THREE POINTS FOR CHRISTMAS

SHIREBROOK TOWN 0 DUNKIRK 4
EMCL @ LANGWITH ROAD
9 NOVEMBER 2019 --- 3PM

THE LIGHTS SHINE BRIGHTLY OVER LANGWITH RD HOME OF SHIREBROOK TOWN FC

Walking off the Model after a post match fish and chips one of the properties had a bay window festooned with a vibrant multi coloured Christmas tree flashing away in full festive celebration as we entered the second week in November, how Shirebrook can hope for the season of joy to begin and for lots of wrapped up packages containing three points to be opened at Langwith Road.
A season with just two league wins so far is in danger of sending this proud club tumbling into the bottom rung of the non league ladder and with its ground and set up it will be a crying shame if that happens.  To that end new manager Jordan Johnson sets about re building the side but so far and with today's defeat its three down.  There was no lack of passion and commitment and if your like your uncompromising then Shirebrook is the place to be with this game having an unforeseen edge from the off.  But sadly that passion could not deny high flying Dunkirk from leaving with three points after two goals in either half were also not helped when Shirebrook were reduced to ten men in the second forty five minutes.

THE FAMOUS VIEW WITH ITS TWO NEAR IDENTICAL STANDS AND ICONIC LIGHTS

Weather and more of it had seen local flooding and many train lines were blocked including the main line between Chesterfield and Derby so today would see a search of a local game with a playable pitch.  Where better than Shirebrook as pre season readers will know I love a trip to the town and the club, its tough and friendly all rolled into one.
Much has been written before on here about this former mining community both on previous blogs and elsewhere but the replacement was the big sports clothing emporium which went no way of course to replacing what was lost and so the town centre suffered with the collection of anti social problems the destroying of a town brings about.  Arriving in from spire town on the newly numbered stripey boys '1' a decision to depart in the Market Square was made and the small market was winding up and trading was left to the Coop, betting shops and a selection of eastern European supermarkets.  Two of the discount stores have brought budget shopping into the town one site taken over after the big 'T's' decided against coming along.

DUNKIRK CHECK THE ESCAPE ROUTE

On a grey and dark day with car lights already being on it did not bode well for a selection of good pictures and it was a struggle but arrival was with a warm turnstile greeting and once through committee man and raffle adjudicator Ian Oxley offered a warm welcome which as ever for any hopper is always a nice extra touch.  I won't describe the ground again needless to say it is of course one of the better set ups and could easily cope with step 4 football which the club have flirted with in the past and I hope will soon restore some former glory days for Shirebrook as a town and a club.

SECOND MINUTE WONDER STRIKE SEES ELLIS EVANS SUROUNDED BY TEAM MATES

Having purchased a programme and obtained the teams I had to hold myself back from going to the normally excellent snack bar because I had post match lined up at the 'chippy'.
With Dunkirk looking at the top of the table todays hosts were staring at the wrong end and were only kept off the foot of it by a pointless Borrowash so I didn't expect to much from the new management teams third league game in charge.

EARLY GREETINGS CONTINUE PAST PRE MATCH HANDSHAKES

Hope would spring eternal for the first couple of minutes that was until the ball fell out to Ellis Evans who from 30 yards out hit a wordly back into the Shirebrook goal to give Dunkirk the advantage.
Shortly afterwards there was a warm greeting for a whole host of players on the half way line the result of which was a caution for the home sides Simon Johnson.
On the half hour mark the visitors Mark Green also went into the book for what looked a two footed challenge and could easily have been a red on another day.  The challenges came thick and fast and Mitchell Wilton picked up a yellow for Shirebrook a few minutes later and then they came close to an equaliser as Johnson and the keeper challenged for a ball the ricochet took it just the wrong side of the post for the home sides point of view.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE LINE UP ON THE SHIREBROOK TOUCHLINE

Four minute before the interval Dunkirk doubled the lead just as Shirebrook had started to get a foothold in the game when Tyrell Shannon-Lewis converted at the back stick despite the valiant efforts of Wilton on the line.
As the light dropped the temperature reminded us, if we needed any, football is a winter sport and the darkness descended behind the floodlights on the terraced Langwith Road and so to the second half of moving the round object about.

GREAT SAVE FROM STRYCHARZ IN THE SHIREBROOK GOAL

A superb save from Pitor Strycharz in the home goal from a 30 yard free kick from Michael Pearson gave hope for Shirebrook.  The fourth caution of the game saw Tom Bradley of Shirebrook enter the refs notebook and then just short of the hour mark it went even further wrong when Tobin Grant went down under a challenge from Jake Wilton that left referee Wood with no option but to show a red card.
Dunkirk proceeded to hit the bar before doubling their lead in the closing stages Jordan Alls with a looping back post header and Shannon-Lewis with his second two minutes from time courtesy of a deflection off a Shirebrook defender to make it four without reply.
A long hard winter is well into full flow at Langwith Road but with the new manager only three games into his reign time of course has to be the call of the next few months.  Here is hoping the club can pull away from the danger zone and currently they are not marooned away from safety three or four wins will see Shirebrook take on a more comfortable position, that is the challenge I hope they can achieve in the short term.

JAKE WILTON RECEIVES A RED CARD FROM REFEREE WOOD

Pre match meals have become post match meals and previously in Shirebrook I have found a little gem of an establishment, The Model Chippy, which sits on the 'model' a large collection of houses that were adjacent to the pit and have seen a refurbishment of some.  Much like many similar developments at its inception it was designed to give everything a worker could want close by home and work sadly the loss of the towns colliery have meant a change in social conditions and the area survives with a different feel to it now.  What it does contain is an excellent chippy and with a constant flow of customers you now its a good establishment and after ordering small chips and a large fish today.  I knew what defeat felt like as even for me it finished 'whale 1 hopper 0' even I couldn't finish it all.
Departing back leaving the massive Victoria pub, showing the former prowess of the area and chippy behind just before arriving back in the Market Square you pass the parish church once the serving minister was the farther of the famous actor John Hurt.  While on the famous and a physical man for the footy team I hadn't realised that former swimmer and now turned Holywood actor Jason Statham was from the town, he now resides in Beverly Hills there's a contrast.
Departure after an obligatory tour of the Coop for a few on journey snacks saw an arrival back in spire town just before 7.30pm from a thoroughly enjoyably afternoon that had a shortage of unused superlatives by the end of it.  But if you like your communities and football clubs uncompromising, tough, determined and more than anything down to earth friendly then 'get yer sen' down to Shirebrook Town ma duck at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon.