Stocksbridge Park Steels 3 - 4 Scarborough Athletic - FA Trophy 1st Rnd Qly

Dudsey`s back at the 'Look Local Stadium' to catch up with Rudy Funk and his travelling 'Seadogs' with all the anticipated excitement and intrigue of  the FA Trophy ready to unfold.

Having not seen Scarborough since late August when they lost to 0-1 to Gresley Fc at Queensgate, the reality that life at Step 4 is not going to be quite as easy as first anticipated now seems to be widely accepted by Boro`s Faithful Army, and after a bit of a shaky start they have now hoisted themselves up to mid-table which is commendable given how much more competitive the league has become over the last two seasons.

Stocksbridge, unfortunately seem well down on form this season and now find themselves in the relegation zone, so no-doubt they`ll be looking to kick-start their season and despite being one league higher in the pyramid they`ll know anything is possible in a cup competition and surely nothing will be being taken for-granted.

With time to spare before kick-off, Dudsey samples a 'Steak and Kidney Pie with Peas'...very nice too, I make my way down to pitch-side as the teams are emerging down the steps, Rudy`s beaming as he spots me, he`s always grateful to see an old friend, we share a man-hug and a few words about today`s fixture.

Scarborough got the game of to a brisk start but suffered a quick set-back as Stocksbridge choose to lump the ball over the top towards the towering figure of Brett Bowden-Lovell, sure enough he got his chance, shook off his marker and put 'The Steels' ahead in the sixth minute although Tom Davie had enjoyed a decent couple of chances either side of the opening goal.

Despite finding themselves a goal down so early, Boro`s first twenty minutes was littered with chances but Stocksbridge are a big physical side in defence and seem hard to break down, Peter Davidson is in fine form in the mid-field, distributing some excellent through balls to Davie and Lewis Clarkson..

Having had a few decent attempts thwarted by some decent goalkeeping from Stocksbridge`s No1...Ben Scott, persistence eventually pays off  as Clarkson picks up the ball and makes a mazy run off to the left, he rounds Scott to what looked to be too tight an angle but he still managed to find the target in the twenty sixth minute.

Steels sprung back into life in the final fifteen minutes of the first half as Royles and Knowles create enough space down the right to provide Joynes, Lipka and Stephen Hoyle with some decent crosses as the visitors find themselves having to sustain their lengthiest period of real pressure.

Joe Cracknell is called into action on a couple of occasions as Stocksbridge`s height advantage starts to trouble the Boro defence. Defending in numbers, Scarborough look to be coping pretty well with what`s asked of them, Steel`s are starting to pick up a few corners from the right and it`s from the set-piece that the home-side re-take the lead via Hoyle...2-1 with ten minutes remaining.

The rest of the half is decent end to end stuff, Boro are desperately seeking an equaliser whilst Stocksbridge sense a third goal before the break could potentially kill the tie off  but the remaining period see`s no further goals.

Another quick chat with Rudy prior to the re-start, he`s frustrated to be a goal behind after such a great opening half-hour but he`s resolute there`s definitely something in this game for Scarborough.

Mr Hainsworth gets the action away again, Boro have a great opening twenty minutes as Ryan Williams starts to make his presence felt down the right-flank, Bradshaw finds opportunities arising thick and fast and eventually he manages to find the net just after the hour through some excellent build up play from Davie down the far touch-line.

Boro`s relief is short lived though as Lipka and Hoyle press on from the re-start, with Bowden-Lovell trying to sneak in from the right instead of his usual route through the middle, a miss-timed tackle gifts the home-side a free-kick which is quickly taken and accurately dispatched into Cracknell`s net four minutes after the equaliser, 3-2 to Stocksbridge.

Both sets of supporters are on the edge of their seats as the half enters it`s final third, the game is serious end-to-end stuff with both sides keen to secure the tie, Rudy opts to make a couple of changes to replace tired legs.

Lipka tests Cracknell once again with a decent solo effort, but it`s Williams who takes the game into a frenetic final ten minutes as he get`s himself a well deserved goal and Boro`s third with ten minutes plus stoppages remaining.

With the game slipping towards a re-play, Boro make one more charge towards the far goal, a scuffle in the box see`s the ball hustled towards Ben Scott who manages to collect the ball, the near-side linesman is waving his flag, had the ball crossed the line..?, no...he`s waving for an infringement in the box and Mr Hainsworth points to the spot. Bradshaw picks up the ball, places it on the spot and neatly drills it beyond the keeper as the 'Chanting Seadogs' lift the roof off the stand.

With only extra time to go Boro`s delight looked like being dashed once again, but what looked to be a definite penalty for Stocksbridge was brushed aside by the Ref much to the disgust of the home support and a massive sigh of relief for the visitors, 3-4 at full-time.

Seldomly do you look forward to a game all week and it surpasses all your expectations but this one did, credit to both sides for providing a great afternoon of end-to-end entertainment.Obviously I`m chuffed to bits for Rudy but you couldn`t help but feel for Stocksbridge a little, but`s that`s football and the magic of a Cup-tie.


My Men of the Match - Stocksbridge - Ben Scott (kept them honest in the first half with some fine saves).
Scarborough - Peter Davidson (he stoked Boro`s engine for ninety minutes)



Click Here for Team Sheet and Match Pictures



Attendance - 239 (Looked a lot more to me..!!)

Admission - £8

Prize fund  - £2700

Shirebrook Town 1 - 2 Shaw Lane Aquaforce

Not the most conventional name for a football club, and not one I was familiar with...but it`s a name on everyone`s lips in the Ncel this season.

Newly promoted from the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League and four points clear at the top of the table ' The Ducks' look to have nestled nicely into Division 1.

