AFC were formed in 2004 under their original name of Seven Stars Football Club. They started out in the Mansfield & District Sunday League, before a change of name to AFC Hucknall and a move to the Nottingham Combination in 2006 and a home venue of the Goosedale Sports Ground in Bestwood Village. In the summer of 2010, AFC Hucknall Town joined the Central Midlands League. The club play at the home ground of Hucknall Town Football Club, and wear the same colours.
A Trent Barton bus 3, 3a or 3b will drop you at the Yew tree pub in Hucknall. Cross to the other side of Portland road and get a Connect (Blue) bus, this will drop you off across the road from the Hucknall Town FC ground. Return buses leave from outside the ground.
Not much between the sides territory wise in the early stages but Sutton Town were awarded a penalty for handball seven minutes into the game. Up stepped the centre forward and his spotkick hit the right hand post before ending up in the net. Spurred on by the goal Sutton went for a second, and a ball over the top of the Hucknall defence found a Sutton forward, but his effort hit the top of the crossbar before going out for a goalkick. Hucknall improved and their speedy attack was causing Sutton's defence problems. After 25 minutes the home side found an equaliser, A player was allowed to turn and shoot in one motion and beat the keeper from 15 yards out. Two minutes later AFC Hucknall took the lead. A quick break and cross into the area saw two AFC Hucknall players have a shot on goal before it was third time lucky as a striker put them 2-1 up.
The lead wasn't to last long though, Sutton's big centre half jumped unchallenged in Hucknall's area to head in the equaliser. From the restart Hucknall got themselves a corner and when the ball was crossed into the box another unchallenged header found the back of the net. HT 3-2
Three minutes into the half and a speculative shot from wide on the right wing sailed over the Sutton keeper and into the net. Although it was now 4-2 to Hucknall there wasn't much between the sides and Sutton were creating lots of chances in an end to end game. Like Hucknall in the first half, three Sutton players had a shot at goal in a goalmouth scramble, but Hucknall kept the ball out of the net. The Sutton keeper tipped over a goalbound effort and Hucknall's keeper dived to save a freekick from outside the area and then a follow up shot. There were plenty more chances for both sides but as the game was in its dying embers AFC Hucknall managed to score in the final minute of the game. FT 5-2
Hathern FC were formed in 1966 and played in the North Leicestershire League. They were accepted into the Leicestershire Senior League in season 2006-07. The North Leicestershire League champions thought they had missed out on their Senior League dream after losing in the play-off to City League champions Braunstone Victoria. But events at a higher level in the football pyramid meant there was a vacancy in the league ladder which Hathern were invited to fill. Promotion marked a deserved reward for Hathern who had been knocking on the Senior League door for the previous seven years, during which time they had been North Leicestershire League champions five times.
I got the Trent Barton Skylink bus from Nottingham Friar Lane heading for Loughborough. It goes past the village on the A6 and I got off at the Shepshed Road stop. I made my way to the ground by walking forward from the direction the bus dropped me off until I got to Narrow Lane. I walked to the end of Narrow Lane into Cross Street at the end of Cross Street is Pasture Lane and continue along until you come to Hathern Park. On the opposite side of the Road is the football ground.
No programme, floodlights, hard standing or cover but the pitch is railed off. There are two concrete dugouts on the opposite side from the changing room side and there is a nice little snack bar. The people are very friendly and Club Secretary, Brian Fisher even gave me an old match day programme from the 2006-07 season.
Castle Donnington Town put out a very young team, but it was they, in White shirts who had the first shot at goal (long range) on six minutes. The home side were stringing together some good passing moves and from a cross from the right, Ryan Thacker the visitors keeper fumbled in the box, and in the goalmouth scramble that followed the referee gave the visitors a free kick. A minute later Hathern's Matt Jolley clearly pushed his marker 30 yards out but was allowed to race on and fire a low stinging shot at the Donnington goal. Ryan Thacker dived to turn the ball out for a corner. From the corner Hatherns Carl Springthorpe saw his header crash onto the crossbar before being cleared. On the half hour Hathern took the lead. Hatherns Tim Culliman hit an unstoppable drive that sailed into the top right hand corner of the net from 25 yards out. Two minutes later the visitors got an equaliser. The ball was crossed in from the right wing and at the second attempt Karl Munton hit the ball past the keeper. HT 1-1.
The visitors were playing with more confidence at the start of the second half but poor finishing denied them from taking the lead. They paid the price on the hour mark when the Matt Jolley crossed the ball low into the area for Tim Culliman to score. Castle Donnington fought back and Hathern's keeper Paul Springthorpe was forced to make four important saves. The visitors got their just reward with ten minutes remaining, a fierce drive from outside the area took a slight deflection before flying past the stranded keeper. It all looked set for a draw but with seconds remaining Hathern found a winning goal when Culliman sent a shot from 18 yards into the bottom right hand corner of the visitors net. FT 3-2.
