There’s two, incredible, runs, going on in the Nottinghamshire non-league scene this season, at both Worksop Town (Northern Premier League East) and Retford United (Central Midlands League Premier North).
Worksop, in winning 2-0 away to Pontefract Collieries, stretched their league record to twenty-three matches, and in doing so, shot-stopper Sebastian Malkowski, and his wall of a defence, kept their nineteenth, clean-sheet; Retford United meanwhile are putting together a thus far, invincible campaign with their eighteenth game unbeaten when beating fellow Notts club, SJR Worksop, 3-0.
In South Yorkshire, goalless at the break, the Tigers snatched three points thanks to second half efforts from Josh Wilde, who’s ‘cross-shot’ from distance, sailed home, and a late second from Vaughan Redford; the hosts finishing with ten men following the late dismissal of ‘keeper, Kyle Trenerry.
Meanwhile, the Badgers, they were cleaning up in the Bassetlaw derby, having made the short trip to St Joseph’s Rockware of Worksop, victory opening up a mammoth, twenty-point gap, at the top of the table.
The leaders, they led by two at the break, the opener coming after just a dozen minutes, Jonathan Froggatt firing the ball across for Max Pemberton to head into the far corner; the second arrived late in the first when Brandon Kane crossed from a corner, Tom Roebuck on-hand to also head home.
The second half began with both sides being reduced to ten men, the pair taking an early bath following an altercation, before Mitchell put the high-flying host’s out-of-sight with a third, with a little over twenty minutes remaining.
Having replaced Jordan Turner late in the first half, Mitchell, a regular scorer this campaign himself, rounded the home ‘keeper and slotted the ball into an empty net; the hosts, they had a few chances themselves as well, Bennett hitting Tom Crosby’s crossbar late on.
At the death, Crosby was called into action again, this time pulling off a double save to deny the hosts from registering.
Retford United – Tom Crosby, Owen Fieldsend, Max Pemberton, Tom Roebuck, Stuart Ludlam, Mason Barlow (Charlie Dawes, 77), Danny Booth, Brandon Kane, Jordan Turner (Craig Mitchell, 38), Jonathan Froggatt, Mark West
Attendance-wise, the 218 recorded at the Rockware Ground was the second highest recorded at the ground.
Unfortunately there was defeat for both Basford United, in the Southern League Central (3-1 at home to Tamworth), and for Carlton Town, in the Northern Premier East (2-0 at home to Shildon).
Notts clubs meanwhile have slipped off the pace somewhat in the United Counties Premier North, Sherwood Colliery being the only victor of the three highest clubs, taking a 2-1 success away to mid-table Deeping Rangers, Gareth Curtis with a brace for the victors.
Newark & Sherwood United, and Kimberley Miners Welfare are directly beneath Sherwood, and with games in hand, both suffered defeat when home to Leicester Nirvana (2-0), and Heanor Town (1-0) respectively.
Eastwood CFC picked up their fifth, league win of the season, seeing off visiting Pinchbeck United 2-1, Ryan Tait and substitute Benjamin Fairclough overturning an interval deficit, with Selston, and AFC Mansfield, both losing at home, to Skegness Town, and Wisbech Town, respectively.
In the UCL Division One both Newark Town, and Hucknall Town, are entrenched in a play-off battle, whilst Radford, Clipstone, and Dunkirk, are nestled nicely on the fringes of the top five.
Newark, they fell to a 2-1 loss away to fellow Notts side, Radford, whilst Hucknall, they were held to a goalless draw when home to another Notts side, Clipstone, in two big, local derbies.
Radford claimed a 90th minute winner when home to Newark Town in a tight, derby affair and, although both sides had chances, they went into the interval, goalless.
The opening goal in-fact didn’t arrive until the final, twenty minutes, visiting substitute, Joe Aitken, firing home after a break caught the host’s off-guard; Aitken came close to adding a second as the game passed into the final ten, had he done so, the hosts would have been all but killed off.
Instead, five minutes later, it was level, Jevin Seaton lobbing Nathan Burrows in the home goal; that was with four to go then, as the game ticked into stoppage time, Sacha Markelic beat Burrows to the ball, and poked home the winner.
Radford – Yinka Adebowale, David Adegbola (Joe Meakin, 85), Dan Fletcher, David Boafo, Tizi Maninga (Abu Saad, 46), Kusi Ofushine, Sacha Markelic, Greg Tobin (Scott Litchfield, 74), Jevin Seaton, Michael Fitzhugh (Craig Meakin, 78), Callum Smith (Jonathan Jebbison, 58)
Newark Town – Nathan Burrows, Tristan Dummond, Jordan Haywood, Simon Biggs, Luke Anderson, Sam Bartle, Jackson Buckthorp, Alex Hales, Lewis Chambers, James Lloyd, Lucus Cotterrill
Lowly Southwell City also won big in a derby, they taking a 4-2 win when away to Dunkirk, four of those six goals coming in the first half, George Caudwell netting one in each to help City to a valuable, three points.
Rainworth Miners Welfare also won big, claiming a 5-1 win at Grantham Town as Benjamin Copestake scored three, Nicholas Knight notched the only goal in West Bridgford’s 1-0 win at home to Barrow Town, whilst Gedling Miners Welfare overcame a half-time deficit to draw 3-3 with visiting Blackstones, and Clifton All Whites crashed 4-1 away to Birstall United.
Ollerton Town picked up a 2-1 win away to Armthorpe Welfare in the Northern Counties Division One, with Retford being held to a 1-1 draw with Beverley Town; second half goals from Lewis Bingham and Jake Squires fired the visitors up to tenth in the table, and six points behind seventh place Retford.
With Retford United moving twenty clear in the CML North, the South saw mixed fortunes for the counties sides as Clay Cross Town romped to a 6-1 home win over Teversal, the hosts in joint-second, and six behind leaders Pinxton, with games in hand.
Mansfield Hosiery Mills collected a 2-0 win at home to Holbrook St. Michaels, goals coming from Samuel Devereux and substitute, Thomas Clarke; Nottingham would lose 3-2 at home to Derby Singh Brothers, and Arnold Town fell to a 4-0 win at Graham Street Prims.
As for the Nottinghamshire Senior League Premier Division, Keyworth United remain out in front, although they were held to a 2-2 draw away to lowly Aslockton & Orston, whilst Wollaton are second following a 4-0 win away to Clifton FCB.
One ppint separates the next three sides, in the top five, Woodthorpe Park Rangers leading the way following a 4-2 win at Awsworth Villa, which was coupled with a 5-3 defeat for FC Sez away to Borrowash Victoria, whilst Sandiacre Town are sandwiched between after Alex Beno fired a hat-trick in their, 5-2, home win over Radcliffe Olympic.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @RetfordUnited Brandon Kane in action for Retford v SJR Worksop.