Shirebrook currently sit eleven points adrift in seventh spot with three games in hand, so potentially this six pointer could keep 'Town' in with a shout of reaching the top spot should they win all their games in hand, although the likes of Bottesford, Eccleshill and the in-form Cleethorpe`s Town who Dudsey tipped along with Shirebrook to take one of the top three places this season will all have something to say about it..

Coming off the back of a loss and a draw, Shirebrook will be looking for a return to form and hopefully with a few players back from injury the team should be back to full strength, whilst Shaw Lane`s shock defeat in the League Cup against struggling Dronfield and recent draw with Pontefract Collieries might indicate a bit of a wobble.!! 

"What a difference a week makes", a tee-shirt and a fleece as back-up last weekend at Stocksbridge...today it`s turned out to be a bit of a shocker, it`s hat, coat and even the camera is parked up with the wind and driving rain, ironically...." it`s ideal weather for 'Ducks.!! 

Both teams pushed from early on, Aaron Moxam looked to have given Shirebrook the early lead having beat the off-side only to see the linesman`s flog aloft..that was the first of a catalogue of bad decisions today.

Shaw Lane chose to hoof the ball over the top to supply the lightning quick front pairing of Ashley Flynn and Danny Frost who despite their height disadvantage had the towering figures of Ross Henshaw and Steve Wankiewicz in a bit of a spin in the opening period.

Shaw Lane continued to press and looked evermore dangerous, corners were becoming more frequent as they piled on the pressure. A quick break down the right and a decent ball into a crowded box from Mark Whitehouse found Frost who directed the ball towards Joe McCormack who could only look on as the ball crosses the line from off his own defender..Henshaw`s OG  gives the visitors the lead after twenty minutes.

With the rain becoming increasingly heavier, the toll of it on the game was becoming more apparent..mis-timed tackles and wayward clearances turned what should have been a decent game into a bit of a washout to be honest.

Shirebrook broke as the opportunity arose and managed to square the game as Moxam once again went on a charge, only on this occasion the ball came into contact with his hand more than it did his feet as dropped in from over his shoulder, with neither the liner or Ref managing to spot the infringement he lobbed the ball into the far goal...the visitors are incensed as the goal to is allowed to stand.

Frost takes a knock just after the re-start and is struggling to shake it off by the looks of it, nevertheless Shaw Lane once again start to apply a fair bit of pressure as the half comes to a close and just as the crowd start to head in the direction of the tea-hut...Whitehouse once again delivers another dangerous ball into the box from the right again, only for it to be assisted over the line again by Henshaw.

Martin Chester blows the whistle and is immediately surrounded by Shaw Lane`s players and Staff regarding Moxam`s equaliser, as for goals...that was it for today.

Frost failed to return to the pitch after the interval and as far as Shaw Lane was concerned his absence really changed the face of the game, Shirebrook had the better of the play as Cobley, Bacon, Wilstshire and Moxam pushed for an equaliser, whilst after the disappointment of his two OG`s, Henshaw had a great second half, missing nothing in the air.

'The Ducks' should have put the game to bed as their best chance in the second half was put well wide from close range as Flynn failed to hit an open net with McCormack already beaten.

Realising that their chances were becoming farther and fewer, Shaw Lane`s Keeper decided to reduce the game to an absolute farce, fair dues to the lad....he`d got the Ref in his pocket after he failed to hurry him on with a few goal-kicks but feigning injury, encouraging other team members to go down for treatment and stopping play to ask him to check the ball on half a dozen occasions really spoiled it for me. 

So it finished up 1-2 in a very niggly affair which was spoiled not so much by the weather but by the antics of a few and a sheer lack of discipline from a very poor set of Officials, tbh as a neutral it was a very disappointing episode from what had the makings of a decent fixture and probably a day that Shirebrook will probably want to forget quickly, two own goals and severely let down from the men in black.

On the other hand, it`s not hard to see why Shaw Lane are where they are in the league, from what they showed in the first half, they are a decent footballing side and have a fire in their belly with a desire to win at any cost and up until the time wasting shenanigans they had won me over. 

The talk is, Shaw Lane`s owner...Craig Wood has big plans with the cash to match his aspirations and his eyes are set on a place in the NPL. Good luck to anyone who is prepared to invest time and their own money into the beloved game, it will be interesting to watch how the club develops in forthcoming seasons.


My Man of the Match - Mr Martin Chester, an award winning performance Sir..??



Attendance - 161 


Admission £4

Stocksbridge Park Steels 2 - 3 Ilkeston Fc

I`ve been meaning to catch up with Kevin Wilson`s Ilkeston side this season and decided to take a look at them on-the-road and when it comes to local treasures, I rate this place as one of the finest.

Bracken Moor Lane or the 'Look Local Stadium' as it`s now known is as picture perfect a Stadium as you could wish to watch a game of football with a playing surface like a Bowling Green..!!

This place is full of charm and character and although it`s only three sided, the back drop scenery more than makes up for that. The main stand is as good a vantage point as I`ve come across, the seats are all hand made wooden slatted, painted in the Yellow and Blue of 'The Steels'....nothing like the pre-moulded plastic we all park our bum`s on nowadays.

No accuracy bonus today for the Met Office, it`s nowhere near as nice a day as they`ve been selling us all week, nevertheless it`s dry and quite mild.

Stockbridge get the game rolling and make a run in from the right, Aaron Webster and Jamie Knowles get into a bit of a wrestle from the eighteen yard box to the bye-line ending up with Stockbridge`s No 8 on the deck, the Ref points towards the spot although it looked like 'six of one and half-a-dozen of the other' to me.

Nathan Joynes steps up to take the kick and easily places the ball beyond Lloyd Allinson to give the home-side the perfect start after just three minutes.

