Bright start for Haxey FC wasn’t enough
THREE games in the Gainsborough and District Football League on Saturday produced some very good performances in each match.
With Mattersey FC almost certain to be league champions, the rest are playing for the runners-up spot and for personal pride.
But if Saturday’s games are anything to go by all the teams have not given up on the season and the level of performance reflected great credit on all of them.
BFC Birches, who are currently second in the table, certainly enhanced their position with a devastating first half performance away to Fox and Hounds Willingham to go in at half-time four goals to the good.
But a lot of credit has to be given to Fox and Hounds for a much better second half and they scored the only goal of that half to give a final score of 4-1 to BFC Birches.
BFC Birches will hope to carry this form into this coming weekend’s Nottinghamshire County Junior Cup Quarter-Final.
East Drayton shocked Harworth Colliery with a battling performance that saw them win 2-0 despite being under a lot of pressure in the game.
Harworth Colliery certainly had more of the possession but two good finishes and excellent defending gave East Drayton the points.
Haxey FC started very brightly against Retford Town and if they had scored from an early penalty who knows what the final result might have been.
But Retford quickly turned their good fortune into a winning position with three goals in the first half to effectively seal the win and two goals from Matt Young and a really good headed goal from Rob Sanders made sure the points stayed with them.
Fixtures:
Saturday 4th February
League: East Drayton v Fox and Hounds Willingham; Haxey FC v Bridon FC.
Nottinghamshire County Junior Cup Quarter-Final: Nottinghamshire FC Reserves v BFC Birches.
Despite some frost on Sunday morning all but one of the Gainsborough and District Sunday Football League matches were played, the one that was cancelled having fallen foul of the wet weather on Friday.
In the Premier League, FS Clumber stretched their lead at the top to eight points after a hard-earned 4-2 win against Clumber EFC.
The benefit of having a very good goalscorer in your team was never better demonstrated than this game where Karl Slack hit a hat-trick from probably just four opportunities. Clumber EFC led 2-1 at one point but FS Clumber were not to be denied.
King’s Arms are another team in very good form at present and a difficult trip to Harworth to play MUSC was safely negotiated with a 2-1 victory which was a good reward for an excellent performance, but both teams contributed to a game that was a credit to the league.
In Division One there were only two league games played and it gave leaders BFC Birches the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table and after a somewhat shaky start they recovered from going a goal down to Beckett Arms to deservedly claim all three points after a 4-1 win.
East Markham, who have had a poor run of results in recent times, slipped up at home again when they lost 3-2 to Harworth Pavilion.
It is very much a two-horse race in Division Two with Moorends Social Club and White Horse FC showing no signs of letting up, and with the pair due to meet on the last day of the season it could be a very exciting finale. Moorends are two points in front but have played a game more than White Horse and both are 17 points clear of any other team.
Moorends played Tuxford Working Men’s Club who have been on a decent run themselves but it was quickly obvious there was only going to be one winner and Moorends had a comfortable 6-1 win.
White Horse travelled to Epworth FC and they, like Moorends, showed just why they are such a force in this division with a 5-2 victory.
There were also plenty of goals in two other games in this division with Clarborough FC and Ingleby Arms each scoring five to win convincingly. Clarborough took their chances against a Gate Inn Sutton team who had their fair share of the game but could not match the scoring exploits of Luke Chadwick who netted four times for Clarborough to secure a 5-2 win.
Ingleby Arms had a similar scoreline when they entertained Horse and Jockey.
The one game that was an exception to the goal feast in this division was at Cross Keys Wroot where, despite virtually laying siege to the Cross Keys goal in the second half, Misterton United were unable to breach a very resolute Cross Keys defence and a single goal won the game for the hosts.
In Division Three, the three leading teams all won to stretch their lead from the pack to 11 points and at this stage of the season surely either Walkeringham FC, King’s Arms Thirds or King and Miller will contest the title.
Walkeringham stay top on goal difference from Kings Arms Thirds with 27 points from 11 games while King and Miller have 26 points from 10 games and remain the only unbeaten team in this division.
Walkeringham FC always had far too much firepower for a largely outplayed Stanwood Engineering who, despite a battling performance, were still outgunned 8-1.
Kings Arms Thirds showed they are very much a force to be reckoned with by defeating Jack and Jill 7-3.
King and Miller were too good for fellow Retford team The Vine Inn FC whom they beat 6-2 and with eight wins and two draws from 10 games they may well be the team to beat in this division.
Owston Ferry and Brickmakers Arms could not be separated after a 1-1 draw that both will feel they could have improved upon but the result was in fairness a correct one.
Gainsborough neighbours Maltings FC and Marshalls Sports brought forward their Presidents Cup Round Two tie from next week and for the first half of the game it was Marshalls Sports who were the happier, taking a two-goal lead into the interval.
Maltings FC, however, were a different team after the break and three goals without reply saw them move into Round Three.
The twice-cancelled Nottinghamshire County Cup tie between Mattersey and North Wheatley Phoenix was finally played to a conclusion and it was North Wheatley Phoenix who booked their place in the semi-final after a 4-2 win.
North Wheatley now travel to Cotgrave while the second semi-final is between BFC Birches and Vine Inn Athletic.
Fixtures:
Sunday 5th February
Presidents Cup Round Two: Beckett Arms v Tuxford WMC; BFC Birches v Horse and Jockey; Canutes v Moorends; Harworth Pavilion v North Wheatley Phoenix; Kings Arms Res v King and Miller; Stanwood Eng v Cross Keys Wroot; The Vine Inn v Peacock Veterans.
Premier League: Clumber EFC v Leverton Utd; Kings Arms v FS Clumber; Mattersey v Rose and Crown; Ranby Rangers v Vine Inn Athletic; Real Ropery v MUSC.
Division Two: Epworth FC v Gate Inn Sutton; Ingleby Arms v Clarborough FC; White Horse FC v Misterton Utd.
Division Three: Brickmakers Arms v Walkeringham FC.
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