to the purpose built Holme Pierrepont Water centre with a straight waterway for rowing, skiing, plus additional kayak facilities on the slalom area this is an impressive facility if slightly subdued today for the massive area that it of course takes up.  We had hoped to get a snack here but it wasn't to obvious where and with time pressing we walked the 3/4's of a mile back along the road that had seen us pass the football ground earlier on.

GROUND OVERVIEW AT REGATTA WAY

The first thing to say is that the site has a variety of football pitches and a couple of cricket grounds with a slightly off centre changing room social block that is smart but gives the 'village hall' feel to its facilities.  The building is situated towards the main pitch used by West Bridgford, the whole site appears to have been developed within an area of fields off the busy A52 situated in Gamston just outside the West Bridgford area.  General feel is that this is the south Nottingham version of Arnold Town's Eagle Valley set up but with far better public transport.

SMART MAIN STAND AT WEST BRIDGFORD

The ground descriptor is not too complicated the pitch is surrounded by the modern type tin building cladding offering a green uniformity and two sides are accessible behind the immediate goal and the near touchline, the far touchline houses the dugouts and along with the top goal these areas are still grassed.  Along the main touchline is a smart Atcost stand with corporate coloured black and red seats, the feel is of a tidy set up.  Most grounds offer some sort of back drop certainly from a photo point of view but Regatta Way doesn't and it of course leaves you to concentrate on the football.  Once again we have a club run by a small but dedicated band of helpers who have kept a tidy ground with an enthusiasm to keep non league football on the map in West Bridgford.  By this time Mick had got into conversation with a lady and gentleman from Shepshed and it was also good to catch up with the dad of Ryan Head playing left back for West Bridgford and previously of Nottingham Trent University FC in The NSL.

EARLY MATCH ACTION

A very small crowd of faithfuls had turned up for this battle at the wrong end of the EMCL and I did fear the first 0-0 game looking at both sides 'goals for' column but the conceded row gave encouragement.

PRIMS ON THE ATTACK

The opening exchanges were sharp but scrappy and it became clear that Graham St Prims were securing an upper hand without anything to show for it and of course as so often happens your opponents score.  Just over the half hour mark it was Jack Gray who reacted sharply to fire the home side into the lead and within four minutes the same player got away a close range shot that was going wide save for Bradley Scard turning the ball agonisingly into his own goal.  With a minute to go to half time the game had turned on its head with West Bridgford in total command when Joshua Kwadu broke through to score.

2-0

The second period went wrong for Graham St Prims as early as 54 minutes when Kwadu headed home from a William Heath cross.  The game over sign went up and although the visitors missed two guilt edged chances with enough time to make something of the closing stages it was to remain 4-0 when referee Ghent called time on proceedings.

JOSHUA KWADU MAKES IT 4-0

Never let us again complain about public transport timings again, we will of course, arrive at bus stop to be shipped away back to the city immediately, quick dash saw the Red Arrow arrive within 22 minutes and then a comfortable connection to The Comet saw base arrival at 7pm.

RADFORD MOVE INTO TOP HALF OF TABLE WITH WIN

RADFORD 3 HOLBROOK SPORTS 0
EMCL @ SELHURST ST
10 FEBRUARY 2018 --- 3PM

SELHURST ST RADFORD FC

An entertaining and competitive game saw Radford secure the three points with an impressive performance that placed the Nottingham based club in the top half of The EMCL against a Holbrook side who were performing under their new manager Marko Markelic for the first time.
Rain, rain, rain blah, blah, blah...............

ON CALL ARENA WITH NEW CLUBHOUSE EXTENSION TO THE LEFT

The above again affected the weekend with a mass of games lost to the continuing wet stuff so once again it was a search for likely candidates who survive and having seen The Pheasants were at home and it was about a year since the last visit who could resist?  The journey was probably one of the quietest on the usual services many deterred from travelling due to the continuing heavy drizzle I would guess.  First point of call the excellent Bobbers Mill big 'M's but was the day going to be a let down the ice cream machine was broken and so it was a blast back to the past with a apple pie for 'afters', I've never seen anybody eat these in Macs for ages.
By the time of departure the rain was very fine and light and we made The On Call Arena just after 2pm the first noticeable change is the new extension to the club house facility and you could now find a seat either in the main section or to the side around the pool table.  Nothing much else has changed over the last few years so I wont re visit the ground description except to say this is how all grounds should be right in the centre of their community surrounded by them and hopefully a big part of them too.

1-0 FREE KICK IN OFF THE POST

Many grounds have a 'feel' about them and of course the blog has its favourites but Radford is one of those and it feels like your popping back to see a friend who has a great big comfy chair to sit in and you love it.

