Last season, in the Northern Counties East League Division One, Ryan Hindley’s Retford United certainly had the upper hand on neighbours Retford, defeating them 6-1 at Cannon Park in early September, then 4-1 in the reverse fixture, on Boxing Day.
Fast forward twelve months, to Boxing Day this season, and the pair collide again, but this time in a different league (they both now play in the United Counties League Division One), and, on the main, with a differing set of players.
Both are battling at the top end of the table, four of the top five sides are Notts-based clubs, and both come into the clash, at Cannon Park, with similar records of late – the Badgers are unbeaten in their last seven (won six, drawn one), and the Choughs have won their last six.
Ryan Hindley though, being who Ryan Hindley is, quite often plays his cards to his chest and, despite sitting third in the table, a point off joint-leaders Clay Cross Town and Clipstone, knows how to play the game.
“I do feel as though Blackstones will break into the top five (after United’s 2-1 win there at the weekend,” explained the Badgers boss.
“We just about ground them down in the end (Thomas Poole grabbed a stoppage time winner after Max Pemberton had equalised in the closing minutes), and I think will surpass both Staveley (Miners Welfare) and Gedling (Miners Welfare).
“I also don’t think that Clay Cross will run away with it, especially as they’ve still got us and Clipstone to play twice, and Retford, although they are doing phenomenally well, but I just care about us, and doing the best that we can.”
The Badgers, with fourteen league wins from twenty games this season, have won six of their last seven outings, drawing the other (1-1 at home to Gedling following a 2-0 win there a few weeks earlier); there’s also been the 11-1 demolition of visitors Sandiacre Town (Kieran Knight three, Liam Owen and Max Pemberton two), and a 6-2 beating of Clifton All Whites (Kieran Knight and Ross Goodwin two apiece) as the goals, they continue to flow.
That’s never been an issue for the Badgers in recent seasons, scoring goals, and they’re already closing in on a century in all competitions this time around; conceding them however, a slightly different story, with only five clean sheets to their name thus far.
“We always seem to concede a goal a game, although I’d like to pride myself on clean sheets,” claimed Hindley.
“But we also score a lot of goals as well, we just need consistency, especially at these levels.
“I’m not looking beyond the Retford game though, it’s not me, although the top four sides are really strong this season and can hold their own in the league above.”
Now, and with both sides having, on the main, differing squads to last seasons encounters, this boxing day sees the mouth-watering prospect of the first of two, Retford derbies, in the United Counties League (although they could also meet in the play-offs as well).
As mentioned, both sides are coming into this top five encounter on the back of similar runs, and there’s just a point, and Gedling, separating them, although Retford do have a game in hand, a fact which has Hindley erring on the side of caution ahead of derby day.
“Retford, they’re a different animal this season,” continued Hindley ahead of the big day.
“They’re a well-drilled, experienced outfit now; last year, it looked easy on paper, whereas this one is different, and Woody (Choughs supremo Chris Woodhead), he’s done a magnificent job there.
“They really will challenge so don’t rule them out, of anything; they’re the favourites for this game, and we’ll go in there and do the best that we can – it’s a game which shows how far they’ve come.
“Ask anybody though, and they’ll say we have the best squad in the league, even though we’ve not really had the rub of the green so far.”
As with their neighbours up the road, Retford United can count on a strong fanbase come matchdays at Cannon Park and this clash, on Boxing Day, is likely to bring them all out, a four-figure attendance very much on the cards.
Hindley though, he’s enjoying seeing the next generation of supporter at the ground also, and knows what a game like this will mean.
“This is a great advert for the town, and I hope we can both put on a show for the fans to take forward into the second half of the season,” he concluded.
“The younger generation here, they’re a credit to the club, and our away support this year has been phenomenal to say the least.
“Let’s hope we can go out there and keep this town black and white, for them.”
The return fixture, the final day of the season, will be at the Rail (21 April), but for now, it’s all about Cannon Park, on 26 December, with a 1pm kick-off.
Keep up-to-date with all the derby day action for the Badgers via their X account here.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @RetfordUnited there’s been plenty of celebrations this season so far for the Badgers.
