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

Ilkeston Fc 0 - 2 Hednesford Town

With the season entering the twilight zone before the excitement of the Play-Offs it`s time to start looking for fixtures where there is something left to play for, today`s game seemed to tick all the boxes.

Hednesford Town currently sit second in the table even on points with North Ferriby, so with two league fixtures left apiece there is a title up for grabs.

Ilkeston on the other hand have only the final of the Derbyshire Senior Cup to look forward to at Chesterfield`s Pro-act Stadium on the 30th of April. Aptly nicknamed 'The Pitmen', Hednesford hardly had to "dig too deep" to come away with all three points this afternoon.

The visitors, accompanied with a very vocal backing from a good contingent of supporters initially started the brighter of the two sides.The front pairing of Neil Harvey and Michael Lennon look very capable and very quick on the break. Town pressed forward in the opening five minutes and could have took an early lead as John Disney`s shot was forced out for a corner.

Eventually Ilkeston start to find their way into the game and Aaron Hooton is slowly making his presence felt with some excellent game-play from nineteen year old mid-fielder..Kane Richards, recently released by Derby County, "this lad definitely has something special in his locker".

Entering the best spell of their game, the home-side through Laurie Wilson, Hooton and especially Richards continue to trouble the visitors yet remain steady in defence as Harvey and Lennon continue to pose a threat.

James Reid and Robert Kozluk are working the right-wing well on the over-lap and a neat one-two see`s Kozluk with plenty of space to nip in behind his marker, much to the dismay of the crowd he decides to trip himself off the defender...take a Swan-dive and earn himself a yellow-card for simulation..!! Why??.

Ilkeston continue to press and take a series of corners, but with Gary Ricketts on the bench there`s no real target man to take advantage of the set piece. Still looking dangerous and competing well, James Reid had a a decent shot at Dan Crane`s goal only for him to make a  cracker of a diving save just tipping it over the bar. But then came the sucker punch..!!

Hednesford make a quick break and the ball is forced out for a corner, Ben Bailey nodded the ball down and it looked to have been cleared off the line, the Ref allowed play to continue but the linesman was waving his flag and pointed to the centre line, the Ref then indicates the goal is given despite demonstrations that it hadn`t crossed the line by the Ilkeston players, ("stood by the half-way line it`s hard for me to comment").

Despite such a good show up until the goal, for some reason the goal had totally knocked 'The Robins' of their perch as so to speak and it remained 0-1 until the half time whistle.

Wondering if Kevin Wilson`s half time talk might get 'The Robins' flying again was at best cautious optimism, they seemed to have left all of the momentum of the first half hour in the changing room, Hednesford looked stronger and stronger as the game progressed.

Ricketts was bought on to try to introduce a threat in the box and although he had a couple of decent chances to square the game the robust Hednesford defence had soon got the big guy sussed.

'The Pitmen' continued to press deep toward the Clock Tower end and finally sealed the game as a free-kick is awarded about twenty five yards out to the left of the goal, Kris Taylor took command of the kick and delivered a peach of a curling shot into the top right-hand corner of Chris Martin`s goal, 0-2 with about five minutes left on the clock. Game over..!!

Mmm... Didn`t see it on the way in!!

A bit of a strange atmosphere at The NMG today, it`s the first time I`ve seen the usually vocal 'Ilson Crew' silenced by the away support.

A decent result for Hednesford which keeps them in the title race with North Ferriby who also won, Ilkeston on the other hand just seemed to lose the game plan after the first goal. Decent enough game though.

My Men of the Match - Ilkeston : Kane Richards (a very exciting young prospect for the club). Hednesford : Michael Lennon (constant threat in and around the area with a lot to show)


Match Pictures - Click Here

Admission - £9

Attendance - 529


Starting Line-Up`s : Ilkeston - Martin, Kozluk, R Wilson, L Wilson (c), Maguire, Cooke, K Richards, Gordon, Russell, Hooton, Reid. Subs - Cullingworth, Storey, Ricketts, Chettle, O'Connell

Hednesford - Crane, Disney, Campion (c), Bailey, Francis, MacPherson, Osborne, Durrell, Harvey, Lennon, Taylor. Subs - Woolfe, Patterson, Rey, Melbourne, Barnes

Brighouse Town 0 - 2 Scarborough Athletic - Ncel Premier Division

Dudsey wakes up in good spirit, sat in the conservatory watching the qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix, the Sun is blazing down and Lewis Hamilton has just secured his first Pole Position for Mercedes...another Coffee and time to turn my focus to today`s much awaited game, such is the attraction of today`s fixture even Mrs H has decided to put in an appearance.

Brighouse Town play host to Rudy Funk`s Scarborough Athletic in what will probably be the fixture of the season in the Ncel Premier Division. Boro top the table, six points clear but Brighouse have two games in hand, so it`s really down to this one as to where the title will probably end up, with high expectation of a bumper crowd things look really well poised for a decent afternoon out.

Hales pulls up in yet another motor, a brand new Mercedes Tourer..."Oh yes" Dudsey`s travelling in style today..!! Unfortunately the weatherman`s forecast looks to be accurate today and it`s not long before we run into the rain on-route up the M1.

We slip onto England`s finest set of Roadworks "The M62" towards the 'Calder Valley', there`s some amazing scenery around here and it`s surprising to see that the eastern fringe of 'The Pennines' still has a smattering of snow.

On recollection the last time I visited Brighouse parking was a premium at 'The Dual Seal Stadium' but there`s no such worries today...the stewards direct us into the training area and collect the five pounds admission as you drive in. They`ve read today very well and things have been superbly organised.

