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
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