Sherwood Start Season With Win

There were goals galore on the opening day of the 2025/26 GCE Hire Fleet, United Counties League this weekend, the new season beginning with the annual Groundhop that saw staggered matches on Saturday, and Sunday.

Sherwood Colliery returned to the UCL Premier Division, following relegation last season, and began their campaign with a thumping, 5-1 win, away to Gresley Rovers, whilst Kimberley Miners Welfare also enjoyed a road win, they doing so, 3-0, at Melton Town.

Wayne Savage’s Colliery side, led on-field by Jamie York, were indebted to striker Craig Westcarr (who could take some catching in the scoring charts); having changed a chunk of the squad, and strengthened over the summer, it would be the scoring prowess of Westcarr who’d fire them to victory.

Three goals to the good at the break, and four up by the hour, it would be the visiting hitman who’d bag all four; the first two of his goals came from the spot, both after Jacob Pearce had been fouled in the Gresley box, whilst the third saw him curl one home from the edge of the box for a commanding, interval lead.

The hosts pulled one back early in the second half through Sam Moore, but the three-goal cushion was restored within minutes when, on the hour, Westcarr completed his four-goal salvo for the victors, Pearce again involved.

This time the visiting number eight was on-hand to flick the ball on for Westcarr to collect, round the home ‘keeper, and slot home the fourth of the afternoon; the scoring was completed at the death when Pearce, who else, got his goal.

Having already had a hand in three of Westcarr’s goals, Pearce finished well to wrap up the scoring in the last minute of a comfortable outing for the visitors who welcome Clay Cross Town to Debdale on Tuesday night, Town having won their opener also, 3-0 at home to Wisbech Town.

Sherwood Colliery – Jordan Pierrepont, Harry Bircumshaw, Lynden Joyce, Jobe Shaw, Nicholas Hood, Robson Doolan, Jamie York (capt), Jacob Pearce, Craig Westcarr, Will Norcross, Alexander Duhameau (subs – Eden Homer, Luke Morgan, Carter Widdowson, Jacob Barrass, Kieran Knight)

Meanwhile at Melton, Kimberley Miners Welfare also opened the new season with a win; goalless at the break a brace from Finley Ryder, and one from Lambert sandwiched between, afforded the visitors a 3-0 win.

Also having made changes throughout the summer, staving off relegation last time around, Ant Ward’s side will be stoked to get their first win of the new campaign under their belt, the game swinging their way on the back of three goals in eighteen, second half minutes.

Kimberley Miners Welfare – Tom Smith, Lewis Partridge, Zak Sandhu, Michael Pearson, Diamond Atai, Ryan Wheatley (capt), Nathaniel Peters, Daniel Tuck, Finley Ryder, Josh Timson, Kole Lambert (subs – Tony Gibbs, Paul Johnson, Benjamin Morley, Lewis Weaver)

Elsewhere in the Premier Division there was opening day draw for AFC Mansfield, 3-3 with visiting Harrowby United, as well as in the derby, 1-1 between Eastwood CFC and Newark & Sherwood United.

Both Kaylum Mitchell (Mansfield) and Harry Allcock (Harrowby) bagged braces for their respective sides in the six-goal, opening day thriller, Kacper Ratjer adding the hosts’ third of the afternoon in the final ten minutes; meanwhile Philip Watt gave Eastwood an interval lead in their local, opening day clash, with Joseph Smith cancelling it out early in the second half.

Hucknall Town meanwhile suffered late heartbreak though when they conceded in the closing minutes to lose 1-0 at home to Blackstones, whilst on Sunday lunch-time Skegness Town entertained Newark Town, who finished the game with ten-men, in an rather entertaining encounter.

Goals galore would see the hosts 3-1 to the good at the break, two-up inside the opening fifteen minutes following goals from David Kolodynski and Joe Braithwaite, before the hosts pulled one back as the game headed towards half-time; the two-goal cushion though was quickly restored when Matteo Perkins added a third with five left in the half, although it could easily have been more.

