The non-league season was up-and-running again this past weekend and what a way to kick things off, with the United Counties League Groundhop weekend, including several, Nottinghamshire clubs.
Seven games took place over this past weekend, Friday-Sunday (28-30 July), and there was high attendances, and plenty of goals, ‘hoppers’ getting more than their money’s worth with twenty-one goals being netted.
UCL GROUNDHOP 2023 RESULTS
Saffron Dynamo 1 Birstall United 5 (Att: 400)
Radford 0 Harrowby United 0 (Att: 385) (UCL Div.1)
Gedling Miners Welfare 0 Blackstones 1 (Att: 364) (UCL Div.1)
Hucknall Town 1 Wisbech Town 1 (Att: 688) (UCL Premier)
Eastwood Community 0 Melton Town 2 (Att: 468) (UCL Premier)
Southwell City 3 Leicester St. Andrews 0 (Att: 477) (UCL Div.1)
Newark Town 4 Holwell Sports 3 (Att: 609) (UCL Div.1)
Under those ‘Friday Night Lights’, Saffron Dynamo found themselves five down at the interval against a free-flowing Birstall United, Josh Crossley having bagged a hat-trick, and Will Burton two for the Leicestershire side, before Nottinghamshire clubs dominated the weekend.
Saturday kicked off with a goalless draw in Radford, they being held by visitors Harrowby United, and Gedling Miners Welfare were narrowly beaten, 1-0, at home to Blackstones; Hucknall Town then had a weekend high of 688 for their 1-1 draw with Wisbech Town, Nathan Kelly notching on his debut with fifteen minutes remaining to earn a share of the spoils for the hosts.
Eastwood Community came up short when hosting Melton Town, they winning 2-0 in the Saturday night fixture, before attention turned to the Sunday outings, with more than a thousand spectators (combined) taking in games at Southwell City and Newark Town.
The goals flowed on the Sunday as first Southwell put visiting Leicester St. Andrews to the sword with a comfortable, 3-0 home win; two-goals to the good at the interval, the points were wrapped up in the second period as the hosts netted through Calum Law, Brad Peace-McDonald, and Chris Bowles, prior to a goal-fest in Newark.
Seven goals would follow as more than 600 fans witnessed a thriller; Lucus Cotterill opened the scoring for the hosts after just fifteen minutes, a lead which was doubled just after twenty-two minutes when Jammy Lloyd headed home Cotterril’s cross, the visitors reducing the deficit ten minutes later through Jack York.
The game ebbed-and-flowed after the restart, both sides creating chances aplenty, but it took until the closing twenty minutes before any further goals were added, Elliot King’s effort having initially been flagged offside, but over-ruled by the referee to stand.
Kai-Biggs Finney then pulled another back for the Sports with fifteen left on the clock before Town substitute, George Asplin, saw his cross into the box, deflected into the goal with less than five left before A-J Faulkner made for a nervy finale with the game seventh, in stoppage time, Town holding out for a 4-3 win.
NEWARK TOWN – Bartosz Berezowksi, Joshua McLauchlan (Jonathan Wiles, 56), Rory Harrison (George Asplin, 60), Jackson Buckthorp, Luke Andersen, Simon Biggs, Jack Beckett (Jesse Anderson, 52), Alexander Hales, Elliot King (Drew Allwood, 88), Lucus Cotterill (Jordan Haywood, 69), Jamie Lloyd
Elsewhere across Nottinghamshire, and in the UCL Premier North, Sherwood Colliery were the pick of the bunch with their 3-1 road win at Skegness Town, Ewan Robson having opened the scoring early only for the Ben Davison to equalise for the hosts just five minutes later, the sides level at the break; Craig Westcarr restored the Colliery sides’ lead just after the hour mark, and Marley Grant wrapped up the three points with less than twenty to go.
The remaining Notts sides in the Premier all suffered defeat as AFC Mansfield lost 2-0 at home to Sleaford Town, Newark & Sherwood lost 2-1 against visitors Boston Town, and Kimberley Miners Welfare were beaten 1-0 away to Lincoln United.
Division One meanwhile saw plenty of goals scored, and unfortunately for Sandiacre Town, on their UCL debut, they were put to the sword when soundly beaten, 7-1, at home to Kirby Muxloe, the visitors having seven different scorers, Reece Campbell netting for the newcomers.
At the other end of the scale, Clipstone very much enjoyed their first game of the season, captain Tim Gregory notching a hat-trick in their 5-1 win away to Asfordby, Ryan Ingram and Gareth Curtis also netting.
West Bridgford also scored three, they winning a local affair, 3-0 away to Rainworth Miners Welfare thanks to second half goals from Harvey Grice, Ryan Smith, and substitute Reuben Gaude, with the other, local affair in the division, Dunkirk hosting Clifton All Whites, producing seven goals.
The hosts led 2-1 at the interval, having conceded an early, own-goal, Declan Brown and Jack Thatcher restored parity; David Kolapo equalised for the visitors just after the hour mark, before goals from William Gillies and Rhulani Sawa afforded a two-goal cushion heading into the final five minutes before Solace Osarugue Uyi-Olaye netted the visitors’ third in stoppage time.
In the remaining game involving Notts clubs, Selston were beaten 3-0 away to Bourne Town for whom Jake Sansby grabbed a second half double, William Bird having given the hosts the lead in the opening minutes.
Although just the one game has been played, Sherwood Colliery currently head up the Premier North, on goal-difference, with Hucknall Town the next best Notts side, in tenth; as for Division One, several clubs from the county are in the mix early doors as Clipstone, Southwell City, West Bridgford, Dunkirk, and Newark Town are all in the top ten following their opening day victory.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @HucknallTownFC Nathan Kelly celebrates a debut goal for Hucknall Town.