GOOD HONEST FOOTY

Long serving clubman John Holt had taken our admission and programme money and it was good as ever to catch up with him on a few footy issues and thanks for your prompt response to my 'is it on' enquiry early in the morning, as the time to kick off approached a few more people arrived from late postponements but sadly by kick off we only had 45 in the ground, come on Nottingham get along and support this club you will enjoy some good honest footy in an authentic setting.
With both clubs in a mid table position they could hopefully relax and enjoy the game although Holbrook players under their new manager would be looking to impress Radford knew that a home win would push them into the top half.  The pitch looked fine that was until the pre-match warm ups churned it up a little but still very playable and some good old 70's muddy football could be enjoyed, too many games are called off too easily today.

HOLBROOK FANCY A HALF TIME CHAT WITH THE OFFICIALS

The opening exchanges were of an entertaining nature with possession wise Holbrook enjoying the upper hand but as Radford forced their way into the game this became a cracking game too witness.  Both sides were struggling to find the target and just as it looked like a goal less game at the break Radford were awarded a hotly disputed free kick with a minute to go.  Just to the right hand side and a few yards out of the box it was Conor Moore who stepped up and directed his free kick into the back of the Holbrook goal, with the aid of the right hand upright.

2-0

The start of the second half very quickly produced the second goal of the game which came to Radford and visibly settled them down to enjoy proceedings Moore saw his close range shot pushed away by Sam Gilbert in the visitors goal before following up Kenny Reeves struck the bar and finally Ryan Smith forced the ball over the line.
Holbrook were now having to chase the game for any sign of a come back and when the livewire Ravarne Jackson was upended in the box all hope was over for the visitors as Simon Hore confidently fired home the spot kick.

SIMON HORE MAKES IT 3-0 FROM THE SPOT

A victory that Radford deserved but credit must go to both sides for putting on a superb game of football in some difficult conditions and if Holbrook had put away some of their early chances it could have been different of course.  But it was the Nottingham side who took their opportunities and claimed the three points.

RAVARNE JACKSON [LEFT] IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY

Return journey arrived late of course in the rush hour city traffic but thankfully the connection was made and we arrived back at base just after 7pm.  Note to self get along to Radford more often.

HARINGEY BOROUGH TOUCH OF CLASS WINS IT

HARINGEY BOROUGH 1 BRENTWOOD TOWN 0
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE 1 NORTH @ COLES PARK WHITE HART LANE
3 FEBRUARY 2018 --- 3PM

COLES PARK HOME OF HARINGEY BOROUGH FC

A single goal from Michael Ademiluyi was enough for Boro' to claim the three points and what a stunner it was with pace and a clinical finish it was the stand out moment of the game.  The encounter was played out in constant rain and some of the play although scrappy did produce chances that saw both keepers perform well at regular intervals.  For Brentwood they would feel desperately disappointed to have drawn a blank in the points column having had the lions share of possession but it matters to get the ball in the back of the net something Ademiluyi did with great skill and at the other end Valery Pajetat was on top form for Haringey.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS NEW ABODE ON ITS WAY

Another Saturday morning rain and games about to be called off in the East Midlands so the option of a trip down south sprung up and with a 3g at Haringey having been in the offing for a few weeks today would be the day with better weather forecast around London, needless to say from arriving to leaving it rained non stop and it was a case of swapping northern rain for southern rain!  A prompt departure from base station saw arrival in London in just short of two hours and after a speedy purchase of a day bus Oyster card it was a sprint to York Way to catch the 259 Edmonton Green bus to White Hart Lane.  Passing Pentonville Prison and onwards via the roads adjacent to the Emirates luckily Arsenal kick off at 5.30pm today so this would not be an inconvenience.  With the rain and steamed up windows blocking out the view from the top deck it was not as good a journey as planned for sight seeing but around 50 minutes later a departure was made just short of White Hart Lane to view the massive new ground that will be Tottenham Hotspurs home in 2019 and the first impression is wow how big is this ground going to be.  Words struggle to describe how it dwarfs all around it and this will be one impressive stadium sadly with the rain teaming down I was restricted in photo's all day including here and then at 'the boro' so not as many to highlight the visit as I would have liked.

COVERED TERRACE AND THE ICONIC STAND AT WHITE HART LANE

Outside White Hart Lane station I waited with a large collection of fellow travellers for the W3 which in its early journey travels along White Hart Lane the four stops or so to Coles Park home of Haringey Borough.  While passing by Rowland Hill Ave the connection to base sprung to mind with the Post Office accounts HQ being named after the said gentleman founder of the postal service and stamped delivery.  Indeed Mr Hill was also resident in Bruce Castle in Tottenham which also housed one of his educational establishments, in the 19th century I'm sure this part of London would have been on the very edge of the city with lots of green spaces his former home survives today with its gardens and offers up a museum to him and Haringey too.