The ground is bustling, supporters are around all four sides of the ground and the main stand is solid, with this being the only form of protection from the elements it`s a blessing that the rain has stopped, the place is well organised and they seem well prepared for the match, extra catering facilities have been laid on and everyone`s needs seem to be well provided for.

We manage to find a spot in the back of the main-stand just to the left of the half-way line, both sides emerge from the changing rooms to a great reception. Brighouse are in there usual home-strip of Orange and Black with Boro in all Yellow. There`s a great party atmosphere with balloons and confetti being released, hopefully the game will live up to expectation.

'Boro' get the game rolling and both sides seem a little tentative in the opening period which is understandable given what`s at stake from today`s outcome. Tony Hackworth and Peter Davidson spearhead the visitors advances but the central defence for 'Town' are effectively Shepherding them down into the bottom right-hand corner.

Despite the leagues top two scorers..Ryan Blott (Boro) and Tom Matthews (Brighouse) gracing the pitch this afternoon, neither of them seem to be featuring heavily in the opening spell of the first half.

Brighouse`s No 7 (Ryan Hall) looks very useful, he has a great engine and is causing Boro a lot of concern down the right-wing, occasionally switching to the left. Left back (Leon Henry) is also giving a good account of himself, very reminiscent of ShaunWright-Phillips, small, excellent balance, tricky feet with great pace.

The half enters it`s best spell in the middle quarter, Davidson make`s a good shot at Tom Taylor only to see it glanced out for a corner, whilst Paddy Miller failed to capitalise in a goal-mouth scramble. Hall continues to be the needle in Boro`s side and should he get a break you`d fancy his chances but Milne and Plummer look as solid as a rock in the heart of Scarborough`s defence.

Just as the tempo of the game is starting to rise, the rain decides to fall pretty heavily and it`s not long before the surface begins to look a little tricky underfoot. James Hartley has a decent shot at goal for the home-side which is easily collected by Arran Reid. It`s starting to look interesting with both sides now more prepared to push for the opener. Despite a few more decent openings for both sides it remains 0-0 at the interval.

With cover limited for such a large crowd, Dudsey, Hales and Mrs H decide to hang on to their Pews, with the rain continuing and a chilly South-Westerly wafting across the the valley it`s not long before the bulk of the crowd also look to seek shelter from the weather.

Although Dudsey`s no great mathematician, 1089 into one stand seems a bit of an ask and it`s not long before we are crammed in like Sardine`s, surrounded by well-beered and very vocal 'Seadogs' who soon discover the low roof of the shed makes a great drum to accompany their chants, to be fair though it`s all in good spirit and the acoustics are great.

The home-side get the second half underway and it look`s as though their half-time team talk has got them jeed-up as they initially look the brighter of the two sides, but if there`s one thing Boro do have in their locker it`s the ability to finish strongly and they soon slip back into the swing of the game.

Playing towards the bottom goal the visitors are gradually pushing their hosts back into their own half, the corner-count is starting to mount and if not for some solid defending Boro could have took the lead within the opening ten minutes of the re-start as Taylor comes out to clear only for Jimmy Beadle to skip past him to what looked to be a definite goal only to see Ben Thornton clear the ball off the line.

The next corner proves to be the break the over anxious crowd had been waiting for as the ball is swung in from the right where Blott was was waiting to blast the ball into Taylor`s goal....Mrs H looks well out of her comfort zone as the shed erupts, the noise is deafening as the 'Travelling Seadogs' either side of us celebrate the goal.

With their tales in the air Boro look to increase their lead but Brighouse still have a lot of football left in them and a foul just outside the box gives Hall the opportunity to have a shot at Reid`s goal which whistles just wide of the right angle from the free-kick.

Looking to obtain the equaliser Brighouse are pushing further up the field and the dependable defence is starting to get stretched and the available space behind allows Boro in through the back door as Bryan Hughes picks out Beadle who drives the ball well beyond Taylor...0-2.

With around ten minutes plus stoppages to go. Boro`s second goal seems to knock the stuffing out of the home-side who have given a good account of themselves, but with legs tiring on a tricky surface it`s too much of an hill to climb.

The Ref blows the whistle after four minutes of stoppage time and the crowd can`t resist taking to the pitch to celebrate the victory with their much appreciative Hero`s, Rudy`s also revelling in it as the reality of promotion looks to have been all but secured this afternoon.

My Men of the Match : Scarborough - Tony Hackworth (lead from the front all game) Brighouse - Ryan Hall (never stopped running and looked very capable until the final whistle).


Match Photo`s - Click here


A great afternoon out, a decent game played in very good spirit by both sides. Congratulations to Scarborough who under the guidance of Rudy Funk look destined to be joining the Evo-Stik next season but Brighouse although disappointed to have come so close to an incredible achievement this season can indeed hold their heads high.

Starting Line Ups - Brighouse - Taylor, Hewitt, Henry, Wilson, Jagger, Thornton, Hall, Hurtley, Naidol, Matthews, Gibson. Subs - Mitchell, Thompson, Charlesworth, Brown, Porter,

Scarborough - Reid, Ingram, Horne, Milne, Plummer, Davidson, Hughes, Hackworth, Blott, Beadle, Miller, Subs - Hawkes, Bennett, Kemp, Brown, Ugdchukwu.

A special mention to Brighouse for the excellent organisation on the day and to the Stewards who assisted in getting the cars out of the ground at the end of the game.


Attendance - 1089

Admission £5