Football in Cotgrave started around 1946 when Cotgrave FC were formed. They entered the Notts Realm League and then after the Notts & District League. The opening of the colliery in 1968 was when the welfare team first appeared. The two teams merged in 1983 to form Cotgrave United FC. After a few league and name changes they entered the Notts Senior League in 2004 and were League Champions in their first season.
The Cotgrave connection bus from Broad Marsh Bus Station in Nottingham will drop you off outside the Welfare on Woodview, Cotgrave. The pitch was in excellent condition considering all of the rain we have had recently. There are four good quality floodlights and the pitch is surrounded on all four sides by metal barriers. The only hard standing is in front of the cafeteria and this is covered.
No programme but free admission. The sausage rolls were delicious and only 50p. Tea, Coffee and Bovril 60p.
Cotgrave were in an all Red strip and they were first to have a shot at goal, unfortunately for them it was a weak effort straight at the keeper. The visitors were in control in the early stages of the game and after a series of corners they took the lead. The ball was played through midfield and the Cotgrave centre half lost control of the ball, Attenborough's Paul Ison ran on and swept the ball past the keeper and into the net. Paul Ison was a thorn in Cotgrave's defence and after breaking through the back line he was fouled just outside the area. The resulting free kick was a yard wide of the upright.
Cotgrave went on the attack and twice within five minutes the Attenborough keeper saved goalbound efforts with his legs. Cotgrave were working hard to get back on terms and on 25 minutes Robinson was on the end of a long ball, he beat his marker and cooly placed the ball past the keeper. It was end to end stuff for the rest of the first half but there were no further goals, the teams going in at one all.
Seven minutes into the second half Attenborough worked a fine passing move to the edge of the area only to have a shot blasted high over the crossbar. Five minutes later Attenborough were awarded a penalty when the referee judged a last gasp tackle in the area to be a foul. Paul Ison made no mistake with the spot kick. Cotgrave got back level on 70 minutes when a move down the right wing was crossed into the box and tapped into the net. Ten minutes from time Attenborough took the lead for the third time. The ball was won in midfield, played wide to the right and crossed in, Paul Ison had a shot that was parried by the keeper but Steve Oldham was there to blast the rebound into the net.
A minute after the restart Attenborough went 4-2 up. Steve Oldham won a header that sent Paul Ison free, he raced into the area but was brought down before he could shoot. Ison scored from the penalty kick to get his hat-trick. With five minutes remaining Cotgrave pulled a goal back. Hesitation in the Attenborough defence allowed an unmarked Cotgrave striker space to sweep the ball into net. Cotgrave went in search of a fourth and came close in the final seconds of the game but the Attenborough keeper pulled off a great save. Full Time 3-4
Heanor Town Football Club were formed in 1883 at the Rays Arms Hotel. Since then, the Lions have played in the Derbyshire League, Mid-Derbyshire League, Midland League (four times), Central Combination, Central Alliance, Notts Alliance, West Midlands (Regional) and Northern Counties East. In 1986 they joined the newly formed Central Midlands League but presently they are members of the East Midlands Counties League.
A Trent Barton Rainbow 5 heading for Heanor or Ripley from Nottingham Victoria will drop you off at Heanor Market Place. From there it is a short walk to the ground. After getting off the bus cross the Market place and go down Wilmot street, take the first right onto Mundy Street then take a left down Godfrey Street and left again onto Mayfield Avenue where the Town Ground is situated.
Admission £5, Oap & Child £3 - Programme £1 (good read)
Pie & peas £1.60, tea 60p, coffee 70p
Heanor wearing their traditional White shirts were on the offensive from the opening of the game, and after the ball was played into the area a shot flew wide of the goal. The torrential rain made it difficult for both sides to play their passing game, and too often the ball was hoofed upfield for a forward to chase. Borrowash had their first opportunity on 17 minutes, along range effort was tipped over the crossbar by the keeper and from the resulting corner a shot was a yard wide. Borrowash were calling for a penalty on 21 minutes when they thought a player had been fouled in the area, but the referee waved play on. The visitors were ahead on 26 minutes, when from a punt upfield the ball was headed on, the keeper raced out but slipped and David Hind played the ball over his head and into the net. There were plenty of tough challenges coming in and both sides had a player in receipt of a yellow card. As half time approached Heanor found an equaliser. A player raced through midfield unchallenged and laid the ball off for a collegue to sweep the ball into the net from inside the area.
Early in the second half Heanor players were screaming for a penalty, but it looked like the player went down too easily, again the referee waved play on. Borrowash had the initiative in the early stages of the second half and the Heanor keeper was forced to tip over a shot from 18 yards. Against the run of play Heanor took the lead. Again a midfielder ran forward unchallenged and he unleashed a powerful low shot that beat the partially unsighted keeper from 25 yards out. Heanor had a period of pressure and came close to increasing their lead on 82 minutes when a cross from the right was headed just over the bar. Heanor were fortunate to go 3-1 up a minute from full time when a Borrowash back-pass was overhit
and sailed over the keeper and into the net. Frustration set in for the visitors and in time added on they had a player dismissed for kicking the ball at an injured Heanor player on the ground.
