From Nottingham Victoria for a 14.30 or 15.00 kick off get the Rainbow One Trent bus heading for Alfreton at 13.10pm. Get off after Larkfield road on Nottingham Road, Kimberley at 13.35. Cross to the other side of the road and get the Amberline bus to Hucknall leaving 13.43 and it stops outside Rolls Royce Gate 1 at 13.54. There is a return Amberline bus leaving at 17.09 heading for Derby, get off again on Nottingham Road, Kimberley at 17.19. There is a Rainbow One heading for Nottingham from the other side of the road at 17.24 arriving 17.50.
Boots Athletic had a very successful 2010-11 season, doing the Notts Senior league and cup double. Unfortunately their success came at a heavy price when they lost most of their first team at the end of the season to higher level clubs. The club took the step of requesting a drop to the First Division. Boots Ath are currently 7th in the First Division table one point and two places above Underwood Villa. Boots Athletic have been at the Rolls Royce Ground since the 2009/10 season after they were told to leave the Lady Bay Ground,their home of over fifty years when owners Nottinghamshire CC joined up with Nottingham RFU.
Admission - free. No programme
A walk across the cricket pitch from the excellent Social Club brings you to the football pitch. It has four floodlights and a small stand sited near the corner flag at the far end.There is only hard standing behind that far goal. Metal posts surround the pitch on three sides and temporary rope on the cricket pitch side.
Underwood in Black and white shirts started the brightest and had two corners in the first few minutes. The Underwood team were mostly made up of teenagers and the wingers were looking pacy. But Boots were awarded a penalty around twenty minutes into the game when Underwoods left back was adjudged to have handled in the area. Up stepped Michael Brown to send the keeper the wrong way and score for Boots. The visitors were having problems winning the ball in midfield and Boots were winning all the headers. The goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of Underwood and they did well to keep the score at 1-0 by half time.
Boots moved up a couple of gears in the second half and Underwood found it hard work defending the never ending attacks. A Michael Brown shot hit the visitors bar on 55 minutes and one minute later Neil Hamed shot from 18 yards and saw it deflect off a defender and fly into the net. The Underwood keeper pulled off a brilliant save from another Michael Brown effort on 63 minutes but Brown scored his second of the game three minutes later when he sidestepped his marker in the area and shot past the keeper. Two minutes from full time Underwood nearly scored when a shot from just inside the area hit the post, the ball came back to an Underwood forward but the Boots keeper was down well to save his shot at goal.Boots came forward once again and a low cross from the right into the area found Neil Hamed who smashed the ball into the roof of the net to give Boots a well deserved 4-0 victory.
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The Trent 141 from Nottingham Victoria will get you to the first stop on the High Street, Stanton Hill. From there it is a ten minute stroll. Walk back to the roundabout and go down the hill on Fackley Road, past the 'Welcome to Teversal' sign, and at the bottom of the third street on the right (Caenarvon Street) you will see the ground. Sorry to see the Teversal Grange public house opposite the ground has now ceased trading.
The ground has a homely feel and the locals are friendly but flatulent. Hardstanding surrounds the pitch, with a small seated stand straddling the halfway line on one side. The only other cover are the two Tesco shelters behind the goal at the fare end.
Admission £4, no reductions for unwaged. Programme £1. Tea/Coffee 60p. Pies £1.50
The Red shirted Teversal team had last week hammered the bottom side 8-2 away from home but it was the two goals that they conceded that was worrying for the old boys who were sitting next to me in the stand. Teversal sat 10th, halfway in the division, but of the top 14 they were the only side with a negitive goals difference, - 10.
The game was very scrappy in the early stages but the visitors created the first chance of the game. A quickly taken throw in caught the Teversal defence out and Liam Cartledge charged towards goal, as a defender closed him down he shot from just outside the area, but saw his effort go two yards over. A few minutes later Mathew Smith had better success, he was put through on goal and he lifted the ball over the Teversal keeper to put Dinnington one up. This sparked Teversal into action and Danny Wilson charged down a defenders clearance before shooting into the side netting. Wilson was involved in the next attack and he came close when a one two with Sean Dickinson led to a shot being saved by the visitors keeper.
Dinnington were winning the midfield battle in the first half and a series of free kicks and corners threatened the Teversal goal. Against the run of play Teversals Jamie Goodacre took the ball up the left wing and sent the ball over for Greg Tobin to score and put the home side level. Teversals defensive problems were highlighted five minutes later when Dinningtons Michael Trench was allowed to run along the eighteen yard area unchallenged and have a free shot at goal, which luckily for Teversal hit the post and went out for a goalkick.
Four minutes into the second half a fine move on the left wing led to the ball being crossed into the Teversal area and an unmarked Liam Cartledge headed past the helpless keeper to put Dinnington 2-1 up. Teversal made a substitution on 55 minutes and with his first touch Oliver Wood swept the ball past the keeper from twelve yards out. Minutes later Teversals Sean Dickinson found space to turn and shoot in the Dinnington area but his shot went agonisingly close past the outside of the post. Dinnington came back at Teversal and Jon Roper scored Dinningtons third and winning goal after he followed up a shot on goal which came back off the keeper. FT 2-3.
The Trent 141 bus leaves Nottingham Victoria at half past the hour and takes about one hour to get to Rainworth. Ask the driver for the Kirklington Road stop. Its just a five minute walk to the ground. Buses return from the stop on the opposite side at quarter past the hour, the last one being 10.15pm.
The ground is quite basic for this level of football. Hard standing surrounds the pitch along with white metal fencing and floodlights.On the Kirklington Road side there is covered standing which spans the halfway line up to the eighteen yard areas. On the opposite side is a small covered seating stand which again spans the halfway line but extends about 25 yards either side. There is only hard standing behind the far goal and also behind the goal where the clubhouse and changing rooms are located.
