Time of great pride for football league
Gainsborough & District Football League
At last the winter weather relented and allowed a full schedule of fixtures to be played, although there was still some doubt right up to kick off time on Saturday due to overnight frost.
There is great pride at present in the Gainsborough & District Football League as for the first time in any ones living memory at least we have two teams in the Semi Finals of the Lincolnshire County FA Junior Cup Competition and it is 98 years since the League won the competition for the only time in its history in 1911/12 when Gainsborough Parish Church were the winners.
AFC Friendship qualified two weeks ago and this week it was Gainsborough Town Canute who finally managed to get their Quarter Final at No 1 Pub Team Grimsby played. A tense game saw Canute go a goal down before they took a grip on the game and scored twice to take the lead. The Grimsby Team however refused to give in and a couple of minutes from full time they equalised to take the game into extra time. No further goals brought the penalty shoot out into play, and a single goalkeeping save from Liam Andrews coupled with five well taken penalties saw the Gainsborough Boys into the Semis. Both AFC Friendship and Gainsborough Town Canute have difficult away ties at AFC Brunmby in Scunthorpe and Waltham Tea Gardens in Grimsby to negotiate this Saturday but everyone in Gainsborough League Football wishes both teams the best of luck and we all hope for an all Gainsborough final.
It was Cup Football this week with 1st round games in the Trinity Challenge Cup and the Nursing Association Cup with the game of the day on paper at least coming in the Trinity Challenge Cup game between AFC Friendship and the unbeaten White Lion from Retford, a very tense game was always on a knife edge but once again the great battling qualities of AFC Friendship just proved to be sufficient in the 2 goals to 1 victory. Both teams created chances and both could claim to have done enough to win the game but it was just AFC Friendship that prevailed.
There were shocks a-plenty in the Nursing Association Cup where East Drayton at Rampton Hospital and Wroot FC at Harworth Colliery defeated higher League opposition . East Drayton played their best football of the season to finish at 2 goals each with Rampton Hospital both at full time and at the end of extra time before a tight penalty shoot out finished 6 pens to 5 in East Drayton's favour. Wroot FC likewise played above their form of the season so far to deservedly take the spoils at Harworth Colliery by 3 goals to 2 after a long winter lay off due to the bad weather Wroot FC played the game with a great deal of attacking intent to shock their higher league opponents.
Marshalls Sports who have had a difficult season gave a very gusty performance to defeat AFC Bridon by 2 goals to 1 in another shock result but one that was richly deserved.
Mattersey Sports and Retford Town Reserves met for the second week running and it was Mattersey FC who prevailed this week after a very good first half performance, which saw them take a 3 goals to 0 lead at half time. A strong second half from Retford Town Reserves just fell short when they could only manage 2 goals in a very competitive second half. Both teams deserve great credit for an all action cup-tie. AFC Ropery who have already booked their place in the Annie Lawson Cup Final had too much pace and finishing power for a gallant Fox & Hounds Willingham and the 6 goals to 1 score fully reflects their superiority and playing with this much confidence they could be a test for any team. Sadly the FC Blues v BFC Birches was abandoned after 10 minutes when a serious injury to a BFC Birches player held the game up for over an hour and it was felt nobody was much in the mood for carrying on, we all wish the player a speedy recovery.
Results: Saturday January 30
Lincolnshire County Junior Cup Quarter Final: No 1 Pub Team Grimsby 2, Gainsborough Town Canute 2 (Gainsborough Town Canute won 5-3 on penalties).
Trinity Challenge Cup Round 1: AFC Friendship 2, White Lion 1.
Nursing Association Cup Round 1: Fox & Hounds 1, AFC Ropery 6; Harworth Colliery 2, Wroot FC 3;
Marshalls Sports 2, Bridon AFC 1; Mattersey FC 3, Retford Town Res 2; Rampton Hospital 2, East Drayton 2 (5-6 pen); FC Blues v BFC Birches - abandoned, serious injury.
Fixtures: Saturday February 6
Lincs Junior Cup S/Finals: AFC Brumby v AFC Friendship; Waltham Tea Gardens v Gainsborough Town Canute.
Annie Lawson S/Final: Bridon AFC v East Drayton, Hardmoors 1.45pm.
Division 1: Rampton Hospital v Mattersey FC, Rampton Hospital Ground 2.15pm; White Lion v Retford Town Res, Babworth Road Sports Ground 2.15pm.
Division 2: Wroot FC v Fox & Hounds, Wroot Village Hall 2.15pm; FC Blues v Marshalls Sports, The Levelings 2.15pm; AFC Ropery v BFC Birches, The Levelings 2.15pm.
Division 1
TeamPWDLFAG/DPts
White Lion66002291318
Gainsborough T Canute65012982115
AFC Friendship640225121312
Mattersey94052018212
Retford Town Reserves83051228-169
Rampton Hospital62041315-26
Harworth Colliery91081041-313
Division 2
BFC Birches76103562919
AFC Ropery861133122119
Wroot941438231513
Bridon AFC741225131213
East Drayton83321720-312
Marshalls Sports91171542-274
FC Blues4103515-103
Fox & Hounds80261047-372
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Weather for Epworth
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
