A WINS A WIN

SOUTH NORMANTON ATHLETIC 3 WIRKSWORTH IVANHOE 2

CMA PREMIER SOUTH AT LEES LANE

14 SEPTEMBER 2024 --- 3PM

SOUTH NORMANTON ATHLETIC V WIRKSWORTH IVANHOE SAM KELLY GET THE CONGRATULATIONS

South Normanton just about hung on here for the three points but they will take it as these elevated them to the top spot in The CMA Premier South League table, a place they aim to be occupying come May next Year.  Leading 3-0 at half time they did their best to disappear for large chunks of the second half and when the visitors pulled two quick goals back they were thankful for a late save from Ross Etheridge to keep a grip of the points.

CLEMMIE AND LILY SHOWING OFF THEIR NEW MERCHANDISE

The shock call was I decided to give the fish and chips a miss today and the call went out for a trip round the adjacent Coop for a few provisions.  With entrance fee paid it was nice to see the ground since its close season improvement looking resplendent again in bright sunshine and a the newly named snack bar Keith's Kiosk offering delicacies in the I'm in South Normanton get me out of hereeeeee challenge!!

Also new today were the official bandanas that Debbie and Kev's dogs Clemmie and Lilly were showing off.  Early attempts to get a photo were thwarted as they were more interested in the chairman's chips.  So after obtaining the teams a wander round to the stand produced ten minutes of trying to get these two to stand together with bandanas on straight, herding geese springs to mind.  Lovely pictures individually and then Debbie played the ace in the pack hold a treat up in the air out of camera shot and although slightly apart snap they were captured the little beauties proudly displaying their allegiances. 

Game wise Wirksworth Ivanhoe are always a tough opposition and last season in this game they went away with a win to put a dent in The Shiners promotion campaign.  This season though Normanton are storming the league and a good result could see them go top by 5 o'clock tonight. 

So at 3.45 and 3-0 up it was all going well.

South Normanton had looked sharp down both wings, the deadlock was broken on fourteen minutes when Josh Scully fed Sam Kelly who weaved his way into the box turning the defender and firing home past defender and keeper.

Ten minutes later the lead was doubled as Snell converted in the middle  and it was three nil just past the half hour mark as Kelly, who was on fire in this first half, weaved his way into the box and fired a sharp shot past the keeper it struck the far post and Snell was on hand to grab his second.

The second half well what can you say I stood at the end the home side were attacking and saw very little of the ball.  Whether this was physical or the old mental attitude of  '3-0 lads we've won this' who knows as at times you wanted to go and check the changing rooms to see if some of the team were locked in after the break.

You could see the goals coming and on 69 minutes Ivanhoe pulled the first one back from a low cross off the right that Jack Higton fired home and there was only five minutes to wait for the second that would give the home side an agonising run in.  It was Higton again who drove in with time and space on his side.

The Shiners had a brief spell of awakening to try to widen the goal advantage but to little avail and in the end they were so grateful to birthday boy Ross Etheridge who pulled off a superb parrying save in the third minute of stoppage time to deny Wirksworth an equaliser.

Referee David Hatfield's full time whistle was nearly matched in volume levels by the sighs of relief around Lees Lane as Normanton clung on to the three points.  A wins a win and they will all be important come the end of the season no matter how achieved

Strangely enough Normanton manager Dave Turners twin brother Mark at Mansfield Hosiery Mills had witnessed a role reversal comeback when Mills were 4 down at half time a few weeks back to Ivanhoe and they stormed back to lose by the odd goal in 7 when a late chance like here could so easily have levelled affairs for Mills on that day.

LATE WINNER

SELSTON 1 STAPLEFORD TOWN 2

UCL DIVISION ONE AT THE PARISH

7 SEPTEMBER 2024 ---3PM

SELSTON V STAPLEFORD TEA TIME ON THE HOME BENCH

Stapleford bagged the three points with a penalty two minutes from the end of normal time that took them to one place off the play offs at the early part of this season, for Selston a disappointing late loss that sees them rueing missed chances as UCL season long battles for survival continue/

STAPLEFORD PUT THE PRESSURE ON

Yesterdays lovely bright weather allowed for some nice pictures from the Blaze Women's cricket match in the Queens Park, they are on Facebook.  But today was a sign of the fast approaching autumn and then winter with mist after early morning fog and now a persistent drizzle and rain making photos difficult but thankfully there are a few.

