IN YOUR OWN HANDS

SELSTON 1 RAINWORTH MWFC 2

UCL 1 AT THE PARISH

26 APRIL 2024 --- 7.45PM

SELSTON V RAINWORTH MW

Rainworth were handed a survival lifeline seven minutes from the end of this tough encounter when Callum Brooks fired home a superb strike that put the Kirklington Road outfits UCL 1 status right back in their own hands.  Win away at Southwell or get the better of West Bridgford result wise and the Wrens will have performed the great escape on the last day of the season.

GROUND OVERVIEW TONIGHT AT THE PARISH

A  quick return to grounds as happened quite a lot this season and as I mentioned in Saturday's blog its always a pleasure to come along to Selston.  Thankfully I did avoid the game two days earlier versus Clifton which was called off by the match referee thirty minutes before kick off.  

Today unlike Saturday the chariot was on time and a visit to The Coop just shy of the ground led to a cheese pasty which saw a heavy lumber up the light incline to the ground mind you I did celebrate arrival with the cake slice purchased at the same time!

As ever a warm welcome at the pay box, thank you, and there was to be a quick run around to collect the Selston yellow shirts due to Rainworth somehow coming along with their home blue kit the same as the home side.

Teams as ever after some re scheduling of the team sheet to suit the new kit was as ever readily available from secretary Adam and to be purely social I purchased a bar of chocolate from the lovely ladies at the snack bar.

A walk to the far side allowed me to get into conversation with a gentleman I had briefly spoken to on Saturday and turned out to be home keeper Joe Fryatt's dad, nice to meet you, thank you.  With light failing and the threat of floodlights a quick twenty minutes or so of photos tonight before putting the camera away to watch proceedings would be the order of the evening.

PRESSURES ON

A pacey start from both sides and non more so than Rainworth who looked a threat but their hopes were dented on eleven minutes when a lovely lob from Jordan Black on the right beat visiting keeper James Leverton to give Selston the lead.

Deservedly Rainworth were straight back on level terms within two minutes when soon to turn scorer Brooks was provider with a darting run down the right and his low cross found Harvey Thomas at the back post who guided the ball over the line.  

Rainworth were gaining the upper hand and went close with Tom Bedford who volleyed agonisingly wide from close range and just before half time the ball was in the Selston box for what seemed like an age before Mason Gee got a shot away only for home keeper Fryatt to hold on to the effort.

WRENS GOING FORWARD

The second period would return a couple of near chances for the home side as they continued to look to take the lead but missed their cutting edge Brooks fired narrowly wide and then Jay Cooper saw Leverton push the ball away for a corner to keep Rainworth hopes alive.

The visitors really needed the win with with West Bridgford at the basement side on Saturday and a point with a poorer goal difference would not be good enough tonight.

Both sides were still going for it in an intriguing watch and it didn't look like anybody would secure the breakthrough.  That was until Brooks who had looked a danger all night picked up the ball on the inside right and lashed a shot across keeper Fryatt which hit the far post and flew at a pace back into the right hand side netting.  Cue some glorious celebrations non more so than to see a happy long term Rainworth secretary Les Lees.

SELSTON NUMBER ONE JOE FRYATT

Referee Guy Owen blew the final whistle after an anxious five minutes of stoppage time but at the end of it Rainworth had their hopes up and survival back in their own hands.  Hopefully I still have some old friends at Rainworth, even though I have not made a game there for a while, and it was good to see them take this big step forward tonight, more so with Selston being already safe.

As ever a pleasant night with Selston regularly around the 150 attendance mark its a great encourager for them after a long season with the pitch work and after the seasons downpours it has to be said it was looking in good condition tonight.

Fully enjoyable night thanks Selston and Rainworth.

HARVEY THOMAS LEVELS FOR RAINWORTH