CULF DOUBLE HITS THE SPOT AS TUPTON GRAB A POINT

NEW TUPTON IVANHOE 3 BOLLINGTON 3

HOPE VALLEY LEAGUE A DIVISION AT STATION NEW ROAD

26 FEBRUARY 2022 --- 2PM

MAX JACKSON WONDER STRIKECROSSES THE LINE FOR TUPTON IVANHOE V BOLLINGTON

New Tupton Ivanhoe came back from behind in this A division game to secure a point against fellow promotion hopefuls Bollington but they were grateful to James Culf who hit a double from the penalty spot and Max Jackson who curled in a wonderful twenty five yard free kick.  The visitors had set the pace with an early lead and included a double for the ever dangerous Sam Jordan.

SAM JORDAN TURNS TO OPEN THE SCORING FOR BOLLINGTON

Once again the weather had intervened on both Saturday and Sunday football over the last few weeks with often the worse of the climate coming on match days, isn't that so typical.  After a short break a couple of weeks ago in horrendous weather and the chance to sample some much enjoyed Rugby Union it was a back to football today.  A return to the faithful old Ivanhoe's just along the way would line up a tantalising encounter against fellow promotion rivals Bollington who probably travelled the furthest east in the league save for their reserve side who visit Pilsley Community just a few more miles away.  Although that fixture the other week was played at Matlock so this one may have some sort of record for travel in the league.

CLOSE UP AND CAUTIOUS IN THE FIRST HALF

The pitches at Station New Road can take a battering and certainly do not drain well although with an increasingly forceful drying wind they were not looking in to bad condition.  A small crowd of around twenty were in place for kick off and they needed to be alert with the visitors taking a fourth minute lead through Sam Jordan who took the ball down well created space at the fish pond end for himself to fire into the bottom corner.  Tupton came straight back and Jackson appeared to be bundled over just inside the penalty box but referee Jason Glanville waved away penalty appeals.  After a first half of tentatively checking out one another we arrived at half time with the Cheshire side leading by that early goal.

JOY FOR JORDAN AFTER HIS OPENER

The second half would see the wind increase and as the afternoon developed the finger ends became increasingly tested in the cold bite of the blustery stuff.  

Four minutes after the restart Bollington were awarded a spot kick after a foul on the right side of the penalty box but Kieran Fane was alert to dive to his right to save to save the penalty from Tom Long.  But this didn't stop the visitors when three minutes further on they did double their lead when Long fired home smartly.  Tupton had an uphill task but they were given a life line three minutes over the hour mark when they were also awarded a penalty with Culf making no mistake from the spot.

DEFENSIVE DUTIES FOR TUPTON

The encounter was now opening up and excitement reached fever pitch with three goals in as many minutes firstly on 73 minutes the goal of the game when Ivanhoe's were awarded a free kick twenty five yards out on the right, up stepped Jackson who scored the goal of the game to level the scores with a wonderfully curling effort that flew in at the far post despite the visiting keepers valiant efforts.

The home side were still celebrating it would appear as Jordan waltzed through the inside left to slot past Fane with no challenger offered to give Bollington the lead again.  How would Tupton respond?  Well amazingly they were straight back on the attack and following a tumbling in the box referee Glanville awarded the third penalty of the game and Culf again found the back of the net to bring parity to the scoring again at 3 apiece.

KIERAN FANE SAVES BOLLINGTON PENALTY FROM TOM LONG

The game continued at a fair old pace with neither side wanting to lose the game but both sides feeling they could win this game now.  It would in fairness be Tupton who had the best chances firstly Josh Kirkwood hit a sharp volley from the edge of the box that flew just inches over.  Before in the final minute a sweet move down the left found Liam Varley who cut in towards the visitors goal his well placed effort found the Bollington number one pulling off a fine save to deny any hope of a late winner.

PENALTY COMING UP

The second period was brought to an end with the small band of spectators wanting more of this entertaining fayre but in the end Bollington would be disappointed to have thrown away a lead on two occasions whereas Tupton although they were looking the more likely to score would have breathed a sigh of relief to at least grab a point.

MAX JACKSON MAKES IT 2-2 WITH A 25 YARD CURLING FREE KICK

These were two good footballing sides who once again did the Hope Valley League credit and the battle for the promotion spots were not solved today of course and will go on until the last few fixtures, lets hope both of these are in a place at the end of the season after their efforts today.