An early arrival for a visit to the nearby Coop, sadly no chippy in the close vicinity of The Parish, would provide a pasty and a bit of confectionary.

BLACK PENALTY MAKES IT 1-0 TO SELSTON

Usual friendly welcome at the gate and teams obtained there was time to see where my camera would perform best while multi tasking and eating the gathered in food as well.  This tight little ground was looking smart and the pitch pretty good to say the lack of rest most pitches have had after last seasons horrendous conditions.

The first half was a scrappy affair with Stapleford playing some retention football across the back before often then playing a big ball forward.  They did though have the possession and so often had the final ball have come off they would have been in the goals market before the inevitable happened and Selston scored.  Just before the half hour mark Jordan Black was upended in the box and he brushed himself down and smashed the ball down the middle as the visiting keeper Danny Brown went to his left.

YOU HAVING A LAUGH REF, I'AM

Now the home side had the confidence and looked more in control although referee Tim Lewis was annoying manager Craig Weston who was having quite a few challenges from the touchline until one loud enquiry about consistency saw him called towards the referee.  Weston brilliantly defused the situation by offering the official the biggest smile from the moment he ran towards him to the time he left the discussion.

THOUGHTFUL MOMENTS ON THE HOME BENCH

One thing of note today was Selston were operating a good public address system with some music something that a lot of clubs leave alone nowadays and although it needs somebody to operate thankfully the home side did and did it well too.

The visitors started the half well and somehow Selston kept the ball out of their goal just four minutes into the second period, Michael Robb stretched to head the ball back from a seemingly impossible position and then a spell of chaos as three close range efforts found woodwork, keeper and on line defender who all got in the way of an equaliser.

There wasn't too long to wait though for the leveller to arrive when on 63 minutes Jahred Russell weaved to just inside the box and hit a beautiful strike that curled inside the right hand post.

The visitors now went into fourth gear and you could see Selston finding it harder under pressure with the hope of a breakaway goal receding as defence become all encompassing.  It was heartbreak for the home side on 88 minutes a nudge in the box resulted in the Stapleford player going down and up stepped Sam Harbottle to despatch the second penalty of the game and more importantly for the men in sky blue secure the three points.

JAHRED RUSSELL GETS THE CONGRATULATIONS

A strange game were late losses are very hard to take and Selston could be relatively happy with taking Stapleford, who are flying high, close in this encounter.  For Stapleford though they probably just had the edge and deserved their win as they look to be a surprise package in Division One this season.

WHO ARE YA?

MANSFIELD HOSIERY MILLS 3 WIRKSWORTH IVANHOE 4

CMA PREMIER SOUTH AT THE FIELDINGS

1 SEPTERMBER 2024 ---3PM

MANSFIELD HOSIERY MILLS V WIRKSWORTH IVANHOE

Who are ya?

Mills management and supporters must be asking this question of their team after a Jekyll and Hyde start to the season that has seen performance lurch from bad to good in each game that has followed but this one mixed all of those into one ninety minute spell.  With manager Mark Turner fuming at half time as Mills trailed 4-0 after a devastating Wirksworth swept the fragile hosts aside.  But then the second half Mansfield's whole character changed with the visitors desperately hanging on to the three points after an inspiring comeback.

GET THE WHEELBARROW

The English delicacy has been appearing on the blog more regularly this season and with a struggle to find a chippy in nearby Huthwaite that I fancied the net, pun intended, was cast further afield.  A small amount of research led me to Ocean Blue on Kirkby Road on the edge of Sutton which could be walked in about 25 minutes from the ground, so with an early drop off there would be time for a new review.

LEWIS HIGTON SHOOTS 1-0 TO IVANHOE

Weaving through the local footpaths and housing estates finally Ocean Blue opened up before me the outside looked smart and tidy and this was matched inside by a very clean shiny establishment.  A nice greeting from the lady serving and a brief interaction with the immaculately turned out owner with a small wait for a freshly prepared large Haddock we were soon on our way back to the ground balancing the fish that was precariously overhanging the large tray.  I did consider calling in at the nearby allotments for a wheelbarrow to help with moving it but soon we had an empty tray accompanied by a fastly disappearing portion of small chips.  Certainly right up there in the 24/25 fish and chips table and although this may be an extreme on a nice day the walk was quite acceptable, although it did get supplemented by an ice cream from the Coop on the way back to The Fieldings.

