Non-league football returned across Nottinghamshire on Saturday with goals aplenty, along with wins for Worksop Town and Carlton Town in the Northern Premier League, as well as that of Sherwood Colliery, Clipstone, Radford and Dunkirk et al, in the United Counties League.
Arnold Town continued their recent upsurge in form in the Central Midlands Alliance, and Awsworth Villa romped to a 10-1 win on the road at Ravenshead in the Nottinghamshire Senior League as supporters all over were treated to goals galore.
New signing, Jordan Burrow, took his place in the starting line-up for the Tigers, he having been signed from National League North Buxton, and scored twice on his debut as Worksop saw off visiting FC United of Manchester in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
It took Burrow but a quarter of his debut to open the scoring, Jay Rollins keeping the ball in play before firing a great cross for the new striker to chest the ball down and fire home on 23 minutes; it would be Rollins who doubled the hosts’ lead with eight minutes for the first remaining, pinching the ball off the FC United player and making a beeline for goal, lifting the ball over the advancing ‘keeper and, although it stroked the underside of the crossbar, followed up for a two-goal interval lead.
The visitors did have a chance to reduce the deficit on the stroke of half-time, Jordan Buckley’s header lopping into the top corner however, it was disallowed for offside; the visitors had several chances to get back into the game, Buckley seeing an effort saved by Sebastian Malkowski just before the half hour.
The Tigers though, when they’re in the mood, they’re in the mood, and so it proved as the second wore on; it would however take until the closing stages before a third, and ultimately a fourth were added by the dominant hosts.
With ten minutes left on the clock a free-kick for Sam Wedgbury sent Luke Hall clear and his whipped cross causes problems in the visiting box, Burrow on hand to cause bother for his second of the game.
Then, with four minutes of regulation time remaining, Vaughan Redford, who’d replaced Aleksandrs Starcenko just ten minutes earlier, was on hand to finish off a lovely move that included another assist from Hall, whilst in stoppage time he came close to netting himself, getting on the end of substitute Colin Daniel’s pass, however the effort struck the bar, the Tigers settling for a comfortable, 4-0 win.
WORKSOP TOWN – Sebastian Malkowski, Regan Hutchinson, Josh Wilde, Sam Wedgbury, Jack Broadhead, George Taft, Aleksandrs Starcenko (Vaughan Redford, 76), Paul Green (Terry Hawkridge, 84), Luke Hall, Jordan Burrow, Jay Rollins (Colin Daniel, 87)
Basford United meanwhile, they were held to a 2-2 draw when in the north-east, hosts Morpeth having led 2-1 at the break but goals from Remaye Campbell and Jonathan Wafula, with fifteen remaining, ensured a share of the spoils.
The NPL East saw Carlton Town pick up three points when on the road also, they at Sheffield and won 2-0 thanks to late goals from Niall Davie and Alex Howes; there was however no joy for the regions sides in the Northern Counties East League, and most of the United Counties Premier League North.
In the former, Retford were edged 1-0 when home to Parkgate, and Ollerton Town, they’re in danger of being cut adrift at the bottom of the table following a 3-0 loss away to Athersley Recreation; in the latter though, victories only came the way of leaders Sherwood Colliery, they winning 2-0 at Sleaford to keep five points clear of the chasing pack, Ewan Robson and Bradley Wells having scored late on.
Kaylum Mitchell scored the only of the game, fifteen minutes from time, as AFC Mansfield won 1-0 at Heanor Town, whilst there was defeats for Hucknall Town and Kimberley Miners Welfare at home, and for Newark & Sherwood United and Eastwood CFC on the road.
UCL Division One sees Clipstone chomping away at leaders Bourne Town as the Cobras sit second in the table, they being one of three Notts clubs to notch five when on the road, Clipstone easing to a 5-0 win at Lutterworth Athletic.