Ilkeston dusted themselves down and headed deep into 'Steels' half from the re-start, Kane Richards drops lucky on the right hand side of the box as a mix up between defender and keeper allow the nimble footed 'Robin' to sneak the ball beyond Jack Ward...1-1 after ten minutes.

Despite looking far more comfortable on the ball going forward than Stocksbridge, Ilkeston`s defending left you feeling trouble could be just around the corner on more than one occasion in the opening period. Richards and James Reid are looking dangerous though and have 'Steels` back four entering a busy spell.

Ilkeston`s second came from the set-piece, a short corner played back to Reid is lofted toward the box where Joe Maguire manages to get himself up above the crowd to nod the ball neatly into the net.

Richards (Kane) should have put the first half to bed as Matt Richards threaded him a lovely ball beyond the last defender, with only the keeper to beat, he runs to his left in a bid to round him but Ward is well up for this one a whisks the ball neatly from his feet.

The entertainment value sat just above and behind both dug-out`s is priceless as Kev Wilson and his opposite Darren Schofield scream their frustrations at their players and each other throughout the game, he`s a bit of a comic is Wilson and readily exchanges banter with both sets of supporters.

Still looking in control yet a tad ropey going backwards 'The Robins' are as frustrating as they are creative, a mis-timed tackle outside the area results in Stocksbridge squaring the game as Nick Swirad`s slick header from the free-kick totally wrong foots Allinson, 2-2 with just over five minutes of the first half left.

With no further goals in the first period it`s time to check Twitter for all the half-time results. Dudsey`s well peeved as Amy McDonald`s 'Mister Rock and Roll' is abruptly interrupted in full swing to announce the results of the raffle,  "I love that tune". "Hold on a minute....did he just say 211-215 on the Green Ticket..?, disappointment turns to a wry smile as a lady called Carol confirms I`ve lifted the first prize.  Nice one..!!

Both sides emerge and before the vocal 'Ilson Crew' have had time to finish their beers and make their way down to the far goal, the ball is nestling in the back of it as Danny Gordon has put the visitors back in front immediately from the re-start.

Both sides had plenty of chances in the remainder of the second half, Ilkeston still looked to be in charge for the main but Stockbridge`s attempt to recover a point from the game saw them have their best spell of the game as they pushed the visitors back into their own box for a twitchy last ten minutes, but to no avail as it finishes 2-3 to a relieved Kevin Wilson. Today`s victory now see`s 'The Robins' entering the play off zone of the table.

A cracking afternoon out, a decent game with plenty of goals in a very welcoming and picturesque setting.


My Man of the Match - Kane Richards...this lad never stops.


Click here for Match Pictures


Teams - Stocksbridge : Ward, Royles, Turner, Swirad, Bowden-Lovell, Senior (c), Hamshaw, Knowles, South, Joynes, White. Subs - Akiester, Travis, Bettney, Hoyle, Denton.

Ilkeston : Allinson, Baker, Webster (c), Gordon, Maguire, Storey, Reid, Chettle, Ricketts, K Richards, M Richards. Subs - Wright, Stokes, Adams, Hooton, Williams.

Admission - £8

Attendance - 260

Staveley Mw 3 - 2 Ashton Athletic - FA Vase 2nd Round Qualifier

With little to cheer about in the league...Dudsey's hoping that Staveley's previous form in the FA Vase would re-appear at Inkersall Road this afternoon. I'm pretty sure there isn't going to be many more Saturday afternoon's like today in 2013, ridiculously warm with a real summer feel about it.

With the turmoil of last season out of the way, the task of rebuilding a squad able of competing in the Ncel Premier Division isn't something you can conjure up overnight, but on this afternoon's showing things are heading in the right direction for Chairman...Terry Damms and Manager Neil Cluxton.

As any Step 5 outfit would, both Staveley and Ashton Athletic would both welcome the financial benefits of a good run in the Vase, the additional funds can impact greatly on how the season pans out come next May. 

There's a few new faces in the Staveley side since I took a look at them pre-season, Jordan Turner who showed great promise in Shirebrook Town's friendlies now partners the very lively Jonathan Wafula, boosted by the towering figure of Nathan Benger offering some great support play. 

An evenly matched start to the game came to an abrupt end as Jas Colliver gifted the ball to Ashton's Ryan Small who made no mistake in capitalising upon his good fortune, beating Laurence Matthewson from close range with seven minutes on the clock.

Despite the shock of conceding so early on in the game, Staveley pressed on from the re-start with Josh Scully running the right-flank and causing the visitors a heap of trouble. Turner and Wafula looked dangerous on every break, a constant supply of decent balls in from Scully, Matt Thorpe and Benger gave the front pairing plenty to work with and Turner quickly squared the game within five minutes of Ashton's opener from Jamie Smith`s inch perfect pass.

Scully and Wafula's wide play had the visitor's on the back foot but there seems to be far too much space for Ashton's quick footed No11... Adam Howard, who soon became the chosen route in for the visitors given the amount of room he his creating for himself out on the left wing but after his initial mistake, Colliver and Smith seem to be coping well in defence.

Staveley continued to look dangerous on every break and even though Turner get's caught out with the off-side flag on a few occasions it was a matter of time before he managed to sneak in unhindered behind Paul Casey off Scully's excellent through ball which allows him to cut in and beat Steve Dryden from a decent angle...ten minutes after his first goal.

Whilst the remainder of the half looked to be in Staveley`s control, Ashton didn`t look as though another goal was beyond them and it remained tightly balanced up until the interval, 2-1at half-time.

If there`s ever a good time to get a goal, the opening minutes of the second half for me is as good a time as any and that`s how the second half started for the home-side. A scything tackle just outside the area gave Josh Scully the opportunity to take a pop at Dryden`s goal from an ideally positioned free-kick, with a decent run in from the left of ball, he produces a peach of an in-swinger which nestles into the top right hand corner...3-1.

