Kimberley Town 1-5 Basford United (CML Floodlit Cup Qtr Final)

Any of the Trent Rainbow One buses from Nottingham Victoria stop at the Stag Inn (excellent Real Ale pub), next to the ground. Mon-Sat  9am - 6pm they are every ten minutes. For a night game the return buses are every 30 minutes from 21.35. The ground is small and compact leaving no room for expansion. The club has floodlights and metal post fencing surrounding the pitch. The only  hard standing is behind the goal where the changing rooms and the small covered stand  are situated. The two dugouts  are on opposite sides of a pitch which is uneven as are the grass standing areas pitchside.

Admission £3, Programme £1

There are records of a team named Kimberley Town from the late 19th century playing in the FA Cup between 1892 and 1908. However, the forerunner to the current club, Kimberley YMCA, were first reported of in 1915 when they won the Notts Intermediate Cup. In the 1950s Kimberley YMCA joined the Notts Amateur League, winning the division's Senior Knockout Cup in 1954 before becoming league champions the following season. A year later the club changed its name to Kimberley Town. In 1986 the club were founder members of the Central Midlands Supreme Division. Kimberley Town have spent many seasons in both the Premier and Supreme Divisions, with their best finish being one of 2nd place in the Supreme Division in the 1997-98 season.

Basford had several players missing for this Floodlit Cup game and took twenty minutes before they could get control of the game. Kimberley,the League's bottom side gave as good as they got and went close to opening the scoring in the early stages. Yellow shirted Basford opened the scoring on twenty minutes, Aaron Hooten chipped the ball over the keeper from the 18 yard area. Wayne Jones was winning everything in midfield and Jazzy Westcarr was always a threat on the right wing for United. Kimberley found a deserved equaliser on 26 minutes. A poor throwout by Fretwell in the United goal was intercepted by Kimberley's Shaki Minors, before he could shoot he was brought down 25 yards out. The free kick was deflected for a corner and from this corner Shaki Minors hit a sweet half volley low into the net.

Carl Westcarr has a poor ratio of chances converted to goals and the United striker wasted a good opportunity on the half hour. The ball was played over the top of the home defence for Westcarr to run on to but he shot wide of goal when it was easier to score. Four minutes later Basford went 2-1 up after Jazzy Westcarr crossed for Aaron Hooton to put a looping header over the keeper. The Westcarr brothers combined to get Uniteds third goal in the 41st minute, they completed a one two in the area ending with Jazzy hitting the ball into the far corner of the net. It was 4-1 to Basford just before half time. A corner was played to the far post where Wayne Jones hit the ball into the box and Carl Westcarr couldn't miss the tap in.

The second half was virtually played entirely in the Kimberley half of the pitch. The only real notable event being Uniteds Aaron Hooton being brought down for a penalty on the 75th minute. He took the penalty himself and beat the keeper with a shot low and to the right.  FT 1-5


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