A three-goal interval lead saw the Cobras burst in front after just thirty seconds when Liam West crashed through the home defence to slot home the opener; the hosts had chances to equalise, Charlie Dando making a good save fifteen minutes in however, ten minutes later, Jack Gibb doubled the lead, lopping an effort home from the left of the box.
Charlie Taylor then added a third for the spitting Cobras minutes before the break with a lopping header, the hosts coming close to pulling a goal back on the stroke of half-time, however, they somehow missed from a couple of yards out.
The hosts were reduced to ten men within ten minutes of the restart, then, just after the hour mark, Gareth Curtis got in on the act with the first of his brace, a Ryan Ingram ball across the box being tapped home for the Cobras fourth.
With ten minutes remaining Curtis was on hand to wrap up the scoring, again from close range, this time following great work from Charlie Hardwick as the Cobras eased to a 5-0 win.
CLIPSTONE – Charlie Dando, Jordan Roberts (Keiran Coupe, 64), Brandon Shaw, Eden Homer (Lewis Bingham, 56), Charlie Taylor, Charlie Hardwick, Ryan Ingram, William Heather (Bradley Hextall, 56), Gareth Curtis, Jack Gibb (Nathan Clarke, 64), Liam West (Batty, 56)
The Pheasants of Radford also bagged five, they doing so in an eight-goal thriller away to Kirby Muxloe and led just before the half hour mark when Scott Litchfield slotted home a penalty, a lead they doubled ten minutes later through Joshua Gardner’s effort, he finishing a move that went from one end to the other.
The hosts pulled a goal back before the break following a defensive mix-up as the Pheasants went in 2-1 to the good; that lead though was wiped out within seconds of the restart as the hosts equalised, then, eight minutes in, overturned their earlier deficit to lead 3-2, notching twice inside eight minutes.
Jevin Seaton ten equalised for Radford with twelve minutes remaining as the visitors threw everything into going forward; stoppage time though saw the Pheasants snatch all three points when first Conor Moore curled home the decisive fourth, before Sean Devlin rounded the ‘keeper to slot home the fifth of the game and put the seal on an exciting, 5-3 win.
RADFORD – Oluyinka Abebowale, Cashmere Rowe, Abdurrahman Saad (David Boafo, 75), Emem Jones, Conor Moore, Craig Meakin (Charlie Fox, 55), Grant Tobin (Fola Fagbemi, 55), Nathaniel Peters, Jevin Seaton, Scott Litchfield (Sean Devlin, 75), Joshua Gardner
Elsewhere in Division One, Dunkirk won 5-2 away to Newark Town as Jack Thatcher grabbed a hat-trick for the victors, and Clifton All Whites won 4-1 at Rainworth Miners Welfare, Isaac Morledge also scoring three on the road.
Jacob Burrows’ goal midway through the second period gave Selston all three points at home to Saffron Dynamo, West Bridgford and Sandiacre Town shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, and Gedling Miners Welfare lost 2-1 away to leaders Bourne Town.
The game between Leicester St. Andrews and Southwell City was abandoned after just twenty minutes, the score 1-1 at the time, after Southwell’s defender, Ed Munton, suffered a broken leg – we wish him well in his recovery.
The Central Midlands Alliance would see 2-1 home wins for both Woodhouse Colts (against Rossington Main Reserves) in the North, and for Arnold Town (against Graham Street Prims) in the South.
Goals from Alex Beno and Jahred Russell gave NSL Premier Division leaders, Stapleford Town, a 2-1 win at home to mid-table Aslockton & Orston and kept them eight points ahead of joint-second pairing of Awsworth Villa, and Collingham, both of whom also won.
Collingham won 4-0 at home to Radcliffe Olympic, and Awsworth, they romped to a 10-1 success when away to shell-shocked Ravenshead, a game which saw eight different scorers including a hat-trick from Robbie Manners.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @worksoptownfc new signing Jordan Burrow was on target for Worksop on his debut.