High on confidence, Staveley continued to stroll into Ashton`s half, usually down the left via Wafula and Turner. With the game seemingly over as far as the visitors were concerned an off the ball incident resulted in a bit of a Melee as players from both sides dived in. Three Red cards are produced by Mr Munday resulting in Ashton`s Edwards and Casey along with Staveley`s Jake Vernon taking an early shower.

At 3-1 up and with an extra pair of legs you would have thought it would be a stroll to the finishing line for Staveley...far from it..!! For whatever reason  the punch-up seems to have given the visitors a new lease of life and after several decent breaks from Howard and Connor Anderson from wide-out left and a series of corners they manage to pull another goal back off of Ryan Small`s head from the set piece.

With a nerve twitching fifteen minutes left to the final whistle, Staveley manage to hold the opposition off and get to the final whistle a goal to the good and with eight hundred quid in the bank.!!

Over the ninety minutes Staveley looked good for the win although Ashton gave it their all after the Melee and could have grabbed a late equaliser. Going forward..I think Mssr`s Turner, Wafula and Scully will no doubt be giving a few more sides the run-around.


My Man of the Match - Hard to call given the talent going forward for Staveley today and an excellent performance by Skipper...Jamie Smith, but for his two well taken goals...it has to be Jordan Turner..!!


Click here for Match Pictures


Teams - Staveley Mw : Matthewson, Hague, Trench, Scully, Colliver, Beatson, Smith (c), Thorpe, Benger, Turner, Wafula. Subs : Damms, Vernon, Foyle, Nightingale, Butt.

Ashton Athletic : Dryden, Edwards, Casey, Wood, Rolands, Latham (c), Lawrence-Forbes,Kay, Small, Anderson, Howard. Subs : Hull, Burbidge, Gallaway, Green, Holden

Attendance - 116

Admission - £5

Good luck to Staveley in the next round of the FA Vase and to Ashton Athletic for the remainder of their season.

Dronfield Town 1 - 1 Clipstone Fc

What was forecast to be a pretty dismal day has turned out to be a quite pleasant afternoon at the 'Stonelow Playing Fields' and although Dudsey`s  no stranger to this `Neck of the Woods` I have to admit to never visiting Dronfield Town's ground before.It`s a Majestic little set-up with great potential should they progress even further up the pyramid

Newly promoted as Champions from the Central Midlands North Division last season, they saw off promotion rivals Afc Mansfield with an impressive 24 game winning run and also took the bragging rights by beating them 1-5 in their own back yard.

Since promotion life in the Ncel for Dronfield seems to be something of a 'Baptism of Fire', having only picked up one point from their opening seven league games.

Having dropped the 'Miners Welfare' tag for the 2013/14 season, Clipstone having finished in eleventh position last season seem to have found stability within the Ncel and now have set themselves a realistic target of promotion to the Premier Division, aided by the guidance of Chairman...Brett Marshall who's certainly no stranger as to what's required to achieve great things on a low budget, having took Retford United to the pinnacle of the Ncel in the 2011/12 season.

A bit of a Football Faux Pas this afternoon...both sides struggled to produce the game all in attendance anticipated and although there were brief spells of decent play. Between that and a Ref who would have been more suited to an Under 11's kick-about, he went out of his way to reduce the game to possibly the hardest forty five minutes of football I`ve seen this season.

Dronfield started off quite brightly through some decent play between Nick Horsfield, Dan Wood and Lewis Naylor and looked as though they meant business. Pete Stubley, Kieron Watson and Ian Hillier are trying to make some headway for the visitors but Stuart Hill is doing a sterling job as a makeshift Sweeper, he`s produced a string of finely timed tackles to deny their advances.

After the first twenty minutes the remainder of the first half was played out with both Keeper`s hoofing  it over the top and hoping someone would have the initiative to pick up the scraps. Needless to say it went into the interval 0-0.

Half-Time...and refreshments have to be obtained from Coal Aston`s Cricket Club Tea-Room, with no hot food available it`s a Cheese Sandwich and a Tea, all for the Princely sum of £1.50. It`s turned out to be a glorious afternoon as the sun beats down. Dudsey sits and takes in a couple of overs during the interval, Coal Aston`s second XI are 148 for 4 off of 34 overs.

Back down the steps to the touchline in the hope of a better second half, Dudsey catches Marsh coming out of the changing room...he`s shouted himself horse in his half-time rant at his under performing team.Despite his words of wisdom, Dronfield look the brighter of the two sides in the opening spell.

The Ref is still getting it seriously wrong, the bookings must now have exceeded the corner-count and it seems inevitable that the chance of both teams finishing with eleven men is next to none.

Eventually, the visitors start to find their feet, although a goal from either side still seems a mile away. Dudsey`s having a chat with Mr Clipstone...Barry Clarke, he say`s he feels sorry for anyone who had paid to watch the game today (Cuckoo..."that`s me").

Jokes out of the way it`s starting to look more like a game of football in the second half. Dronfield`s Tom Carnall is having an excellent second half and has missed nothing, he`s virtually managed to stop nearly all of the visitors advances single handed.

Watson finds himself with plenty of space in-front of goal and should have buried it only to lose out with his final touch. Eventually the first inevitable second booking comes as Dronfield`s skipper...Ashley Rawson is given his marching orders. A man to the good, Clipstone start to look the dominant side but Carnall is still hell-bent on keeping the door firmly shut.

Stubley, Watson and Hillier are determined to turn the one man deficit into a result, a quick break from the right finds Stubley heading towards Nick Siddons' goal, only to be up-ended by the No1 shirt, Mr Evans awards the penalty but neither cautions him or even has a word. Rob Paling places the ball on the spot and drills the ball low and hard towards the bottom right-hand corner but Siddons is right on it and makes a fine save.

