Four Star SJR See Off Glapwell

As the Nottinghamshire FA Senior Trophy kicked into action, league activity, on the main, was put on the back-burner, with only several clubs across the Central Midlands Alliance, and the Nottinghamshire Senior League playing in their respective leagues.

In the former of those, the CMA Premier North saw home wins for the mid-table pairing of Blidworth Welfare and SJR Worksop, both nestled nicely in the top ten, whilst in the Premier South, Notts sides were all on cup duty.

At the Rockware Glass Sports and Social Club, Worksop, SJR (10^th) eased to a 4-0 win for the second successive outing, having defeated AFC Phoenix the middle of last month, this time seeing off Glapwell.

On his hundredth appearance for the club, Tom Mullen opened the scoring midway through the first half, to give SJR a one-goal interval lead; the lead was quickly doubled within seven minutes of the restart when Jake Scott tapped home a rebound following a free-kick.

Player of the match, Oliver Perry, put the game out of sight with the hosts’ third goal on 66 minutes, and, as the game headed towards its close, substitute Alex Bennett added the fourth to wrap up the three points.

Meanwhile Blidworth Welfare (8^th) continued their early push for the top five with a 2-0 win over visitors Rossington Main Reserves, Kyle Bacon and Ben Copestake with the goals; meanwhile in the Trophy there was further home wins for local sides, Lord Bennington defeated Kiveton Miners Welfare following a 4-4 draw, and Ollerton Town won 2-1 at home to Elston United.

Bennington won 6-5 on penalties after they’d netted four times through Christopher Foat, Oliver Kitchener, Alfie Morley, and Ryan Taggart, Kiveton substitute Muhammad Shebani’s brace sending the tie to a shoot-out.

Ollerton made hard work before seeing off visitors Elston United 2-1 at home, Harvey Limb and Sonny Bennett giving them a two-goal cushion at the break, James Clarke halving the deficit early in the second period, but couldn’t force the game to spot-kicks.

All clubs from the South were on Trophy duty, lowly Teversal easing to a 7-0 win at home to Cotgrave Development, Luca Cancello and substitute William Hall both notching braces, further goals coming via Rocco Hardy, Joshua Radford, and Jack Sellars.

Arnold Town bagged six of their own when seeing off visitors Kimberley Miners Welfare Reserves 6-2, Callum Jones helping himself to a hat-trick, whilst Liam Cartledge also bagged three as Linby Colliery Welfare won 3-0 at home to Arnold’s Reserves, and Beeston knocked out Mansfield Hosiery Mills 3-1, also at home.

Only two games involving Notts clubs were played across Division One, (North) SJR Development winning 4-2 at FC United of Sheffield, Joe Bean scoring twice, and (East) Cameron Pinnock notched the only goal as Mansfield HM Blue won 1-0 at home to Linby Reserves, victory seeing them top by a point from Kirton Brickworks.

Remaining Trophy games played, involving CMA clubs, saw next to no fortune whatsoever come their way, Kirton Brickworks on the end of a 6-0 drubbing away to AC United, Kyren Johnson-Ward, and substitute Bradley Evans, both bagging braces, whilst Ashland Rovers also conceded six, going down 6-2 at home to Bingham Town, Jacob Boyes (3) and Joseph Hornigold (2) on target for the victors.

Ravenshead Youth dismissed visitors Blidworth Welfare Reserves 4-2, and Wollaton eased to a comfortable 4-0 win, at home to Eastwood & Kimberley, Preston Robinson helping himself to two for the hosts also.

Position-wise in the Premier North and South respectively, the former sees Ollerton currently sitting fifth after six wins and a draw from their opening ten outings, 14 points off leaders Dinnington Town (who have won all eleven, and have a goal-difference of +31); Blidworth are eighth, SJR Worksop tenth, and Worksop Town Reserves are in the relegation zone.

The latter meanwhile sees high-flying Linby CW sitting in joint-second place having won eight of their opening ten matches, and sit three behind current leaders, South Normanton Athletic, and ahead of Graham Street Prims and Melbourne Dynamo, on goal difference.

Arnold Town are tenth having won three, drawn one, whilst Teversal have endured a bad start, sitting bottom with just one win from ten and a goal-difference of -26; corners though, they’re there to be turned.