Radford Res 4-1 Calverton Res (CML Res Supreme Div)

Almost a complete change of team for Radford Reserves after their 0-5 defeat against Matlock Town Reserves last Saturday. Calverton Reserves were playing the better football in the early stages forcing West in the Radford goal to make a couple of decent saves. On 17 minutes Radfords Patrick Siba was played through and as he entered the penalty area he was brought down for a penalty. Siba took the spot kick, which he cooly despatched, 1-0 to Radford. Reece Campbell came close with a side foot flick as Radford became more confident on the ball.

Drama came on 32 minutes when the visitors Lewis Wheelhouse was Red carded for a verbal offence in the penalty area as Calverton were about to take a corner. As half time approached the Radford keeper pulled off a fine save to keep out a shot heading for the top right hand corner of his goal.

To be fair to Calverton it was hard to see Radfords one man advantage in the first 30 minutes of the second half. Danny Camara came on as a substitute for Radford around the 70 minute mark and immediately made an impact. A good Radford move along the right wing saw the ball played to the edge of the area, Camara beat his marker and from a tight angle slotted the ball past the Calverton keeper.

In a crazy three minutes of time added on three goals were scored. Radfords Michael Allen gave the home side a 3-0 advantage after Camara laid the ball off for him in the area then Calverton pulled one back through Luke Attenborough after he ran through Radfords defence. Patrick Siba finished the scoring by cutting inside his marker in the area and shooting past the Calverton keeper to give Radford Reserves a 4-1 victory.

                                   click on photo to enlarge

  

Lutterworth Ath 1-2 Radford EMCL

It was a scrappy start to the game but Lutterworth were first to have a serious strike at goal. On 10 minutes Laxwood ran free along the left wing and sent a shot across the face of the Radford goal. Lutterworths centre forward Ivens was played onside by Radfords Russell and Apenitis was forced into a fine save to keep out the goalbound effort. Krasniqi sent a 30 yard thunderbolt of a shot just over the bar and Campbell saw an effort go wide of the goal as Radford came more into the game.

On 25 minutes Kevin Lusamba had a low stinging shot saved by the Lutterworth keeper and straight after the home side had a Laxwood shot saved by Apenitis. Radford seized the initiative on 35 minutes when Kyle Crofts crossed for Gilmartin to score from 15 yards out.

Kevin Lusamba was causing the Lutterworth defence big problems on the left wing and on 51 minutes the home keeper had to tip over an 18 yard attempt. The game ebbed and flowed until 68 minutes when Lutterworth found an equaliser. With the Radford defence under pressure Krasniqi was robbed just outside the area and the ball was laid off for Callum Riley to score.

Radford Substitute Bernado Alves was looking lively upfront and he came close with a near post flick after Roberto Labbate had put over a pin point cross. As the game came to 90 minutes Lutterworth hit the post after a goalmouth scramble. The ball was cleared upfield then crossed into the Lutterworth area where Kevin Lusamba’s run was blocked by a defender and the referee pointed to the spot. Jarred Russell blasted the penalty kick into the net to give Radford their first win of the season.

West Bridgford 2-3 Netherfield Alb ( NSL 1)

This is only the second season of adult football for West Bridgford. Last season they were promoted from Division Two of the Notts Senior League into the First Division. For many years they have concentrated on youth football. The ground is situated on Regatta Way, on the outskirts of West Bridgford near Gamston. I got the NCT 11 bus from outside ‘The Bell’ pub in Market Square. I got off at the terminus and continued 500 yards before turning right into Regatta Way. It is then a 10 minute walk to the ground.

The football pitch is next to the Cricket pitch, so be careful where you stand because a ball landed only six feet from where a spectator was positioned. No programme was issued and it was free entry. There was food & drink available in the pavilion. The six floodlights looked impressive but there was no hard standing. The game kicked off late because there were no corner posts and the goal nets were not secured properly.

Netherfield in stripes started strongly and after only 4 minutes they took the lead. Brent Morton controlled a high ball played to the edge of the area, he turned and lofted the ball over the keeper and into the net. The visitors went further ahead on 13 minutes. A free-kick was awarded just outside the area, Chris Kemp took it and curled the ball into the top left hand corner. The home side had a period of pressure around the 20 minute mark and a series of corners threatened the Netherfield goal. On 30 minutes there looked like there might have been a sending off when the Netherfield keeper ran out of the area and handled the ball, but the referee let him off lightly with a caution. For the next 15 minutes up until half-time it was Netherfield who were creating the better chances and controlling the game.

