CHESTERFIELD TOWN AND ALLESTREE SERVE UP 7 GOALS

CHESTERFIELD TOWN 3 ALLESTREE 4
MIDLANDS REGIONAL ALLIANCE PREMIER @ LANGER LANE
24 MAY 2018 --- 7PM
It was Derby based visitors Allestree who pulled off a remarkable victory by the odd goal in seven twice coming back from behind before taking the chances that mattered in this MRA Premier game.

LANGER LANE HOME OF CHESTERFIELD TOWN FC

After recent travels it was great to have the opportunity to make a local journey to visit a set up that it had been a fair while since my previous visit too many years ago then I care to remember.
Approaching the ground via the tree lined Langer Lane this beautiful evening gave up at the top on the left hand side the Chesterfield College sports grounds and approaching on the sloping driveway a wonderful summers evening view towards the trees and rolling fields and finally the village of Wingerworth.
The set up here surrounds a small changing room block offering up a pitch slightly to the left, in use tonight, and one to the right further away there is I guess room for a third one in the middle void.  The educational feel is added to by the site being surrounded with grey metal spiked fencing seen so often around schools today.  There is no furniture to describe except to say the pitches are in pretty smart condition with some good line markings compared to some seen this season.  To the house side and far goal end high catch nets are in place to stop the loss of footballs into gardens and heavy undergrowth areas.
Having received a warm greeting from home manager Barry there was a fair selection of hoppers arriving from all over the country who would make up this small crowd of 20.  Former manager Simon Dixon was in attendance and he was joined by Steve Bates both of whom are now taking on new challenges in The CMFL with Renishaw Rangers.  While on the CMFL the home side along with quite a few other MRA sides are expressing an interest in joining the new regional division 1 within its structure.
It was a welcoming night with tonight's referee Rob Rees offering the chance for a quick catch up and he had a good game with some excellent sprints he was ably assisted by Georgia Ball and Jack Ross.  After a period of injury it is to be hoped Rob's experience will once again grace the EMCFL and CMFL next season.

ALLESTREE 3 POINTS BETTER OFF OH YES AND £500 THANKS TO GLADIATOR SPORTS

Before the game The Gladiator Group a Derby based design company presented Allestree with a £500 cheque and so the photo opportunity provided a good record of the visitors team tonight too within featuring the usual amount of pictures tonight.
This was intended to be a quick midweek local blog however both sides provided goals and chances galore so here goes, the home side took the lead on after three minutes when Sam Labrum cross for
Cory Burton at the far post to convert.  Within ten minutes Allestree had equalised a corner of the left was met by the deflective header of Robert Rooney.

MATCH ACTION WITH ALLESTREE JUST ABOUT IN CONTROL

Chances continued with Alex Laurence for the visitors having his effort saved at the other end Joe Clarke missed a good chance at the back post.  On the half hour mark Chesterfield took the lead again when visiting keeper Neil Crofts raced out arrived to late and the ball fell to Clarke slotted the ball home into the unguarded goal.  Town looked to extend their lead with Burton and Craig Purcell having efforts saved before on the stroke of half time Allestree equalised again when Jamie Laird fired home a sharp finish.
Within four minutes of the re start referee Rees endeared himself to the visiting side with a penalty award duly despatched by Toby Bowen to give Allestree the lead for the first time.  Efforts were coming in from both sides as the game opened up with at the stage the visitors looking likely to go on to increase their lead however Chesterfield went so close on 81 minutes when a through ball from Jack Wyn found Theo Jarrald who lifted the ball over Crofts in the visitors goal only for it to strike the bar.
Just two minute on though and Allestree doubled their advantage when a good run from Bowen set up Laird who after the intial save put away the re bound for his second of the game.  As we entered stoppage time Wyn provided a perfect left wing corner for Harry Denton to head home to reduced the arrears to 3-4.

STEADY HERE COMES A SPRINT

Within a minute referee Rees had called an end to proceedings in what had been an open and chances packed end of season encounter but it was lowly Allestree who had secured all three points, this game could have gone either way and as a neutral a draw would have probably fitted the cards.
A final footnote With Robert Rooney and Ollie Shearer on the team sheet for Allestree it would have been churlish of me not to mention the headline possibilities but it didn't happen!