BACK OF THE NET

Arrival at the ground was as ever a pleasant experience with a welcome from Karen and Ted who was relaxing in his own chair although he did whisper his dissatisfaction at not having seen his extra sponsorship sausage yet.  As ever a few bits from the snack bar for when there was a moment to tuck in and with the teams gained by pestering Mr Turner it was time to take up position.  There would be no Dave who was on a fixture clash with his Stags at home today.

A bright sunny afternoon did not feel that way for the home side who after an evenly contested opening fell behind on ten minutes when Lewis Higton broke through the inside left and smashed a glorious strike past Matt Fowler in the Mills goal.  

Mils were struggling to get a foothold in the game and then three goals in five minutes in the lead up to half time tore the heart out of the men in blue.

A corner off the left saw Mills back post exposed by the height of Tom Mellor who headed back across goal into into the net past a collection of players for a sharp finish, 37 minutes.

Three minutes later Ivanhoe's were like a knife through butter as Mellor raced on and slotted home with a clinical finish to secure his second.

The fourth came on 42 minutes when Lucas Brough on the left hand side of the box fired low past Fowler's near post into the bottom corner and Mills were like a boxer on the ropes, half time could not come quick enough.

Players trooped off shocked and with mutterings of what had gone wrong abounded, there was no paparazzi photos of manager Turner who politely said 'don't take my photo now' as he looked to reduce the steam outpouring from his ears.

A decision to move away from the dressing room area to protect my delicate nature and strangely it was to the snack bar I went again.

TOM MELLOR MAKES IT 2-0 TO WIRSWORTH

Stupid, it nearly turned out of odds of 100/1 on a 5-4 Mills win were offered with no expectation of how close it would come in a remarkable fight back in the second forty five minutes.

JUMPING FOR JOY

The reply could not have started better for Mansfield who pulled a goal back within two minutes of the restart and what a strike from Grant Mitchell just inside the box and again it was that left hand side that produced the finish.

The home side were looking so much better now and were starting to build up a head of steam although it has to be said Wirksworth went close twice to putting the game to bed on both occasions it was danger man Mellor who threatened.

Mills though were looking threatening and couldn't get the breakthrough that would lead to a grandstand finish and that was in part to a fantastic flying backwards through the air across his own goal line to scoop the ball away from the foot of the post by keeper Chris Conroy.

OWEN, ADAMS AND GASGOIGNE TODAY'S LAW ENFORCERS

Amazingly there was still time for that grandstand finish when Mills pulled another goal back on 83 minutes when Luke Smithson dribbled and weaved his way in the penalty box before unleashing a superb curling looping effort over Conroy.  Yet another wonderful strike in a game that had now produced three contenders for goal of the month.  

TOM TORRINGTON CHALLENGES AS THE HOME BENCH WATCHES ON

Then just two minutes further had elapsed when Mansfield reduced the arrears to just one goal when Conner Barnes drove in at the back post.  Cue the onslaught as Mansfield pinned back Wirksworth who were now struggling to get out of their penalty area never mind own half.  The visitors dug out was getting edgy and of course their side was too but referee Adams whistle came too soon for the neutral and Mills who were now enjoying this superb finish and you could say the visitors had hung on to keep their hands on the three points.

Their first half performance looked to have secured this beyond question but we all know footballs a funny..........etc,etc.

TORRINGTON STILL IN THE THICK OF IT

Wirksworth's first half efforts and finishing plus the immense threat of Mellor looked to have put this game to bed but it has to be to the full credit of the home side who made a fantastic game of this in the second half and can count themselves very unlucky not to have collected a point for their efforts.

Wirksworth will breathe a sigh of relief but they are always a strong and entertaining side and on today's showing their 24/25 season will be no different

A great finish that gives Mills encouragement going forward but which Mills will turn up next week?

Quite a few match pictures this week, again more than the words so hopefully you will scroll down to take a look.

DONT LOOK BACK IN ANGER

SYNCHRONISED FOOTBALL

KENNYS NOT HAPPY AT 4 DOWN BUT'S MORE CONCERNED AT WHAT HES GETTING FROM THE SNACKBAR

SEE THE LEAD PICTURE BUT HERE IS THE SECOND MILLS GOAL SEQUENCE