 Netherfield were dominant in the first half but it was West Bridgford who were controlling the game in the second. After a West Bridgford shot from inside the area was deflected for a corner a minute later a West Bridgford striker was ankle tapped just inside the area resulting in a penalty. The spot kick was blasted straight at the keeper who could only finger tip the ball into the net. Twenty minutes into the half the home side pulled level. Good work on the right wing led to a low cross into the box and after a defender had slipped a forward nipped in to flick the ball past the keeper and into the goal. Netherfield’s first real attack of any meaning came thirty minutes into the half but Brent  Morton tried to take on One man too many when he should have laid the ball off for a team-mate in a better position. It was ten minutes more before Netherfield came close to re-taking the lead but a good save low down stopped a goal bound effort. The home side were heartbroken when Netherfield found the winning goal two minutes from full-time. The left back Aykut Barak was allowed to advance too far with the ball and he found Chris Kemp on the edge of the area, Kemp flighted a superb effort into the top left hand corner of the net. FT 2-3

Blaby & Whetstone 3-1 Radford (EMCL)

Blaby in a Navy kit went on the attack straight from the kick off. Martins Apenitis in the Radford goal was forced to tip the ball over the bar on three minutes and a minute later he came out to save a Tom Orton shot after he had raced into the Radford area unchallenged. It was constant Blaby pressure in the first 30 minutes but against the run of play Radford took the lead. In Radford’s first real attack the ball was played to the right edge of Blaby’s area where Krisniqi found Campbell who then crossed for Whitman to shoot past the keeper from 12 yards out. The goal led to increased confidence for Radford and Reece Campbell had a shot go wide of the upright from just inside the area. As half time approached Whitman hit a snapshot that flew inches over the bar. HT 0-1

From the restart Blaby went on the front foot and scored on 51 minutes. From a corner on the right Lee Barrett got a deserved equaliser. Radford fought back and Conor Naylor played in Reece Campbell but he was quickly challenged before he could get his shot on goal. On 76 minutes Blaby came close to taking the lead when along range effort skimmed the outside of a Radford post. As the game hit the 80 minute mark Radford gave away a free kick wide on the right. From the resulting kick the ball was crossed into the area and Liam Read rose highest to flick the ball past the visitor’s keeper. In the last few minutes Chris Anastasi hit a superb effort from 25 yards out which was tipped over the bar by Apenitis. The corner found Leon Doughty’s head and he scored to give Blaby a 3-1 result.

                                    Click on photo for larger view

South Normanton Ath 1-3 Sutton Town (CML South)

Football was first played at lees lane in the 1926/27 season playing under the name of South Normanton Miners Welfare, the club progressed to the Central Alliance Football League and after into the Sutton and Skegby League. Under the new name South Normanton Athletic they joined the Central Midlands Football League in the 1990/91 season. The clubs first major success came in the 1993/94 season when they finished runners up in the premier division. This gained them promotion to the supreme division. The club made their first entry into the F.A Vase in the 1994/95 season.
 
At the end of the 1996/97 season, the club was relegated due to the 3 year floodlight installation rule not being met. The floodlights were completed in 1998 and the club was reinstated back into the supreme division. The teams best position being 3rd which was a promotion place. The club were promoted to the NCEL for the start of the 2003/2004 season where they played till the club decided to fold at the end of the 2007/08 season due to an ageing committee and no new blood coming to the club. In 2010 the club was reformed with a new committee, management and players and rejoined the Central Midlands League.

From Nottingham Victoria I got the No 1 bus to Ripley market. From Ripley Market Street a 9.2 heading to Mansfield stops on Market Street (Lansbury Road stop), South Normanton. Walk up 100 yards and after the Clock pub you will see Lees Lane, the ground is at the end of the Lane.It was £3 to get in and 50p for a rubbish programme full of adverts. There was no hot food before the game. The ground looked in good nick as did the playing surface. The home side wore Black & Blue stripes and the visitors all Claret.

For the first twelve minutes there was little between the sides. Both teams were building from the back and the play was good on the eye. In the 13th minute a good South Normanton move through midfield led to a speculative shot from the corner of the area. The Sutton keeper got a hand to the ball but couldn't stop Mark Richardsons effort from going into the net. Sutton were not discouraged and soon found an equaliser. A defensive mistake in the South Normanton area left Suttons Craig Mitchell free to blast the ball into the net from 12 yards out.

On the 24th minute Sutton went 2-1 up. After the ball was played into the area it took a couple of deflections and Jamie Batty stabbed the ball into the net. When the ball was bouncing around the area, the Referee's Assistant was waving his flag but when the ball went into the net he put his flag down. The goal was allowed to stand but the home side felt cheated and voiced their complaints for the remainder of the first half. Apart from a South Normanton corner that was headed over the bar,it was Sutton who were edging the contest up to the half-time whistle.

The home side came out fighting in the second half and although they didn't muster any clear cut chances they were definately bossing the game.The Sutton defence were coping well with anything that South Normanton were throwing at them even though Ashley Griffith was looking a threat upfront. Ten minutes from full time Sutton found the killer goal. A corner flighted above the penalty spot found the Sutton number 6, he headed towards goal and the ball rebounded off a defender for James Whitehead to stroke the ball home.Half chances came and went for both sides in the final ten minutes but the score remained 1-3 at full time.

Click on photo for larger view