Sherwood Through In TV Cup Show

Well didn’t they do well, they really did…

Sherwood Colliery (on the BBC) progressed, Eastwood CFC (away to Worksop Town) earned a hard-fought reply. As the FA Cup (Preliminary Round) came to Nottinghamshire at the weekend; there’s even a replay for Carlton Town, for added measure.

It’s all about the romance, the day of the underdog, the upsetting the form guide, and Sherwood Colliery encapsulated all that, and more, when they travelled to the world’s oldest football club, Sheffield FC, in the live, lunchtime kick-off, and won.

It was certainly an historic afternoon for Notts-based, colliery club as Wayne Savage’s side opened the scoring after 21 minutes, Lewis Belgrave with the goal, however, a little over ten elapsed when the equaliser came; a quickly taken free-kick was finished well by Marc Newsham, and the two sides were level at the break.

In fact, it was still level as the clock began ticking towards the finals ten minutes, the famous hosts not fully watching what Will Norcross was doing – he was timing his move to perfection, and the fans were readying to immortalise him in Sherwood folklore.

In gathering the ball, Norcross decided to go it alone, took on the floundering, home defence, to put the seal on an impressive, Colliery performance, with an individual goal of brilliance deserving to win any cup match.

Suddenly, Savage’s boys were into the next round of the cup, and, although not quite the last minute winner the Vice Chairman clamoured for in midweek, it was to be enough to send him, the Chairman, the board, and the supporters, into joyous raptures.

As cup romances go, look no further than at Sandy Lane, and the Windsor Foodservice Stadium, as Craig Parry’s Worksop Town were held, in a high-scoring draw, against the recently reprieved Eastwood CFC.

The visitors only announced a new manager, Stephen Kirkham, in the run-up to the cup game, and he’ll take charge for the replay on Wednesday night, at home, after watching his new charges battle to a 4-4 draw, in what was an exciting, end-to-end, goal fest.

James Baxendale had the hosts a goal to the good early on, but the visitors immediately restored parity when McKenna Parton equalised, finding himself on the end of a free-kick; Aaron Sennett-Nielson restored parity for the Tigers just before the half-hour mark, but the visitors again found a way back into the game when Sam Moor smashed home right before the break.

A customary goal from Tigers hitman, Steve McDonnell, this time with a header, but Eastwood refused to roll over and equalised for a third time as Finn Hunter levelled proceedings; Sennett-Nielson found himself at the double when he bagged his second of the game just minutes later.

With Sennett-Nielson’s brace looking like it was enough to put the hosts through, Eastwood had one last trick up their sleeve, for now at least, and snatched a dramatic, late equaliser, Moore also bagging a brace with the time already in stoppage time.

There’ll also be an FA Cup replay at Carlton Town, on Tuesday night, after they were held to a 1-1 draw when away to Maltby Main.

A goalless first half was compounded by Town’s lack of firepower in front of goal when Aaron Opuku missed from the spot, firing wide from twelve yards.

The hosts then hit the bar, twice, first through Connor Cutts, then again via Johnathan Williams, and they were made to pay early in the second when Tyler Blake jumped on some poor defending to put Town ahead.

The replay was warranted when, with ten minutes reaming, substitute Brandon Whitfield grabbed the equaliser.

Meanwhile, Newark bowed out in a five-goal thriller away to Loughborough Students, and that having come from behind to lead, only to succumb to a 93^rd minute winner from the hosts’ Dylan Edwards.