The game continues to gain some sort of momentum...the home-side are managing to make the odd break and a foray down the left-flank results in Paling clattering into Dronfield`s Callum Mawby, it`s his second yellow and it`s down to ten men for the visitors as well.

Thinking they might have blown their chance with the man advantage, Clipstone get a break and make a charge towards goal and in the dying minutes Watson puts 'The Cobra`s' ahead from Stubley`s well timed ball. Thinking 'Lady Luck' had gifted them with a fortuitous three points the visitors are caught napping from the re-start and in the time it takes Dudsey to Tweet the goal, Dronfield have got the ball in the back of Ed Eley`s net through Mawby... unbelievable,1-1 on practically the last kick of the ball.

Perhap`s it`s been an off-day for both sides but it`s definitely been hard on the eyes this afternoon, a much needed point for Dronfield, no doubt Marsh will be seething that what looked like a definite three points in the dying minutes was squandered so cheaply from the re-start.


My Man of the Match - Tom Carnall (a faultless defending display)


Click here for Match Pictures


Teams - Dronfield : Siddons, Hemsley, Butler, Rawson, Carnall, Hill, Whitehead, Mawby, Naylor, Horsfield, Wood. Subs - Gange, Ashton, Roberts, Fordham.

Clipstone - Eley, Paling, Shaw, R.Austin, Pride, M.Austin, Hillier, Carty, Watson, Stubley, Millington. Subs : Hales, King, Webster, Allan.

Attendance - 68

Admission - £3

Sheffield Fc 3 - 1 Market Drayton Town

All week I`d got Ilkeston Fc v Witton Albion pencilled in...so what`s Dudsey doing at The BT Stadium.."we`ll call it a marital compromise".!! 

Joking aside, it`s always nice to see Stuart James (Jamesie), Sheffield Fc`s Press Officer for an afternoon of footie and light hearted banter with the his regular crew in Copnell`s Corner..(it`s invitation only..!!).

I took a look at Market Drayton the other week at Eastwood and was initially impressed with their first half performance, especially Yannick Makota who wreaked havoc on and off the ball. Unfortunately the visitors arrive in Dronfield manager-less as Lee Ebden`s tenure was terminated earlier on in the week.

Dudsey`s grieved to see the Catering Wagon that had been knocking out what had to be the league`s largest (and possibly finest) Burgers for seasons on end is no longer situated near the half-way line, Jamesie informs me the Lady said she was struggling to make it pay... "it was very popular and I struggle to believe she couldn`t make it pay on an average crowd of 200 plus..!!". 

Sheffield are boosted by the return the key central defence pairing of Jamie Hadfield and Richard Stirrup plus a few last minute signings, no doubt they will be looking to build on their one league triumph this season at home against Lincoln United.

Quick out the traps..Makota catches the Club lads napping and puts Drayton in front with a well executed finish in the fourth minute.The remainder of the half is pretty much an even-steven affair with both sides creating some good opportunities. Rob Stevenson and Makota are pressing on for MDT whilst Purkiss, Gascoigne and Steve Woolley look to test Callum Burton`s integrity in the visitors goal.

It`s all being played at a good pace and although there`s plenty of chances the mid-field battle is becoming a little scrappy and frustrations are turning into a few niggly spats, Andy Gascoinge`s advances are drawing the Drayton players into a few missed-timed one`s and tempers starts to boil over a bit in the final ten minutes of the first half. 

Another player to stand out for Market Drayton is their No 6...Ednilson Gomes,  who looks very well established both going forward and very solid at defending.

Still irked by an earlier incident, Kyle Blake is shown a straight red for lashing out in an off-the-ball incident which very few people saw, with Gascoigne picking up a caution for his involvement, 0-1 at half-time.

With a man extra, the Sheffield faithful are hoping to turn the advantage into a victory in the second half and it`s only a matter of minutes before Gascoigne has squared the game...1-1 in the fifth minute of the re-start.

Sniffing a victory is up for grabs, Sheffield push forward at every opportunity, usually supplied by  some excellent distribution from Steve Woolley yet strangely enough Makota, Stevenson and Matthew Campbell still manage to pose a threat..(Jamesie`s crew have developed a soft spot for Makota`s skill...he`s quality).

Waves of pressure from the lads in red finally break the deadlock as Sheffield take the lead through Mark Fereday just after the hour with a neat finish from the right-hand side of the box. Increasingly in control as the game progresses, Sheffield decide to give the bench a chance to stretch their legs. Joel Purkiss and Zeph Thomas take to the field and both start to trouble Market Drayton`s defence.

Makota`s still not done yet and continues to display some flashes of brilliance between Sheffield`s sortie`s but with a man light it`s only a matter of time before the home-side get another quick break and it`s Zeph Thomas this time who skips in from wide right to put the game beyond doubt with just over five minutes remaining....3-1.

With little left to offer that`s how it finished up, a comfortable win for for the home-side against a disadvantaged but spirited Market Drayton team. Thanks to Jamesie for allowing Dudsey to help select Sheffield`s 'Man of the Match'.

Click here for Match Pictures

My Men of the Match : Sheffield - Steve Woolley (excellent display and looking back to his best), and for Market Drayton - Yannick Makota (pure class...shame Blake spoilt his chance to really shine this afternoon).

Teams - Sheffield : Annerson, Turner, Hill, Burrell (c), Hadfield, Stirrup, Algar, Gascoigne, Fereday, Gregory, Woolley. Subs - Purkiss, Williams, Pemberton, Rithven, Thomas.

Market Drayton : Burton, Jones, Ting, Breeze, McMullen (c), Gomes, Stevenson, Blake, Makota, Campbell, Fox. Subs - Ruane, Crawford, Davies, Hall, Westray.

