Bank Holiday Monday usually means non-league derby day and making the short trip down the A610 were Ilkeston Town, ready to face cross border rivals Basford United at Greenwich Avenue in what has recently became quite a new rivalry in the Northern Premier League.
So short, is the nine-mile difference, some supporters of Ilkeston Town actually walked, from the New Manor Ground in Derbyshire to Greenwich Avenue in Nottingham, to raise money for Rosie Rita Perkins, the daughter of local footballer Ryan Perkins, who was born at just 24 weeks weighing only 1Ib 7oz and living just 30 agonising days.
Supporters in pink would walk from Ilkeston, via Awsworth, Strelly & Broxtowe, finally reaching Basford ahead of kick off, in the name of charity, and have already raised over £11,000 through their Go Fund Me page which is here.
During the game there was plenty at stake as the home side took an early lead through Tyrell Waite, a player whose previous clubs included Ilkeston.
Sam Parker was sent off midway through the second half for the Robins but shortly after his side would equalise through centre forward Tom Cursons, but in the 86th minute, Ethan Stewart netted a winner for the Ambers, heading home a corner in front of a huge 902 in attendance, Stewart earning himself a man of the match performance but there was still more drama in the last minute as United’s Josh Barnes was sent off for hand ball, the win has Basford eleventh in the table on seven points after a solid 1-1 draw at Hebburn on Saturday ensured a decent return from the August holiday weekend fixtures. Ilkeston are eighth in the table on nine points from six matches so far.
Elsewhere in the division, it was a cracking weekend for Worksop Town who beat Blyth Spartans 5-2 on Saturday with Liam Hughes scoring a hat-trick, on Sunday they won at Gainsborough Trinity 2-0 with goals from Jordan Burrow and Aleks Starcenko. The Tigers going strong in the division, fourth on thirteen points from six games played.
In the Northern Premier League East Division it wasn’t quite such good a weekend for Sherwood Colliery who lost both their bank-holiday matches, 3-0 on Saturday at Grimsby Borough and 1-0 at home to Belper Town on Sunday. Carlton Town did however get three points with a 5-1 demolition of Bishop Auckland on Saturday, Lamin Manneh netting a hat-trick, although Monday wasn’t quite so good as they lost 3-1 at Garforth.
Carlton currently tenth in the division on seven points from five games with Sherwood sixteenth on four from five played.
In the United Counties League it has been an excellent start to the season for Eastwood CFC who top the Premier Division North table with six wins and a defeat from seven played. The Red Badgers beat Kimberley Miners Welfare 4-0 on Monday with goals from Alex Troke (2), Craig Westcarr and Tyler Blake.
Hucknall Town got their first win of the season thanks to a single Bradley Wells goal v Ashby Ivanhoe whilst Newark & Sherwood were beaten 3-1 by Melton Town, they sit eighth, a point and a place behind AFC Mansfield who didn’t play on Monday, the Reds losing a cracking match on Saturday in the FA Vase as Newark Town beat the Bulls 4-3 to progress, largely thanks to a Joshua Randall hat-trick, they join town rivals Newark & Sherwood who comfortably saw off Sandiacre Town 5-0, whilst Kimberley also impressed to reach the next round of the Vase, they beat Holwell Sports 3-0 with a brace for Lewis Weaver and one for Declan Brown.
*Main image @Basfordutdfc Tyrell Waite opens the scoring for Basford against his old club Ilkeston.
