FC05 Bilsthorpe 2-1 Harworth CI CML North

FC05 Bilsthorpe 2-1 Harworth CI

Central Midlands League North

The game had a 2pm kick off so I caught the Sherwood Forester bus from Nottingham Victoria bus station at 1pm for a 45 minute journey. A £5.20  Day Explorer  ticket took me to Bilsthorpe where I got off at the first stop on Mickledale Road. From  there it is a short walk along Eakring Road to the ground.

£2 Entrance but nobody on the gate

No programme on sale. No hot food at the clubhouse, just crisps, chocolate etc, coffee 50p

The sports ground is surrounded by a large metal fence. There are two football pitches and a cricket square. There is no hard standing, cover from the elements or floodlights. A white metal fence surrounds three sides of the main pitch and rope fencing along the cricket square side.

Harworth were playing in their usual Orange shirts and they immediately took the game to the home side. They  forced a corner in the third minute and Bilsthorpe's Matt Day cleared off the line. On 5 minutes the Bilsthorpe defence misjudged the pace of a Harworth through ball allowing a forward to get to the ball before the keeper. The Bilsthorpe keeper was alert to the danger and raced off his line and dived at the strikers feet to save his side. The visitors were mixing their attack with long balls and passing moves but against the run of play Bilsthorpe took the lead. A break on the right wing saw Nick Westwood put over a sweet cross for Wayne Savage to power home a header.

Harworth fought back well and continued to be the dominent force, but a speculative  effort from Bilsthorpe's Wayne Savage from 30 yards out put the homeside 2-0 up. There seemed  to be no danger for the visitors keeper but he misjudged the flight in the sunlight and the  ball went over him and into the net.

The second half began the same as the first with Harworth having the greater possesion. Harworth wasted a free kick from just outside the area when it was blasted wide on the 50th minute. A minute later Tom Bray tipped a fierce shot over the bar, the resuting Harworth corner was played to the near post where there was an obvious push on a Harworth player but the referee, who was only yards away, waved play on. Matt Day was having a great game at centre half for Bilsthorpe and was an inspiration to his hard worked defence.

Bilsthorpe were repelling attack after attack but eventually Harworth got on the scoresheet. Harworth's left winger robbed the home sides number 12 on the halfway line and sprinted up the wing before sending over a pin point cross for Bobby Johnson to score. The last ten minutes saw the Bilsthorpe goal come under constant pressure but Tom Bray pulled off a series of superb saves to give Bilsthorpe a hard earned victory. FT 2-1.

A very enjoyable game, an all action tough tackling encounter. After the game I went to the Stanton Arms on Mickledale Road and had several pints of Barnsley Bitter £1.80 before getting the 5.20pm bus back to Nottingham.