Looking at Rainworth`s current squad certainly gives the impression of a Club who are moving in a positive direction, the only disappointment is that the once full stand now seems sparsely populated, whether that will change now the results are coming good remains to be seen.
Prior to the kick off Newcastle Town were sitting one spot above Rainworth by virtue of goal difference so both teams really needed to secure all three points if they had any desire to chase the leading pack. If today`s weather is anything to go by you wouldn`t bet on much more in the way of support....It`s Baltic!!
Thompson puts the visitors ahead in the third minute
Newcastle get the game of to a decent start and an early free kick for the visitors shatters Dudsey`s optimism as Rainworth find themself a goal down as a bit of slack defending allowed the ball to skate across the face of Joe McCormack`s goal and onto the boot of Nev Thompson, 0-1 after three minutes.
Shades of previous seasons are still rattling around in my head as Ryan Goward threads a lovely weighted ball into the path of Rainworth`s current impresario, Blair Anderson; on loan from Alfreton Town, this kid is electric and he draws himself out to the left and releases a sublime curler which sailed beyond Dave Parton and into the top right-hand corner. All square after eight minutes.
Parton watches on as Anderson`s shot finds the net
Both sides hustled it out and although the first half failed to produce any more goals it certainly entertained the seventy nine souls who had braved the elements. Rainworth play a completely different game to previous seasons, gone has the long-ball approach as they now pass the ball around in a series of neat moves.
Karl Slack who had failed to impress me over at Hucknall recently looks a completely different prospect in a Rainworth shirt and seems to fit the side like a glove with 'The Wrens' style of play.
The central defence is crammed with experience as Ashley Kitchen now rubs shoulders with the ever dependable Mark Camm, whilst the 'Midfield Generals', Danny Bacon, Jared Holmes and Callum Lloyd provide some decent link play.
Newcastle are a busy industrious side who look to the right flank as their in-road, James Askey and Kyle Diskin cross over well and seek to thread balls over towards the powerful frame of Thompson and Tom France whilst Christian Millar sheriffs their midfield.
Newcastle thought their afternoon was about to take a turn for the better as McCormack came out to make a clearance and slipped in the process seeing the ball strike his arm as he slid beyond the eighteen yard box.
For me it`s a bit of a toughie for the Ref as to what colour card he would produce for Rainworth`s No1, after consulting his assistant he decides a booking would suffice although the Staffordshire contingent certainly had a stronger opinion about it in the Tea-Bar at half-time.
With the wind behind their backs, Rainworth get the second half off to a start but it`s the visitors who come out stronger and nearly catch the home-side with another early stinger but an unorganised scramble in the box saves the home-sides blushes.
The visitors hit a bit of a lull and it`s the turn of the white-shirted Wren`s to enjoy a decent spell of play, Slack goes close before being replaced by Ian Holmes, the home-side`s diligence eventually pays off and they get their noses back in front via Danny Bacon`s deflected shot, 2-1 after twenty minutes of the second half.
Bacon`s deflection makes it 2-1
For the second time in the game the usual dependable Rainworth defence slip into a brief defensive lapse allowing 'The Castle' to square the game as Christian Millar is given way to much time, allowing him to pick his spot and deliver the shot which pulls the game all square again, 2-2 with twenty minutes remaining.
Anderson is replaced by Jordan Turner who also looks a very lively prospect, Rainworth look to be shading it in the last ten minutes as Holmes and Turner who have the benefit of fresh legs look evermore a threat but are at times a little too eager for the linesman`s flag.
McCormack gets caught out 2-2
Kieran Walker and Ryan Goward are now able to push on at will as the visitors come under a sustained spell of pressure and eventually a break down the right from Goward pushes the ball just beyond Newcastle`s defence and into Turner`s path who coolly chips Parton as he attempts to close him down, 3-2 with five minutes left.
The visitors continue to plug away at it till the end but fail to pose any serious threat in the closing minutes seeing 'The Wrens` collect all three points.
A pretty evenly contested affair although Newcastle`s bench might feel a little aggrieved by the McCormack incident which had it gone their way would surely have impacted on today`s result but it`s refreshing that at last after three arduous seasons at Step 4 it looks like under the guidance of Kevin Gee it appears as though 'The Wrens' are at last starting to fly a little higher.
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Teams - Rainworth: McCormack, Walker, Goward, Camm (c), Kitchen, Burton, Slack,, Lloyd, J.Holmes, Bacon, Anderson. Subs - Cooksey, Turner, Hanson, I Holmes
Newcastle: Parton, Asky, Wint, Bayley (c), Carter; Lowe, Diskin, Millar, Thompson, France, Thorley.
Subs - Hutchinson, Ashman, Nicholls, Harrison.
Admission - £7
Attendance - 79
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