Admission £7 Adult, £4 Concessions. Programme £1.50 (excellent, lots of information)
Choice of hot pies. pasties etc £1.50, good quality. Tea/Coffee 60p.
Rainworth boasted in their programme they had the third best defensive record in their Division, but five minutes into the game they were one nil down. A free kick was conceded midway into the Rainworth half close to the touchline. It was crossed into the Rainworth area just outside the six yard box, nobody got their head to the ball and it fell to the feet of Rhys Lewis who easily scored. The visitors were playing some good football, despite the windy conditions, and Lee Potts, Sam Saunders and Gio Carchedi were combining well down the left flank. Rainworth found it difficult to get a foothold in the game in the early stages but a solo goal from Ryan Goward brought Rainworth level on twenty minutes. After beating a player close to the touchline he sidestepped a defender and cut inside the area and sent in a superb curling shot into the top corner of the net.
The game was played at a fast pace and Gio Carchedi was causing endless problems for the hard worked Rainworth defence. Alessandro Barcherini the home goalkeeper pulled off a great save from Carchedi when he tipped over a ball heading for the top corner of the net. The windy conditions were getting worse in the second half and rather than being caught in possession both sides were booting hopeful long balls up to their forwards. Rainworth thought they had took the lead two minutes into the second half, a slick move along the right wing ended with a cross to the far post where Ben Spargo swept the ball into the net. Unluckily for Rainworth the linesman had his flag up for offside. After twenty minutes of pinball football, Grantham thumped a high ball over the Rainworth defence for Paul Grimes. He got to the ball first and played the ball over the advancing Rainworth keeper and into the net. Grantham were 2-1 up and Rainworth's toothless attack never really threatened their lead in the rest of the game. FT 1-2
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Entrance - Free, Programme - normaly 50p but free today, Tea/Coffee 50p
From Nottingham Victoria a number 1 Rainbow bus will get you to Gilt School bus stop in Kimberley. From the same stop get a 27 to Ilkeston and get off the first stop on Main Street Awsworth. Walk 50 yards further on from the stop and cross the Road and go up Station Street. The first Road on the right is Attewell Road and the 'Shilo' ground is at the end.
The 'Shilo' is council owned and public access is allowed. The pitch is surrounded by a mixture of 12 ft fencing, white metal posting and roped sections. There is high banking on one side of the pitch making a good viewing area. On other side of the pitch are the dugouts and behind the far goal are trees and 12 ft fencing protecting a childs play area. No floodlights, hard standing or cover.
On a sticky pitch the visitors started off well and were unlucky not to go ahead in the first few minutes when Connor Carter had a goalbound shot saved by the keepers feet. In the tenth minute the same player chipped the keeper from outside the penalty area to give Bulwell the lead . Five minutes later a couple of Awsworth players left the ball for each other to clear from just inside the area, a Bulwell player was quicker to the ball and crossed into the goal area for John Manders to head Bulwell 2-0 in front.
As the half hour approached Bulwell were awarded a free kick wide right. The ball was floated to the far post and headed back into the box where Connor Carter headed unchallenged into the net. Awsworth managed to keep the score at 0-3 until half time with only a couple of corners and long range efforts in their favour.
The second half began with Awsworth on the front foot and for ten minutes they were threatening. Wheat, the Bulwell keeper dived low to save a goalbound effort by the Awsworth centre forward and Awsworths no 10 turned and shot just a foot wide from inside the area. The pressure didn't last long as Bulwell got their fourth with another goal from Connor Carter. The hard working striker got his hattrick after the ball was laid across the area for him and he stroked the ball into the net from fifteen yards out.
Chris Henson hit a screamer of a shot from twenty yards out for Awsworth which went narrowly wide but Bulwell were having greater possession. Bulwell subsitute Robbie England immediately made his mark on the game when he twisted and turned in the Awsworth area and shot into the roof of the net on 72 minutes. The same player put Bulwell 6-0 up with five minutes left in the game. He beat his marker for pace and rounded the keeper before shooting into the empty net. As the game was in its dying embers Awsworth got a consolation goal to give the game a final scoreline of Awsworth Villa 1 Bulwell 6.
Entrance £3, £1 Unwaged and OAP's. Programme £1
The visitors were caught out in the very first minute when Basfords tricky winger Courtney Hastings raced into the area and beat the Rainworth keeper with a low drive. 1-0. Rainworth sorted themselves out and began to play some good attacking football. Basford had some difficulty defending the high ball over the top and on ten minutes Steven Akers raced free and shot past the Basford keeper from the corner of the 18 yard area. 1-1. A minute later Rainworth had the lead. From another ball over the top a Rainworth forward broke free and raced into the area, just as he was about to shoot he was brought down from behind by a Wayne Jones tackle. Ben Spargo despatched the penalty low into the right hand corner of the net 1-2.
Rainworth continued to have better possession, only a Jazzy Westcarr effort threatening the Rainworth goal in the first half. On 39 minutes the Basford keeper saved well at a strikers feet but he couldn't stop a shot from Andy Toyne after he dribbled his way through the area unchallenged. 1-3.
Basford started the second half in determined fashion but a ten minute period of pressure did not reap any rewards. Rainworth were not the strong force they were in the first half. Thirty minutes into the half Rainworth cleared the ball off the line from a Basford corner. As the game drifted up to 90 minutes Basfords Martin Holt tried a long range effort from near the halfway line that hit the bar and went in off the keepers back. 2-3 FT
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