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.

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Kimberley MW 2-1 Radford FC (Friendly)

Radford got off to a cracking start when they took the lead after 3 minutes. From their third corner they took the lead when the ball ended up in the net after hitting the shoulder of a striker. Radford were looking good in the early stages and were playing some neat football. The Radford left back was guilty of a missed opportunity on 15 minutes. The ball was crossed in from the right wing over the defence, but instead of shooting he cut inside onto his right foot and his shot was blocked.

The Radford defence, had been playing well until 35 minutes into the game, they tried to play offside but a Kimberley striker timed his run perfectly, ran on and chipped the keeper from just inside the area.  A number of substitutions had been made after 30 minutes by Radford to try out new players but they were now looking disjointed. A Welfare free kick wide on the left went over the heads of all the players near the penalty spot and found the right winger near the far post, who headed narrowly wide of the upright.

Radford found a great attacking outlet on the left wing where their new French trialist was wreaking havoc. He was making several rampaging runs and in one beginning from the halfway line he beat four players before a rocket of a shot flew over the bar. Minutes later ‘Frenchie,’ sent over a perfect cross that found a striker but the Kimberley keeper saved the goal bound effort. As the game entered its final stages Kimberley were getting greater possession and this paid off when a forward raced through a static Radford defence to give the home side a 2-1 victory.

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Radford FC 3-2 Blidworth Welfare (Friendly)

This was Radfords first pre-season friendly, the opposition were Blidworth Welfare FC and the game was played at Trent Vale Road, former home of GPT Plessey. Radford recently had the shock of having both the first and reserve team defecting with their managers to other clubs. Twenty players turned up for the pheasants and they all got a game. With Iain McCullach away Alf Staley took charge.

Radford in their Claret strip started the brighter and were in control for much of the first half hour. Richard Dean and Conor Naylor were influential in midfield while Tobias Richardson was commanding at centre half. Five minutes into the game Radford had their first opportunity to score when a Richard Dean free kick struck the Blidworth crossbar. Two minutes later Radford took the lead, after a corner was cleared to the edge of the area Roberto Labbate floated the ball over a stranded keeper to put the Pheasants one up.

It wasn't until the 22nd minute that Blidworth had their first effort on goal. Josh Brentnall went on a weaving run along the Radford penalty area before blasting the ball over. Five minutes later Blidworth found the equaliser after some poor defending allowed a striker to score from close range. Radford substituted several players on the 30 minute mark which led to greater possession for the Blidworth side. A mix up in the Radford defence led to a free shot on goal from close range which surprisingly flew wide of the upright. Danny Pownall came on for Radford and immediately created problems for the Blidworth defence. It was a Pownall run and cross that led to Ben Holmes nipping in to flick the ball home from inside the box to give Radford a 2-1 lead.

As the game reached the hour mark Blidworth pulled it back to 2-2. A long clearance upfield found the strong centre forward who beat off the challenges of two defenders before beating the Radford keeper. Ten minutes from time Radford regained the lead. After Kyle Crofts had played Pownall in down the left wing Pownall put over a low cross into the box for Nathanial Daly to tap home. Blidworth came close to finding an equaliser near full time when a forward raced through the defence unchallenged only to see his shot go wide. Full Time result,  Radford FC 3-2 Blidworth Welfare.

        

Blidworth Welfare 2-2 Kimberley Town (CML South)

Blidworth Welfare Football Club was formed in 1926 under the title of Folk House Old Boys Football Club.

They changed their name to Blidworth Welfare in 1982 and for season 1982/1983 they became founders of the newly formed Northern Counties East League. They joined Division One South of this league when it was reorganised for the 1984/1985 season, and twelve months later when there was further reorganisation they became founder members of the new Division Three.

In season 1986/1987 they left to join the Central Midlands League and started life in the Premier Division, eventually winning promotion to the Supreme Division in 1990. They were promoted back to the Northern Counties East League for season 1994/1995 and competed in Division One but were relegated back to the Central Midlands League Supreme Division after finishing bottom of Division One at the end of season 1997/1998.

