We all stand together: JOY AND HEARTBREAK

PILSLEY COMMUNITY 3 LONG BENNINGTON 3

CMA DIVISION 1 EAST AT RUPERT ST

16 NOVEMBER 2024 --- 2PM

PILSLEY COMMUNITY V LONG BENNINGTON JAKE BROCK SHOT BLOCKED BY FIN STEWARDSON

A superb game to watch was summed up at the final whistle by the joys of Long Bennington who equalised with a superb strike with literally the last kick of the game and the disappointment of Pilsley who going for the third win in a row came back from behind to lead 3-1 before conceding so late on.

REX WHITEHURST CHALLENGES KIAN BARLOW

About time I made a visit to Pilsley and all things conspired to allow that this weekend. In the couple of years since I had seen them last in The Hope Valley League, often a source of entertaining games, they had transferred their competition to The Central Midland Alliance competing in Division 1 East. The change has seemed to suit them fairly well and has also brought in a new range of clubs non more so than today's visitors who have a long journey from their home between Newark and Grantham.

Bothe the clubs managers in Kev Carline and Andy Bird were away today apparently in sunnier environments so Gareth Lewin would take charge.

The visitors were situated in a lowly position and with Pilsley going for their third consecutive win the form suggested a home win. But of course football is a funny old game as somebody once said and the visitors contributed to this excellent encounter and in the end were well worth their point.

Quick catch up with Derbyshire FA referee Richard Thompson before the game to gain the teams was followed by a circuit of the pitch and as regular readers will know the complex sits on a ridge and yes the light wind elsewhere was a strong and cold one up here.

The club have purchased the adjacent field to the ground and have fenced it off and started to develop the surface which hopefully within the next year or so should se a new pitch for the seniors hopefully this will add to the club who have a wide collection of teams playing under their banner.

QUESTION OF SPORT SPOT THE REFEREE COMPETITION

Onwards to the game and with a healthy band of people gathered on this 'might stop in by the radiator' afternoon it was the visitors who shocked the locals with an opening goal and what an opening goal with Alfie Morley firing home from 25 yards into the top right hand corner after just 3 minutes.

JACK LEWIN COMES OUT OF THE CHALLENGE

It would take Pilsley a while to get a firm foothold back in the game but when they did they found an equaliser just past the half hour mark when Daniel Wing saw his effort parried by visiting keeper Fin Stewardson only for Jake Brock to slot home the ball.

Now Pilsley were looking in gear and Brock got in on a defensive error only to see Stewardson push away his effort.

On the stroke of half time Community did take the lead when Stewardson on the left edge of his box came out to challenge Wing only succeeding in bringing him down and Nathan Flint stepped up to despatch the penalty.

GARETH LEWIN BLOCKS OUT THE SUN

The usual quick turn round in these grassroots games was a blessing and off we set with Pilsley in the ascendancy straight away through Wing and Flint just had the ball taken away from him by visiting keeper Stewardson's intervention.

Again Wing was looking the danger as the visiting number one pushed the ball round for a corner.

JAKE BROCK LEVELS FOR PILSLEY

At the other end Pilsley were grateful to keeper James Baron for a sharp save from Christopher Foat whose sharp shot tested him and all this within the first four minutes of the second half.

Both teams were going for this game now and it was great to see non of the passing square, passing back stuff of the higher league just genuine effort from the teams out for a good game of football.

There wasn't much to keep Wing out of the game as he let fly with a cross goal shot that flew just wide of the far post.

Then Pilsley took the lead with another wonderful goal after 64 minutes when Kian Barlow weaved his way past two players on the left hand side of the box before slotting past Stewardson into the far right hand corner of the goal to give Pilsley a two goal cushion.

Two goal leads are often seen as the wobbly time so much more so than one goal leads I'm never quite sure why but here we were about to find out this old adage again.

NATHAN FLINT MAKES IT 2-1 ON THE STROKE OF HALF TIME

Long Bennington were straight back onto trying to save this game and the arrears were reduced with 18 minutes to play with another wonder strike a superb low controlled drive from 25 yards out. Here full time has James Marshall as the scorer whereas my number had Jack Gowen [15] so I mention both it may be a team sheet number or my viewing through the lens, but one thing is it was a cracker.

GARETH LEWIN HALF TIME CALMNESS

The game was in full swing now and it could really have gone either way at this stage with eight minutes to go Baron pulled off a smart save re gathering the lose ball after captain Owen Riley fired goalwards.

STEWARDSON UP HIGH TO GATHER

As the light fell away on the winters afternoon we entered the third minute of stoppage time deemed playable by referee Thompson and with one last effort the ball fell to Morley 25 yards out and he struck his second the sweetest unstoppable shot into the Pilsley net. A fourth goal for the wonder goals of the afternoon tally but more to the point can this lad strike a ball! As the ball was gathered from the net and Long Bennington celebrated not only the strike but the realisation of a valuable point as the referee blew for time.

A quite remarkable game to watch as a neutral with disappointment for Pilsley being to the fore it was equally matched by the tremendous contribution of the visitors who only scored goal of the month contenders. A draw had to be seen as a fair result and I will look out for the visitors when they are in the area again.