3.35 AT DONCASTER

SELSTON RES 3 WAKEFIELD AFC RES 5
CMFL DIV 1 NORTH @ RH ACADEMY PLEASLEY
29 FEBRUARY 2020 --- 3PM

SELSTON V WAKEFIELD AFC SOMEHOW THIS ONE GOT AWAY

A couple of weeks ago the continuing horrendous weather that's summed up this season saw an afternoon of TV sport replace football and once again I was asking myself would it not have been better to have watched the 3.35 from Doncaster.  With no disrespect to these two sides who served up a goal fest the journey and afternoon was once again wrecked by the weather that just will not leave this football season.  You can ask Selston who have an amount of games as a first team that shortly means they will be playing eight games in a week but today the reserves had made an excellent call and switched their game to the Mansfield Town Academy in Pleasley and the asset of a 3g pitch was called upon.

PLEASLEY PIT AND COUNTRY PARK LOOK OUT TOWARDS MANSFIELD

All non league fans know this has been a wet, wet, wet season and with postponements littering the fixtures since October the last few weeks have added to the damp stuff storms which conveniently arrive on a Saturday.  This week would be no different and after the end of week downpours there remained very little on but thanks to Malc Storer for the excellent blog this game was discovered late and about as far as I wanted to journey out.  Games are made more trying by the use of public transport and today wold be very much a early repeat of last weeks Shirebrook trip.

WE HAD HOME SOME WATER IN THE LAST FEW DAYS AGAIN

Starting out to walk the three miles to Holmewood to pick up the Pronto service to Pleasley it looked all fine but a mile in I was sheltering from the first of the hail and sleet storms, arriving in time for the bus the wonders of technology the Stagecoach tracker advised me the bus was a few minutes away.  Ten minutes later the system said the bus was well passed my stop but a big purple double decker had clearly not gone through as I sheltered from the second hail storm.  The decision to walk on a few stops to move time on before the next service provided the usual response when 100 yards away up the bus turned up thankfully the driver was a kindly chap and within ten minutes or so the arrival in Pleasley was with us.

RH ACADEMY MANSFIELD TOWN FC

Pleasley is an obscure place to describe the north of the River Meden which divides the village is in Derbyshire while to the south its Nottinghamshire.  Pleasley Vale is a hidden gem with mills by the river in its own wonderful gorge which was a pleasure to walk through a few years ago but the older part of the village has been split by the small dual carriageway section that is the A617.  Alighting at Pit Lane in fine weather the former pit which is now saved with its 2 headstocks and more importantly the engine house this after the collieries closure in 1986.  The former industrial site now forms part of an impressive country park which offers some excellent views of Mansfield just a few miles down the road.
Departure saw the arrival of the third hail and sleet storm this time the longest of the day lasting all the way along the mile or so walk to the ground which was undertaken by the small mill and wharf in the village towards the back streets of Pleasley Hill before coming back out onto the A617 which will be noticeably to many as the former pit terrace houses that hugged this road for a mile on the west side.

EARLY MATCH ACTION FOR SCOTT TAYLOR

The Radford Hymas Academy was arrived at just after 2.30pm and although I had seen a game or two before I don't think they were blogged.  The Mansfield Chairman John Radford and fellow director Steve Hymas have invested well in this site and it is a credit to the club.  A main building is backed up by 'the barn' a smart conversion offering a gym and further changing rooms with the 3g caged pitch and a excellent grass pitch which was part waterlogged today there are also mini pitches.  The kitchen was open as normal when I have attended although I did not use it today onward to the caged area with a small Atcost stand on the half way line the only down side is only one side is open to spectators and then its on 2/3rds.
Today I didn't bother with team sheets but thankfully Selston provided a Twitter feed and Wakefield a confirmation of scorers which was excellent well done to both.

ARRON DARCH STRIKES A POSE

The first half started in nice weather but with a strong wind and in fairness produced little to excite, it was though Selston who started to get the upper hand with Josh Bullock and Scott Taylor testing the visiting keeper.  But then the game turned on its head with the visitors scoring three times in seven minutes opening the scoring on 38 minutes when take your pick here as I do not have a list
Napoleon Petridis or Owen Kirman [debut] raced through to score either way it was the number 7.  The lead was doubled through when Jake Ashton saw his strength beat the defender and his shot beat the home keeper and then on the stroke of half time he got his second when he converted a sweeping cross off the left wing.

BOOTS TO MATCH THE KIT

Selston started a revival with two goals in 48 minutes and 53 minutes Oliver Roome saw his shot blocked and Josh Bullock converted and secondly Roome finished well at the back post to reduce the arrears further.  On the hour mark it looked like Selston had equalised when Scott Taylor headed in but referee Ollie Thornhill ruled it out for a push.  Wakefield responded by hitting a post and as the wind increased and the afternoon became ever colder their was a warming moment for Ashton as he made it 4-2 to the visitors and secured his hat trick by whipping home a 20 yard free kick on the hour mark.

CLOSE FIRST HALF ACTION AT THE RH

Still Selston came back and it as danger man Rome who forced the ball home from just inside the box to pull another goal back but at the other end Wakefield were not finished with scoring when following a cross off the left Petridis/Kirman [see earlier] finished the chance in the middle.  In the closing stages Taylor forced the visiting keeper into an excellent full length save and keep the score line 3-5 to Wakefield.  An entertaining encounter which would have been better with a calmer afternoon and a large radiator.
Oh yes the 3.35 at Doncaster winner Captain Chaos which just about sums up this weather affected football season.