Attendance - 339

Admission - £7

Scarborough Athletic 0 - 1 Gresley Fc

A late holiday at North Yorkshire`s Cayton Bay gave Dudsey the double opportunity to take a look at Rudy Funk`s new-look Scarborough Athletic at Queensgate against Gresley Fc.

Sorry there`s no photo`s and about the late posting...not easy with no Wi-fi and bad network coverage (Cheers O2)..!!

A bit of a dash Tbh...we arrived at the caravan at mid-day and had just enough time to un-pack and make the sixteen mile trip back down to Queensgate for the game.

Nice to a see Rudy and have a chat prior to the game. An healthy and expectant crowd of 500plus made for an excellent atmosphere..with a fair few making the 260 mile round trip from Gresley.

An entertaining start to the game saw the Derbyshire visitors take the game to 'The Seadogs', much to the frustration of the home support things weren`t quite going to plan; Boro were creating enough in the way of chances but some excellent defending...especially by Marc Strzyzewski who was keeping Boro honest. 

Both sides sought to make an opening throughout the first half, Ryan Blott and Tony Hackworth spearheaded Boro`s attack whilst lone striker Rob Stevenson battled it out with Dean Oliver providing the support for the visitors, Dudsey was a little lost as to why Royce Turville hadn`t made the starting eleven for Gresley given how many regulars are either injured or unavailable.

Gresley had a decent first half but a lone striker against the quality of Boro`s defence was always going to be a big ask. With neither Goalkeeper hardly having to break sweat in the first half changes for the second half looked a dead cert, unfortunately for Gresley the change came sooner than expected as Oliver pulled up with what.appeared to be his hamstring five minutes before the interval.

The introduction of Turville seemed to make the difference...with two strikers upfront Gresley began to look far more incisive than they had in the opening period; although it might have been a different story had Ryan Blott converted a cracking opportunity which was well collected by Derby County loanee keeper Ross Etheridge.

Gresley continued to absorb Boro`s advances which were mainly created by the excellent mid-field duo of Bryan Hughes and Peter Davidson under the watchful eye of Gresley`s mid-field Sheriff Jepson but Boro`s two frontmen looked a little short of idea`s in-front of goal to the point were Rudy decided to change the format, replacing Blott and Hackworth with Lewis Clarkson and Tyler Colishaw.

Eventually the visitors managed to break free with Turville teeing up a beautifully weighted pass into the path of Spencer who confidently slipped the ball beyond the incoming Jason White. Gresley...high on the strength of the goal continued to push and Spencer should have put the game beyond doubt as his excellent shot fizzed over White`s crossbar.

With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Scarborough threw the kitchen sink into the dying minutes with the new front pairing of Clarkson and Colishaw looking lively but to their credit 'The Moatmen' hung on to take a gutsy and determined victory.

Not a great performance from Boro but nevertheless you can see that Rudy has assembled a decent squad who no-doubtedly will be competitive at Step 4.

Good Luck to Rudy and his `Seadogs` for the rest of the season.

Teams- Scarborough : White, Plummer, Ridley, Milne, Denton, Davidson, Bolder, Hughes (c), Blott, Bradshaw, Hackworth. Subs - Clarkson, Colishaw, Greening, Bennett, Cook.

Gresley : Etheridge, Johns, Harrison, Strzyzewski, Barrett (c), Graves, Lyons, Jepson , Oliver, Spencer, Guy. Subs - Hanslow, Turville, Grice, James, Fitzhugh.

Attendance - 518

Admission £8

Eastwood Town 3 - 0 Market Drayton Town

I must come clean and admit to a bit of free-loading today, Dudsey has been kindly invited to today`s game by Steve Peat...Eastwood`s Vice Chairman. Since Peaty rang me I`d been scratching my head all week as to when it was when I last visited Coronation Park and Tbh I`m still stumped as to when it was..?

It`s fair to say 'The Badgers', once a Conference North side have had a fair few problems in recent years both on and off the pitch.and have hopefully found a level where they are able to be competitively strong once again, starting their new season in the Evo-Stik Division 1 South.

Despite the events of recent seasons there seems to be an sense of anticipation that there could be a chance of something to celebrate other than a decent run in the Notts Senior Cup for the first time in a few seasons.

Market Drayton enter the new campaign as established regulars, enjoying their fifth season at Step 4 since gaining promotion as the Midland Football Alliance champions in the 2008-9 season; since joining they have predominantly finished in the lower half of the league.Rumours of Pascal Chimbonda putting in an appearance for the visitors were quickly dismissed as Dudsey peers at today`s team-sheet. Ah well...!!

Looking at the team line-ups there seems to be a lot of activity in the summer transfer market with several new faces added to both squads.

With ten minutes to the kick off Dudsey slopes off to the Tea-bar to try one of these local Meat & Potato pie's Peaty has tipped me off about that are lovingly made by a local Butcher, I can honestly say in all my years of sampling football stadia pie's these babies should carry a royal seal of approval...crammed full of Steak and chunks of New Potato... Devine.!! and a must for any travelling fan.

The game get`s off to a decent start with both sides enjoying several good breaks, Dorryl Proffitt and Jannick Makota seem to be leading the advances up front for Market Drayton with some decent supply work by Kayledon Brown and Rob Stevenson and as the game settles down it`s the visitors who seem to be enjoying a good spell of early pressure.

Forced back into their own half for a while, Anthony Newton and Tyrone Burton find themselves in a bit of a busy spell but Newton looks well up for it and is keeping the Market Drayton strikers at bay. The visitors enjoy a fair amount of corners but Alex Malong in goal looks comfortable with the set piece.

'The Badgers' start to pose a threat as Burton and Tristan Whitman enjoy a couple of decent runs in down the right wing and manage to supply Kieran Wells and Ash Robinson with some decent in-balls for Eastwood.