Former Southwell City and Kirkby Town Manager Brett Marshall was appointed First Team Manager for season 2010-2011. The season was a great success with Marshall leading the first team into runners up spot. This season after Marshall’s departure to Retford United the club had to work hard to rebuild from scratch bringing in a whole new squad.

The game was moved to Kimberley Town's ground due to damage caused to the changing rooms at the Blidworth Welfare ground.  A short bus trip on the Rainbow 1 took me to the Stag Inn, kimberley, close to the ground. Scott Ward the Blidworth Treasurer was on the gate and nearby were a pack of friendly groundhoppers. I positioned myself behind the goal at the changing room end of the ground. Blidworth had won the toss and were attacking in this direction.

The Blidworth team were wearing their Red & Black half shirts and their first chance came on five minutes when a shot flashed across the face of the goal. On ten minutes the Blidworth right back beat the offside, but he hit a weak shot into the Kimberley keepers arms. The Blidworth keeper didn't touch the ball in the first half hour as the game was played entirely in the Kimberley half. Blidworth eventually took the lead when Liam Pride thundered a header past the helpless keeper.

Kimberley had one attack in the first half and it was their ginger haired forward who had a shot that flew over the crossbar from twenty yards out. It was 2-0 to Blidworth just before half time when a Kimberley defender was adjudged to have handled in his area. Joseph Meehan duly blasted the spot kick into the net although Driver the Kimberley keeper got both hands to the ball.

Kimberley were awarded a penalty for handball themselves early in the second half, but it was hit straight at the keeper and saved. Although Blidworth were still creating many chances they were not being finished. They almost came unstuck when the Kimberley substitute Shaki Minors hit a low shot that hit the foot of the post. Moments later Blidworth were on the attack and the move ended with a shot hitting the crossbar and going out for a goalkick.

Midway into the second half Kimberley surprised Blidworth with a move which saw Shaki Minors cross for a team mate to score. The goal dented Blidworth's pride and they came forward with more purpose but again Kimberley hit them on the break. The ball was played into the Blidworth area and from twelve yards out they equalised. Despite being on the end of what seemed endless Blidworth attacks the battling Kimberley team held on for only their seventh point of the season.

Underwood Villa 0-1 Southwell St Mary's (NSL Div1)

Underwood Villa Football Club was officially formed around 1948. In the 1980's to 2002 they were called Bracken FC. The new millennium has signalled a period of sustainable success for Villa - both on and off the pitch. Between 2004 - 2007, Villa faired well at the top end of the Midland Amateur Alliance, most notably winning the MAA Senior Cup in 2006.

After finishing fifth in the MAA Premier Division, the Villa senior team decided to join the NSL for the 2007/08 campaign. Having become an F.A. Charter Standard club due to its dedication to developing local youth football they were also rewarded for their endeavours in developing local youth talent in the area, being named both Notts & East Midlands Development Charter Standard Club Of The Year for 2006.

From Nottingham Victoria the Rainbow One to Alfreton will drop you off at Beech Road, Underwood. Continue in the direction the bus goes for fifty yards and cross over and go to the end of Sandhill Road. Cross over Mansfield Road and the ground is at the corner of Felly Mill Road.

Southwell St Mary's needed at least a point from the final game of the season to get promotion to the Senior Division for next season.The home side looked comfortable on the ball and were on top for the first twenty minutes. After a series of free kicks and corners Underwood couldn't find the back of the net. The longer the game went on the more the visitors controlled possession.

The Underwood left back went on a run along the wing, played a one two with a collegue and his shot was saved by the Southwell keeper low down near his post. Brown in midfield for the visitors was setting up some good moves for his team and Southwells Danny Garrett tried a cheeky chip over the keeper but his effort went inches over the crossbar. Just before half-time Underwood's Sam Tring had a shot that hit the Southwell post before being cleared upfield.

It was nearly all Southwell in the second half with Underwood seldom bothering the visitors keeper. The home keeper tipped over a close range header and Brown had a shot that hit the bar and then another effort hit the post as Underwood's goal was under seige. Josh Christian scored midway into the half for Southwell but It was a surprise that they didn't add to the goal, but it was enough to earn them promotion to the top Division.