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.

Southwell City 1-3 Pinxton, CML Floodlit Cup

Southwell City 1-3 Pinxton (7.45pm)

Windsor Food Services Central Midlands League

Phoenix trophies Floodlit Cup

I caught the Pathfinder 100 bus  at 6pm from King Street, Nottingham. A day return ticket is £5 to Southwell and the journey is about 1 hour. Get off the bus at the last stop on  Nottingham road, Southwell and cross the road and walk up Westgate turning right towards the Reindeer pub. On the opposite side of the road of the Reindeer walk up 100 yards and turn right on Bishop Drive, at the end of this road is Memorial Grounds and SCFC.

£3 entrance if you want to pay (public park)

£1 programme - some blank pages stapled together, not good

Excellent clubhouse and bar but £1.20 for a tiny cob with see through ham and 50p coffee

The pitch was in good condition and the floodlights bright. The clubhouse and changing rooms are situated 30 yards behind a goal. to the left side of the pitch are positioned the wheelie dugouts and behind them a small brook. Behind the goal at the far side is a childrens play area and along the right hand side is a raised bank for a good view and tennis courts and changing rooms. The pitch is surrounded by temporary rope fencing without hard standing. The only cover is a canopy at the front of the clubhouse.

Plenty of endevour in the early stages with the game played mostly in midfield. My first view of Southwell this season, I was impressed with their effort and skill level. Had to wait until the 22nd minute for the first real chance of a goal. Pinxton took a quick freekick 30 yards out, the home defence was caught flat footed but the keeper was alert to the danger and was quick to smother at the feet of the on rushing striker. Southwell went upfield  from the keepers clearance to threaten the Pinxton goal with three successive corners. Wayne Cooke was causing problems for Southwell and on 36 minutes he laid the ball back from the bye line for Ben Moore to tap home from close range. Grant Blackhurst came close to equalising for Southwell when a run into the Pinxton area ended with a cross-shot  going just past the post. With half time approaching it looked as if Pinxton had gone two nil up but the linesmans flag was raised for offside.

At the start of the second half the home side were having joy along their left wing and Pinxtons keeper had to make a great reaction save when a cross found Sam Betts with a close range effort. As the hour point of the game approached Pinxton began to dominate the game. The Southwell keeper had to dive low to his right to save a free kick and 3 minutes later he was beaten by a Ben Moore penalty after the referee had spotted a handball in the area. Craig Merrett unleashed a thunderbolt effort from 25 yards for  Pinxton which hit the underside of the bar and two more long range efforts flew marginally over minutes later. Southwell had a breakaway goal against the run of play and Sam Betts lobbed  the Pinxton keeper to pull one back for the home side. Pinxton's Aaron Brady forced the keeper to make a good save low down near his far post ten minutes from time and later the striker got on the scoresheet with a well struck effort after a long ball over the top of the defence found him. FT 1-3

After the game I went to the Crown Hotel for a drink, just up the road from Southwell minster. Had a pint of Marstons EPA at £3 a pint, very refreshing. Caught the 10.19pm bus to Nottingham from outside the minster.

Ollerton Town 2-4 Kinsley Boys CML League Cup

Went on the Sherwood Arrow bus £5.20 day ticket
get off Ollerton Library walk back 50 yards go down Beech Avenue.
At the end of Beech Avenue turn right, there is the ground. 5 mins walk.


£3 entry £1 Programme
50p Coffee, 50p hot sausage roll


The ground is decent enough for this level, the pitch is totally railed off with hard standing down one side up to the halfway line. Behind one goal is a decent enough sized stand with hard standing. Dave Winters is currently the manager and the club are presently in 9th position in the CMFL North table with a won 9, drawn one, lost nine record. Kinsley Boys currently are in 6th position with a won 9 drawn 6 lost 2 record. They beat Ollerton Town 4-0 at Kinsley in August.


The Referees control of the game was tested early as both sides were putting in some meaty challenges. Kinsley were marginally the better side but it was the home side who had the best chance in the early stages, when a shot from Bowring from 25 yards out hit the bar before going out for a goalkick. On 27 minutes Kinsley went a goal up when Craig Edwards tapped the ball home after Sean Hammonds had challenged the keeper for a high ball with all defenders gone AWOL.


Kinsley started the brighter in the second half and in a five minute period scored twice. Josh Stacy was on the receiving end of a wonderful through ball that split the Ollerton defence. He took the ball forward before rounding the keeper and slotting the ball home. The Ollerton keeper pulled off an excellent tip over save but was helpless when Sean Hammonds swept the ball home after an excellent passing move. To Ollerton’s credit they didn’t give up and Lee Easom scored with a superb strike from the corner of the 18 yard area into the far corner of the net. A minute later the Ollerton supporters were cheering another goal. A corner was played across the front of the goal where Hayden Zaccaria was first to the ball to score. Ollerton continued to put pressure on the visitors defence for a ten minute spell but Josh Stacy finished off Ollerton with Kinsleys fourth goal with just 4 minutes remaining. FT 2-4

Army United 0-0 Chainat, Thai FA Cup Qtr Final

The Royal Thai Army Stadium is located in the middle class Din Daeng district of Bangkok; the stadium holds 20,000 and has a single stand with covered seating on one side and terracing on three sides. An athletics track surrounds the pitch.

From central Bangkok I got the Skytrain (BTS) to the Victory Monument. I had a choice of buses to the stadium from there (24, 69, 92). It is about 15-20 minutes to the stadium and the stadium is on Vipawadee - Rangsit road two minutes after the Veterans Hospital on the left hand side. The central section of the covered stand is 300 Baht and the wings 200 Baht. The terracing areas are 100 Baht. Presently there are 40 Baht to the pound.

I’ve been to the Army stadium on several occasions and like the Police and Airforce teams they have been poorly supported, but recently the local community has got behind Army United. The reason being the help the Army gave in the recent floods. Last season they were lucky to get a few hundred through the gates, but now they are getting support in the region of 6,000. Chainat finished in runners up spot in the First Division and will be playing Army United next season in the Premier League. The Town is 200 Km north of Bangkok and has a population of 15,000.

The game lasted only 5 minutes yesterday with the score at 0-0. It was abandoned due to a rain storm causing the pitch to waterlog. My son told me that on the local radio today and on the clubs website the club had announced a full refund on tickets and free entry for tonight’s game.


The home side opened the scoring in the 12^th minute and the score remained the same until three minutes into the second half when Chainat found an equaliser. The score remained at 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes and the game went into extra-time. There was no further score after extra-time and the game had to be decided by penalties. Only one of the ten penalties was not converted and unfortunately for Chainat it was theirs. So Army United progress to the semi-finals where they will play PEA Buriram at the neutral Rajamangala stadium on Saturday. For me its back to blighty on a Friday morning flight and hopefully I won't be too jet lagged to stop me seeing a game.