Both Malong and Damien Stevens look comfortable in each sides No1 Shirt and produce a couple of fine saves apiece to keep the game goalless. The first half remained an end-to-end affair and could easily have gone either way but it`s 'The Badgers' who get the break as Whitman finds himself in enough space to slot home from close range with five minutes of the first half remaining.

Market Drayton get the second half rolling and before the teams had time to settle into any sort of rhythm Carl Slater falls awkwardly, immediately the screams of pain from Eastwood`s No 6 left no-one under any doubt that the lad had suffered a bad injury. For fear of causing him any more discomfort than he`s already in, he is covered and consoled by his team-mates and staff whilst the ambulance arrives.

After a thirty minute break the game is resumed....Dudsey get`s to thinking what effect such unfortunate events have upon the players and how it affects the manner in which the remainder of the game is played, anyway the game does continue but Market Drayton seem to be struggling to getting back into the rhythm of  the game as they had in the first half, Eastwood once again seize the chance and double their lead through Ashley Robinson around the seventy minute mark.

Looking slightly beleaguered by Eastwood`s second Market Drayton start to look slightly second best despite some valiant efforts by Proffitt and Makota. Any chance of a of resurrection for the visitors were quashed only ten minutes later as Kieran Wells' strike puts the game beyond their reach..3-0 with fifteen minutes left.

Despite a very unfortunate 30 minute pause in the game, both sides played out a good contest and although the result speaks for itself, the difference between the sides wasn`t really three goals. Malong was in fine form for The Badgers, and the stoppage did seem to take the wind out of Market Drayton`s game but on the day Eastwood were just a little more clinical where it mattered.

My Men of the Match - Eastwood - Alex Malong...a fine goalkeeping performance. Market Drayton - Yannick Makota...Classy Forward.


Click Here for Match Pictures


Teams  Eastwood - Malong, Burton, Riley, Hurren (c), Newton, Slater, Whitman, Craven, Wells, Robinson, Munn.  Subs - Simmons, Gowring, Shaw, Whyman, Garner.

Market Drayton - Stevens, Jones, Ting, McMullen (c), Hall, Campbell, Stevenson, Blake, Brown, Makota, Proffitt.  Subs - Westray, McCalla, Fox, Crawford, Hawcroft.

Atttendance - 145

Admission - Complementary

News on Carl Slater is he suffered a dislocated elbow and is at back home.Wishing him a speedy recovery.

Ps, Cheers Peaty Lad..!!

Shirebrook Town 0 - 0 Pontefract Collieries

With the PSF's well and truly put to bed, it's time to see what all the training, signings and strategies translate into in the much awaited 2013/14 season.

Ex Hallam manager, Julian Watts has now taken the helm at Shirebrook since Mark Shaw's appointment at Worksop Town. Speaking to Watt's a couple of weeks ago, he seemed very optimistic and from what I've seen recently in a couple of Town`s friendlies...he has every reason to be.

Assisted by two very experienced players in Mark Camm and Danny Bacon, the benefits of mixing youth and some sound experience looks to be paying dividends both on and off the pitch.

With both of today`s Clubs mooted as potential promotion candidates in the Ncel Division 1 curiosity had the better of me, making this fixture the first game of the new campaign. Pontefract will be keen to get off to a good start and hopefully improve on their fifth spot finish to last season, just one place above Shirebrook..hence Dudsey's interest in today's fixture.!!.

A big mention to all the staff behind the scenes who have made some major improvements at Langwith Road, one side of the ground is now totally covered, new turnstile's have been installed and the place has a very fresh feel about it.

On the face of it 0-0 sounds like a pretty boring opener to anyone`s season but both sides played some decent football. Watts has instilled some fine one touch football into Shirebrook`s game whilst Pontefract always looked dangerous on the break.

Shirebrook got the game of to a start and both sides looked fairly evenly matched, both defences looked tight with the towering figure of Ross Henshaw having the aerial dominance in Shirebrook`s box. Pontefract also seem well organised through Michael Staley and the watchful eye of Craig Robinson who didn`t miss much.

Aaron Moxam looked nippy going forward but Staley had got him well pegged down...if not a tad too clingy at times. Pontefract had a penalty shout dismissed, ball to hand...hand to ball, either way the Ref was having none of it, something he failed to acknowledge for both sides on numerous occasions during the game.

Moxam had a golden opportunity of Town`s first half just before the break as he eventually managed to beat Ponte's efficient off-side trap, one on one with the Craig Parry he ran on a little to close leaving his chipped shot just within the grasp of Ponte`s No1. Town went close again as Craig Getliff`s shot came rattling back off the woodwork...All square at half-time.

Shirebrook came out the brighter of the two sides in the second half and had two or three decent chances early on but the balance of play soon evened out as the half progressed. Ponte's defence and the well capable Parry managed to keep Town`s advances bay. Whilst at the other end Shirebrook`s defence was also still unrepentant at succumbing in the final third.

Quick on the break and hungry for an opener the visitors got their second half rolling in the middle quarter with Liam Radford and Nathan Perks spearheading Ponte`s advances. Their finest chance came as Andrew Catton struck a lovely ball from distance and looked every inch a goal heading into the top left-hand corner only for Joe McCormack to pull of a fine save.

Shirebrook took to switching tactics and the flow of the game changed again, Ben Cobley and Matt Thompson took advantage of ample space down the right flank, pressing deep into the visitors half chances started to materialise again, much to the concern of some dignitaries from Pontefract to Dudsey`s left.

Shirebrook`s best chance of the second half fell to the feet of Ben Cobley, a challenge just outside the box saw the home-side awarded a free-kick, the pacey wing-back struck a sweet shot only for Parry to pull off another fine save..pushing it just wide of his left hand stick.

