Lincoln United’s midweek defeat at home to play-off rivals Melton Town, meant that Nottinghamshire side, Sherwood Colliery, managed by Wayne Savage and captained by Jobe Shaw, have been promoted to Step 4 as champions of the United Counties League Premier Division North.
Themselves inactive in midweek, Sherwood celebrated on Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 win away to local rivals AFC Mansfield, they sitting third bottom, but safe from relegation to Division One; the visitors would be seen to take a two-goal, interval lead, courtesy of a first half penalty from Kieran Knight, his seventeenth goal of the season, and Jacob Pearce’s eighth of what has been a productive one in front of goal for the newly-crowned champions.
Sherwood would be seen to add a third goal late on when Jamie York bagged his second of a campaign, wrapping up a comfortable three points, in a season which has seen them lose just the twice, away to Loughborough Students in early December, and at Kimberley Miners Welfare in early February.
They’ll finish the season this coming Saturday (6 April), when they welcome mid-table Newark & Sherwood United to Debdale Park, the two having shared the spoils in a goalless draw back in the early exchanges of the season, in mid-September.
Sherwood Colliery – Jordan Pierrepont, Carter Widdowson, Ricky Starbuck, Jobe Shaw, Jake Wright, Ewan Robson, Jacob Pearce, Jobson Doolan, Kieran Knight, Harry Bircumshaw, Ethan Weisztort
Above Sherwood, and in the Norther Premier League, there was to be victories for all three Notts-based clubs as both Worksop Town and Basford United picked up three points in the Premier Division, and Carlton Town did the same in Division One East.
Craig Parry’s Worksop side sit one place, and three points outside of the final play-off place (Hyde United) in the NPL Premier, but with two games in hand following their weekend home success over the same.
Josh Wilde netted the only goal of the game, his third in the Tigers’ last two games following a brace the previous week, after half an hour to help his side maintain their push for promotion; Basford meanwhile sit three points and one place above the relegation zone and were buoyed by a 2-1 road win at fellow relegation candidates, Atherton Collieries.
Goalless at the break it would be the visitors who lead within ten minutes of the restart, Matt Thornhill on-hand to open the scoring; the hosts levelled proceedings with a little over fifteen remaining but Thornhill’s second of the game, shortly after, meant the points came back to Notts.
Carlton on the other-hand, they are still hopeful of gatecrashing the play-offs in the NPL East following a huge 2-0 win on the road at title-favourites Stockton Town. As with the Basford game, this was also goalless at the break before the visitors opened the scoring just before the hour mark through Alex Howes.
An expectant home crowd of a little over a thousand were left downbeat late on when Dean Freeman buried the visitors’ second with eight minutes left to seal the three points, the Millers sitting just four points off the last play-off spot (Pontefract Collieries edge Belper Town on goal-difference) with games in hand.
Back in the UCL Premier and relegation-threatened Hucknall Town also picked up a big win when at Pinchbeck United, Daniel Odunaya and Bradley Wells both netting in a 2-0 win which sees them three points better off than their hosts; elsewhere the game between Newark & Sherwood United and Kimberley Miners Welfare finished in a 1-1 draw, Luke White and Kole Lambert netting for their respective sides, and Eastwood CFC were beaten 2-0 off visitors Boston Town.
There was plenty of action, and goals, in Division One with three Notts clubs making up three-quarters of the play-off spots; Clipstone were beaten 2-1 at Leicester St. Andrews, Newark Town lost 1-0 at Selston, and Dunkirk, they were the afternoon’s big winners with a 4-2 home win over Southwell City, Jack Thatcher netting twice for the victors.
Other results in the division would see Musa Jawara net a first half brace as Radford saw off visiting Lutterworth Athletic 2-0, Callum Brooks netted in Rainworth Miners Welfare’s 1-1 draw at Saffron Dynamo, whilst there were 2-1 defeats for both Gedling Miners Welfare (home to Harrowby United) and Sandiacre Town (home to Holwell Sports).
With Retford United inactive (and still hopeful of a play-off spot), focus was on the bottom end of the Northern Counties East Division One as Retford picked up a 2-0 win at Glasshoughton Welfare to move up to thirteenth place, Liam Bennett and Liam Frost both netting, whilst bottom club Ollerton Town, who’ve endured a more than troubled season, were soundly beaten 9-0 off visitors Armthorpe Welfare.
With just one win and one draw all season, and a goal-difference of -146 to their name, the hosts would see that of Adam Baskerville (3) and Luis Alfonso-Ferreira (2) help themselves to a couple of goals in the rout.
Only one Notts club was in action across the two, Central Midlands Alliance Premier Division’s, Linby Colliery Welfare being held to a 1- draw at home to AFC Normanton, whilst in the Nottinghamshire Senior League Premier Division Collingham leapfrogged hosts Wollaton into second place, eleven behind leaders Stapleford Town, following a 2-0 win.
Collingham, along with the rest of the division in fact, have games in hand on the leaders, and their win on Saturday came courtesy of goals from Jadan Haywood and Harrison Gomm; Awsworth Villa meanwhile, sitting in fourth, lost an eight-goal thriller away to mid-table Keyworth United, Akand Gangotra (Keyworth) and Greg Simmons (Awsworth) netting braces for their respective sides.
Other results in the NSL Premier meanwhile would see Beeston defeat visiting Aslockton & Orston 4-1, FC Sex win 3-2 at Cotgrave, and Radcliffe Olympic win 3-0 at home to Basford CFC.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @SCFC_08 Jobe Shaw in action for Sherwood Colliery.