JAMES CULF LEVELS IT AT 3-3 WITH HIS SECOND PENALTY OF THE GAME

MUDDY MARVELLOUS TUPTON

TUPTON RUFC 39 AMBER VALLEY 0

MIDLAND 4 EAST [N] WEST AT NORTH SIDE

12 FEBRUARY 2022 --- 2.15PM

TUPTON GO OVER THE LINE IN THE OPENING MINUTES VERSUS AMBER VALLEY

Tupton put on a tremendous show of commitment and entertainment as they beat Amber Valley to nil on an afternoon of poor weather and subsequent atrocious game conditions for the pitch and kicking.  As we know though a bit of mud, rain and wind doesn't put these lads off and after a blank weekend for sport on the blog last time out it was a very worthy trip to North Side that provided eighty minutes of enjoyable rugby.

A DARK AND UNINSPIRING DAY AND THEN THE RUGBY ENTERTAINED US

It all started so well with a calm morning weather wise but the forecast proved correct as the rain and wind arrived around noon and so it looked as though any of the 'walking to the game season' football would be off.  However thankfully the chaps at Tupton RUFC were at home again to help me out plus I could manage a fifteen minute walk in the rain and wind with umbrella aloft couldn't I?

Well it was going well and after about 500 yards I was proudly declaring to myself its not so wet or windy, but two smug steps later and a gust of wind had turned the umbrella inside out and broken one of the spokes.  As you can be aware in an extremely calm mood I traced my steps backwards threw many things out of the cupboard and found the quality umbrella which thankfully made the afternoon bearable and I would arrive just as the home side entered the arena.

LINE OUT FOR TUPTON 

Tupton are nicely positioned in fourth place and mid table but with more of a threat to the top half than the danger of the bottom half so look relatively comfortable although todays visitors did beat them in December in the away fixture.

The club house had its roof blind down to provide some cover for the reduced crowd who had vacated the liquid refreshment facility onto the terraced external area to sample the delights of North East Derbyshire in February.  My last visit had been in a howling gale and on a bitterly cold afternoon a few weeks back, today would just be strong wind with driving rain so a little change but not much.

REFEREE LANE AWARDS THE FIRST TUPTON TRY

The pitch was looking comfortably damp with most of the surrounds to the pitch being wet for spectating but taking up a position with my back, or more to the point side, to the wind and rain it was a behind the try line at the A61 end for the view of todays proceedings. 

TRY NUMBER THREE FOR TUPTON PART ONE

Early Tupton nerves were settled when they went over in the opening minutes for the first try and with a determined opposition who in fairness appeared to be having as much first half possession it became important to hold their own defensively something they did denying Amber Valley any chance of a sniff of points.  What the home side did do was take their chances and attack with a purpose to which they found themselves 24 points, including two conversions, to the good at the break.

TRY NUMBER THREE PART TWO

No messing about with changing rooms breaks in union just get on with a quick team talk and clean a bit of mud off the kit and we were ready to go again.  Tupton soon added five more points with an early crossing of the whitewash before a couple of breaks in proceedings.

The far touch line produced a general coming together of most of the players on the pitch and after a while of calming down and players of both sides retreating referee Barry Lane had time to have a serious chat with a couple of the combatants.  The game had now become a little disjointed and a further kerfuffle in the same area resulted in another chat that involved slightly less players taking part in the psychical stuff this time.

HALF TIME AND THOUGHTS TURN TO A WARM CLUBHOUSE

Thankfully the final fifteen minutes saw rugby come back to the fore and by full time Tupton had popped in a couple more tries and the game had finished 39-0 in their favour.  By now it was all friendly as both sides exchanged muddy 'well dones' as they squelched off the pitch to create a nightmare for the changing room cleaners and it was time for them to ask 'is the bar open', of course it is.

SECOND HALF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT REAL ALE IS ON ALL PHOTBOMBED BY EWS

Roll call of scorers,

Tries Jake Cooper, Sam Cooper, Lee Moslin, Lewis Conway and Jordan White [2].

Conversions Jordan White [2]

Fully enjoyable afternoon if the one side of me facing the elements was drenched the two sides on the pitch had put on a game of rugby in terrible playing conditions that entertained and for Tupton a strong win that was probably one of my most enjoyable in my all too infrequent visits.

Oh yea and at the final whistle the wind calmed down and the rain stopped and the brolly was no longer needed for the walk back to base, how typical.

FIRM ENOUGH GRIP FOR KICK TO TOUCH