Pushing for a goal, Shirebrook kept knocking but the difference between goal`s conceded and a clean sheet was Craig Parry. Ponte took advantage of Shirebrook`s push for a goal and hit Town on the break on a few occasions but good defending from both sides saw the game finish goal-less.

Not an ideal start for an opening game from supporter or a neutral in search of goals and although the points were shared both sides played some attractive and enjoyable football. Shirebrook enjoyed a few more clear-cut chances on goal than the visitors, whilst they could argue a denied penalty shout didn`t help their cause today.

Either way, a decent enough game of football from two sides who I am sure will figure in the Top 5 come the end of the season.

My Men of the Match - Shirebrook - Ben Cobley (excellent on and off the ball). Pontefract - Craig Parry (the difference between clean sheets and goals conceded).

Click here for Match Pictures

Attendance - 147

Admission - £4

Sheffield Fc 1 - 2 Gresley Fc

Dudsey spotted this fixture last weekend and knowing that both Sheffield and Gresley had goals in them I was looking forward to this one. Having said that though it has been a bit of a Yo-Yo season for both Clubs who recently have been hovering around mid-table.

Funny old day on the weather scene though..!! Wake up to bright blue skies, within minutes it`s blasting it down with rain or you`re getting peppered with hailstones.

Tbh, if it had carried on like it was I was considering taking in Staveley Mw v Hall Road Rangers where there`s a bigger pitch length seated stand, Sheffield has a good sized stand but it`s behind the goal..."not my favourite vantage point."

I decided to stick with my match of choice, "can`t see Gresley bringing many supporters, so if it does come I`d be able to nip into Copnell`s Corner with 'Jamesie' and his gang"....or so I thought..!!.

 'The Moatmen' obviously travel in numbers, from toddlers to grandparent`s they`re here in numbers with a hefty old queue at the turnstiles and they boost the attendance to a very respectable 458, a tidy old crowd at this stage of the season.

With Jack Waddle back at Chesterfield after his loan spell, Steve Woolley is doubling up as left wing-back and donning the skipper`s armband this afternoon.

Regular goalscorer Marc Goodfellow`s name is missing from Gresley`s side, as are Turville and regular keeper Gary Hateley and our good old friend James Jepson who is now plying his trade at Kings Lynn, the only other significant absentee from Sheffield`s team is front-man Jack Muldoon.

The visitors get the game rolling and both sides take the game by the scruff of the neck. Either could have taken an early lead as Andy Gascoigne challenged George Woodward`s goal  whilst at the other end, Jordan Nadat`s cross which zipped across the face of goal was just a tad to brisk for Richard Hanslow`s out-stretched leg.

Still pressing for the break, the visitors in white are looking dangerous on the break, 'Club' are managing to get forward with Woolley, Shaq McKenzie and Joel Purkiss using the left flank as the corridor down into Gresley`s area.

It`s a decent contest at both ends, with nothing really at stake it allows a nice freedom to the game, Gresley start to apply a bit of pressure and make a run down the far left side finding skipper Jordi Gough in enough space to slot the ball beyond Liam Flynn from Nadat`s well timed pass, 0-1 on twenty five minutes.

The game continued to run at a good pace, both sides are making good use of all the available width, Matt Roney is romping down the right for Sheffield and is whipping some decent balls into the area whilst Nadat, Gough and Hanslow continue to stretch the home defence.

Sheffield eventually get a deserved equaliser on the balance of play as Woolley weaved himself in from the left, he cut`s inside his marker and delivers a cracking chip cum curler which whistles beyond Woodward into his top left-hand corner, 1-1 with five minutes of the half left to play.

Looking strong once again, Sheffield were pressing hard and looked to have the wind behind their sails as McKenzie, Gascoigne, Purkiss and Woolley continued to flourish in the final minutes of the half only to see Gresley sneak a second goal came as the home-side fell foul of every manager`s golden rule.."Play to the Whistle".

Dean Rathbone lofted a high clearance over the top of Cooksey and Hatfield in the direction of Nadat... who from their response lead you to believe the pacey striker was marginally off-side, as they stopped awaiting the linesman to raise his flag Nadat continued on his run and duly punished them for their error as he picked his spot, easily winning a one on one with Flynn on the stroke of half-time, 1-2.

Anticipation that there would be more of the same in the second half did materialise in the way the game continued to flow but unfortunately despite some cracking efforts the second half failed to produce any more goals. Ben Minshull and Nadat remained a constant threat throughout the whole of the second half but Cooksey, Hadfield and Burrell were managing to thwart any opportunities they created.

Woolley was still the driving force for Sheffield and on any other given day both sides would no doubt have treat the supporters to a real goal-fest but with both sets of defenders remaining resolute they managed to block out each others chances.

The best attempts came for Sheffield late on as they pushed on for an equaliser, Jamie Hadfield made a decent shot at Woodwards goal in the final minutes of the game but it finished up at 1-2.

An entertaining game with heaps of chances for both sides, played at a decent pace in good spirit with only one booking late on in front of a very appreciative crowd. I wouldn`t have thought anyone would have any gripes if it had been a draw or if either side would have won such was the closeness of the game.

My men of the Match - Sheffield : Captain Woolley (led by example) and for Gresley : Jordan Nadat (never stopped all game).


Match Pictures - Click Here


Starting Line Ups - Sheffield: Flynn, Burrell, Woolley (c), Cooksey, Hadfield, Stirrup, Roney, Gascoigne, McKenzie, Purkiss, Gregory. Subs - Watheq Al-Hakam, Turner, Hurrell.

Gresley - Woodward, Wlker, Gough (c), Strzyzewski, Nottingham, Roome, Minshull, Langford, Hanslow, Nadat, Rathbone. Subs - Grice, Birch, Metcalf.


Admission - £6


Attendance - 458