A nine-goal thriller, in winter, on a Friday night, surely what every would love to warm those cockles, well FC Sez nearly threw that one away when at AFC Dunkirk in the Euro Soccer Nottinghamshire Senior League Premier Division.

Racing into a four-goal, interval lead, the visitors, who moved up a place to fourth bottom with the eventual, narrow win, could just as easily have blown it when hosts AFC Dunkirk, sitting eleventh, pulled it all back in the second half at Lenton Lane.

The hosts somehow snatched three goals early in the second period, but a killer fifth from the visitors took the wind out of their sails; although there was time for a fourth from the hosts, it just wasn’t to be as Jake Fitch, Mason Garmston, Harrison Machin and Dennan Morgan all netted.

In a game which would see nine, different scorers, the victors, under those Friday Night Lights, netted via Jamie Bogg, Ralph Davies, Kaylum Taylor, Bailey Walter, and Marking Amaechi, before a handful of league games were also played on Saturday, alongside several in the Nottinghamshire FA Senior Trophy.

In the Premier Division FCV Grace Dieu stretched their lead at the top to seven points over second place Cotgrave, although having played two games more; this time they took care of bottom club visitors Radcliffe Olympic 3-0, Jerrell Sellars and Sidney Turner, along with an own-goal, netting for the leaders.

Fourth place Borrowash Victoria were held to a 2-2 draw with mid-table Ruddington Village, whilst FC Cavaliers (fifth) and Aslockton & Orston (sixth), both picked up victories; the former won 2-0 at Wollaton, and the latter eased to a 6-1 success at home to Keyworth United, Aidan Loscalzo with a hat-trick and Greg McLean a brace.

In the Senior Trophy there were away wins for Bingham Town (2-0 at Awsworth Villa, Jacob Boyes brace) and Woodthorpe Park Rangers (4-2 at Beeston Reserves), whilst Cotgrave picked up a big win when hosting Central Midlands side, Arnold Town, 3-0, stretching their unbeaten start to the season to eighteen in all competitions (won fifteen, drawn three), goals coming from Mark Green, Scott Litchfield, and Samuel Dunn.

Having played three-to-five games more than those directly beneath them in Division One, leaders Kimberley Miners Welfare currently have an eleven-point advantage following Saturday’s 4-1 win at mid-table Ravenshead, Bradley Mee with two of the victors’ goals.

Two points meanwhile separate the next four sides, with Colsterworth and AC United tied on 27 points, Bingham Town (26) and Meden Vale (25), the former of that quartet edging visitors Bilborough TRD 3-2, Junior Gaskin netting twice to keep their noses in-front, whilst AC United won 4-1 at home to Stapleford Town Reserves, Matthew Foster also scoring twice, the two sides leapfrogging Bingham, who were on Trophy duty.

Jake Smith meanwhile, he fired five of Meden Vale’s seven goals, they easing to a 7-2 success at third bottom Keyworth Untied Reserves, to edge into fifth place, East Leake Robins losing 4-2 at Clifton All Whites Reserves.

Callum Baker also notched five goals, his coming in Rushcliffe’s 9-2 win at home to second bottom Sandiacre, whilst the game between PMG and Hucknall Town Reserves finished goalless.

The top end of Division Two continues to excite, Notts Olympic holding onto a three-point lead over Gedling Southbank, the former losing 1-0 at Reindeer FC, Jonathon Jenkinson with the only goal early in the second half, whilst Gedling were exiting the Trophy, losing 6-0 at home to a strong Beeston side.

Third place Elston United overcame a stern challenge from hosts Arnold Town Reserves before winning 3-2, James Clarke netting the decider in the closing minutes, and fourth place Greyfriars won by the same score at Rossoneri.

There was also a 5-0 win for Wollaton Reserves, when away to FC Cavaliers Reserves, the flip of the Premier Division encounter; goals for the victors saw Eugene Adams and Tiago Mata score two apiece, Sammy-Joe Smith also netting.

Langwith Whitestar remain hot on the heels of the top two sides in Division Three following their 4-2 home win over Parabellum, and fourth place Cotgrave Reserves picked up a 6-0 win when at mid-table Phoenix Athletic, Collingham Reserves inflicting the same score on their visitors, Awsworth Villa Reserves.

As for the Development Division, Attenborough edged a seven-goal thriller at home to Pegasus in the Development Cup, with walkovers for both AFC Warriors, and Cotgrave Development, whilst in the league, that saw a pair of 5-1 wins on the road for new leaders Newark & Sherwood (on goal difference from Attenborough, and one ahead of AFC Warriors), and for Red Sea, at Cotgrave, a victory which put them within touching distance of the top four, Adam Abdulaziz with a hat-trick.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @JimBethell action between AFC Dunkirk and FC Sez which ended 5-4 to the visitors.