Talk about weather-affected, the majority of Nottinghamshire’s non-league scene was wiped out this past weekend and, but for a handful of games in the Nottinghamshire Senior League, there wasn’t much joy high up the pyramid.
Just four games were played in the upper echelons with Basford losing in the Northern Premier League, Retford falling on the Northern Counties East League, and Clifton All Whites on the end of an away day drubbing in the United Counties League Division One.
Meanwhile, the only victor in those games, and which sees Twelve-and-a-half miles separate Nottinghamshire’s UCL Division One pairing of Clipstone and Selston, second top faced second bottom on Saturday afternoon at The Lido Ground.
The hosts, battling for promotion at the top of the table, collected their fourteenth league win in nineteen outings against a visiting Selston who are battling relegation heading into the festive season.
Ian Cotton’s Cobras claimed an early lead courtesy of an own-goal after just ten minutes and, although Jordan Black equalised for the visiting Selston, from the penalty spot, the hosts went in 2-1 at the interval courtesy of Jack Gibb’s goal on the half hour.
Timothy Gregory was seen to whip in a great ball which was met by the head of Jack Gibb, his effort lopping beyond visiting shot-stopper, Lewis Scott, and into the net.
Gareth Curtis then increased the hosts’ advantage with another headed goal with a little over twenty minutes remaining , before Gibb reacted quickest to a rebound to slip home the fourth of the afternoon, his second of the game thus doubling his tally for the season to four, as the game headed towards the closing stages.
Curtis was on-hand to add a fifth in stoppage time when, having been brought on with thirty remaining, bagged a brace, and took his tally to seventeen in twenty-one outings, and put the seal on a 5-1 home win for the high-fliers.
Clipstone – Charlie Dando, Jordan Roberts, Brandon Shaw, Eden Homer, Charlie Taylor, Sam Stretton, Timothy Gregory, Jake Batty, Jack Gibb, William Heather, Liam West
Selston – Lewis Scott, Lee Stevenson, Jake Payling, Josh Smith, Rioual Bakala-Koussaba, Alex Hardman, Jacob Barrass, Joe Houghton, Jordan Black, Will Scothern, Tom Wood
Of those other matches, Jack Thomas netted for Basford as they lost 2-1 at home to Ashton United in the NPL, and Liam Bennett bagged Retford’s consolation as they fell 4-1 at Shirebrook Town in the NCEL Division One; Clifton AW on the other-hand, they lost 8-0 in UCL One, away to a Kirby Muxloe side who bagged four in each half.
A handful of games were played in the Nottinghamshire FA Senior Trophy, Garvie Cameron with a hat-trick on Friday night for Collingham in their 4-1 win away to FC Sez, whilst on Saturday Greyfriars edged visiting Basford CFC on penalties following a 2-2 draw, and both Liam Taylor and Jarrod Westcarr scored twice each as Wollaton edged a nine-goal thriller when home to Blidworth Welfare.
A handful of games meanwhile was played out across the Notts Senior League, Stapleford Town opening up an eight-point gap atop of the Premier Division following a 2-0 win at home to Radcliffe Olympic, sides beneath them however having fames in hand.
Bilborough Town picked up a big, 6-2 win away to Keyworth United Reserves to move up to fifth in Division One, East Leake Robins winning 3-1 at home to Hucknall Town Reserves in the same; Callum Baker scored three for Rushcliffe in Division Two as they closed the gap on leaders Greyfriars to a point, with two games in hand, after their 5-2 home win over Wollaton Reserves.
Southwell Development won 2-1 at home to buyglass.co Reindeer, and the returning Notts Olympic picked up their third win of the season (won three, drawn two, from eleven outings) to move within a point of the top ten in Division Two – Nile Ions-Hall, Christopher Lothian and Dylan Wallace were all on target in a 3-1 win away to Pythian.
The remaining game came in NSL Division Three where Elston United won 10-1 at home to Nottingham CFC to move one, with games in hand on those above them.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @basfordutdfc action from one of the few games to take place at Basford United.
