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
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