The hosts again reduced the deficit early in the second period, but another quick turnaround, this time from the spot, restored the two-goal cushion; Perkins was fouled in the box and Louis Czerwak stepped up to add the games’ sixth, with more than half-an-hour to play.

Kolodynski added his second, and Newark’s fifth, after Perkins had worked brilliantly on the right, fired a hard ball across goal to be slipped home at the far post; all within ten minutes of the restart.

Brad McGregor then saw red for the visitors, following back-to-back yellow cards (for the same offence apparently), before the hosts added a third goal, to make it 5-3 with twenty to go, the visitors holding out, following a good ten minutes stoppage time, for an opening day, 5-3 win.

In Division One, Gedling Miners Welfare top-scored when firing seven, unanswered goals, past visiting Rainworth Miners Welfare, and with six different scorers, Nashiem Isman bagging himself a brace.

The hosts led by two at the break, Mutawatel Eisa with the opening goal inside ten minutes following great play from Courtney Hastings, before Eisa played in Buba Ceesay just before the half hour mark to fire across goal and into the corner.

The visitors did come close to getting one back, hitting the bar shortly after the second goal had been scored, before Isman came on just prior to the break due to an injury to Jack Jepson.

Joel Stevens won a penalty shortly after the restart, which Courtney Hastings put away, after which it was very much, one-way traffic for the hosts, the remaining goals arriving in the final, twenty minutes.

A quick-fire brace from Isman suddenly switched the score from 3-0 to 5-0 with fifteen to go and, in the closing minutes, the hosts completed the scoring, Adan Stevenson firing home a rocket into the top corner, from 25-yards out, and Joel Stevens added the seventh when sliding home in stoppage time.

Gedling Miners Welfare – Harvey Woodward, Buba Ceesay, Josh Thornton, Sam Brett, Zak Carnelley, Aidan Loscalzo, Mutawatel Eisa, Adam Stevenson, Courtney Hastings (capt), Joel Stevens, Jack Jepson (subs – Edward Clarke, Nashiem Isman, Joshua Law, Ross McCaughey, Orlando McDonald-Robinson)

Rainworth Miners Welfare – Niall Edge, Thomas Rood, Brennan, Ryan Hancock, Silas Donkor, Connor McMillan, Leo Downs, Isaac Reardon, Luke Walker (capt), Nimord Hidrom, Burgin (subs – Alfie Clarke, Jack Clarke, Kyle Kennedy, Liam Halshaw, Harvey Onyeani)

There was plenty of local action elsewhere across Division One, beginning with opening day success for both Retford sides; Chris Woodhead’s Choughs won 4-0 away to Dunkirk, Ahmed Tahar’s brace being added to by goals from Zach Casburn and Iren Wilson, whilst Ryan Hindley’s Badgers picked up a 3-1 home win over Pinxton thanks to a brace from Callum Orange, and one for Charlie Fox.

Jack Thatcher bagged a brace for Clipstone as Richard Hannigan’s side kicked off with an exciting, 4-2 home win against Holwell Sports, Luke Bacon and Kyle Bacon also netting for the Cobras, and Sandiacre Town won 3-0 at home to Pinchbeck United, goals coming via Benni Wilson, Jordan Lambert, and Leo Almond.

There was a five-goal thriller in Southwell as the hosts won 3-2 against visitors Clifton All Whites, a game which saw five different scorers, and Stapleford Town were here to a 1-1 draw away to South Normanton Athletic, Cian Lyon with Town’s goal.

Radford were narrowly edged 1-0 at home off Staveley Miners Welfare and last season’s Notts Senior League champions, FCV Grace Dieu, kicked off with a comfortable, 3-0 win, at home to Shirebrook Town, goals coming from Hassan Forouq, Joshua Halliday, and Cornelious Olajide-Oriowo.