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.