VIEW BACK TOWARDS LONDON DURING PRE MATCH

Haringey has the quirk of being the borough in council sense that also consist of Harringay as an area like Tottenham to fall within the authorities boundaries however when I first spotted the different spellings I had to check this out I though the map people had got it wrong.  It had been a busy week in the life of local authorities with local council leader Claire Kober resigning over pressure put on her over the new Haringey Development Vehicle [HDV] I will let you look that up, but basically a public private partnership to upgrade social housing with a private twist and of course the fears that local people would not get acceptable accommodation back in their home borough.
Departing by the side of the ground Coles Park is in a surreal setting with The Sea Cadets to one side and allotments to the other, over the road the very large storage warehouse was half destroyed by fire last year.  Anyway Coles Park is on White Hart Lane, remember the football club that actual is on that 'lane' not the big boy Charlie's down the road.  The entrance gives up plenty of car parking certainly for today's attendance 135 and more or less offers a circuit road around it with to the far side a scrap man advertised.

THE ALLOTMENT END WITH ALEXANDRA PALACE AND MAST TO THE RIGHT OF THE TOWER BLOCKS

Entry was at a very reasonable £7 [option of free season ticket after first admission too] with a programme at £2 not too big on page capacity but a warm greeting was received from the gateman and after a circuit of the ground it was time to get out of the damp stuff into the clubhouse which is a separate building behind the main stand.  Following a brief liquid, non alcoholic mind, by the pleasant bar staff a research sample was made of a chip cob, from the side snack bar, which seemed to be accepted down in London as a good terminology regular readers will know the problems with cob/bap/roll/balm/batch.

RESPECT HANDSHAKES

The ground descriptor can be done fairly quickly 3g with the obligatory green surround fencing the ground boundary could see it renamed Corrugated park because its all panels of the lovely metal around the exterior.  The stand is the highlight of Coles Park sat up high offering an excellent view of the action with to the left the cranes from Spurs new ground arching over the new build, straight ahead the tower blocks in the edge of London and to the right the allotments and then in the murky distance today Alexandra Palace and the large TV aerial.  Apparently the latter is still in use and the park areas around 'Ally Pally' offer some great views back to the city, its just a shame today that the weather rather thwarted the visit.  The stand has a bright yellow and green corporate feel about it with a bit more corrugated panelling along with green moulded seats the type with no backs very much adding a continental feel to them.   The stand is set off centre and to the right as you look at it is a terrace running to the corner flag which offered vital cover and oh yes you know what its made of.  The rest of the ground is uncovered save for a little bit of shelter under the TV scaffold gantry on the far side.  Its a functional ground that I would have loved to have watched the game with the stand as the backdrop to the action but sadly it had to be mainly under the cover of the terrace stand.

FREE KICK FOR BRENTWOOD TOWN NUMBER 11 FOSTER

Another notable factor upon arriving round an hour before kick off was the choice of what the mature among you will remember as Klaus Wunderlich on the organ music this certainly added a different feel to pre match build up and was a change to the some of the modern music.
The early action saw the visitors from Brentwood in the ascendancy possession wise but the home side were to be the goal worriers with Anthony McDonald forcing Anthony Page into a wonderful save from his 20 yard shot.

MATCH WINNER FOR ADEMILUYI [LEFT]

Then the match winner on 19 minutes Ademiluyi cut in off the right with tremendous pace beat one defender on the edge of the box and smashed into the Brentwood net from 10 yards, a great goal that illuminated this dank old day.  Much as Brentwood pushed on they could find the opening and when they did get near goal come cross or shot Boro number one Pajetat was in fine form.

BORO KEEPER VALERY PAJETAT CLAIMS A HIGH BALL

The second half saw McDonald force Page into another fine save before Brentwood went on to strike the post.  The final stages saw the game open up, mind you it had been far from a dour game although some of the play had been a little scrappy there were chances, Ralston Gabriel for Haringey saw his effort saved by Page.  The Brentwood keeper was called on again moments later when he saved again from Gabriel low down at the strikers feet.   In the closing stages a lovely move from Boro should have resulted in a second Jordan Edwards low cross off the right was dummied by Gabriel and McDonald unmarked 8 yards out somehow fired over.

PAJETAT RISING HIGH AGAIN

Not too worry Haringey Borough had collected the three points from a very close game that should give strugglers Brentwood hope and also question why they are in a lowly position in the league after a very good showing.
Return journey could not have been better bus stop right outside the ground for the returning W3 to White Hart Lane Station for the connection to the 259 back down to Kings Cross journey done in around 55 minutes with some time for hoppers food, sandwich, pop and flapjack, before departing north to arrive back at base station just shy of 8.30pm.
Super day out around Haringey and the football at Coles Park shame the rain never relented and the plus side the joys of properly funded public transport in London buses every few minutes.