The top two sides in the Euro Soccer Nottinghamshire Senior League Premier Division, FCV Grace Dieu, and Cotgrave Seniors, who clash on the last Saturday of the year, continue to go at it hammer and tongs, with just seven points separating ahead of the big day (Cotgrave have two games in hand).
They weren’t the only big scorers at the weekend either, Southwell City Reserves hit five in their rout of visitors Dunkirk, whilst down in Division Three, Beeston Reserves went nap when away to a crest-fallen Nottingham Greens, racking up some sixteen goals without reply.
FCV Grace Dieu, they won 4-0 at Keyworth United to keep their noses out in front, goals coming from Joe Lindley, Jerrell Sellars, Alis Hallaci, and Spencer Weir-Daley, whilst Cotgrave, they won 5-1 when home to third-bottom Woodthorpe Park Rangers, Patrick Ferguson bagging a hat-trick, to move within touching distance of the twenty-goal mark this season, alongside goals from Samuel Dunn and Ben Upton.
Borrowash Victoria, sitting fourth, moved back within touching distance of third place Collingham (two behind with two in hand, after they won 1-0 at Ruddington Village, Lee Hillier with the only goal of the game.
Awsworth Villa are mid-table following their 2-0 win away to FC Cavaliers, just two behind Southwell Reserves, who won 5-0 at home to Dunkirk, and Beeston climbed to eleventh following a 3-1 home win over FC Sez.
Kimberley Miners Welfare Reserves boast an impressive, thirteen–point lead, atop of Division One, they winning 4-2 at home to Rushcliffe to keep their momentum going, Bijan Pakrouz with a hat-trick, whilst second place Bingham Town edged visitors Meden Vale Colts 1-0 to keep on their coat-tails, with five games in hand.
Meanwhile, both PMG, and Ravenshead, notched three apiece when on the road, the former winning 3-0 at Sandiacre, the latter 3-2 at Clifton All Whites Reserves.
The big game in Division Two saw Gedling Southbank and Elston United clash at Eagle Valley, with the visitors leapfrogging their hosts into second place, following a smash-and-grab, 2-1 win; Connaire Seery had afforded the hosts an interval lead, netting just after the half hour mark, and the score stayed that way until the closing twenty minutes.
The visitors had brought on, amongst their changes, Harry Scott and Rui Thacker, and it would be both who’d net, Scott equalising in the seventieth minute, and Thacker snatching the winner in the last minute.
Victory for Elston moved them level with leaders Notts Olympic at the top of the top of the table, second on goal-difference, and have the advantage of having three games in hand, with Southbank in third, also with three hand, three points back.
The afternoon’s biggest score arrived in Division Three, as top faced bottom, at the home of the latter; Nottingham Greens, who’ve only picked up one win in the league this season, fell to a thirteenth defeat, when going down 16-0 to the leaders, Beeston Reserves.
It was a result that surpassed their previous heavy defeat this campaign, losing 13-1 in early November when away to, Beeston Reserves – this time around both Josh Maxwell and Jamal Younis bagged hat-tricks, alongside braces from Samuel Morgan, and substitute Adam Barber.
Further goals in the rout came via Paul Ireson, Will Potter, Reuben Rose, Harvi Weatherall, and further subs Dylan Chatfield and Ryan Smith; of the twenty-nine goals netted over the two games, Beeston has seen fourteen different scorers, just Rose and Morgan netting in both matches.
Second place Collingham Reserves, and third place Cotgrave Reserves, both picked up wins on the road, the former winning 3-1 at Phoenix Athletic, the latter a 2-1 success at Ravenshead Reds, to keep within touching distance of the leaders.
As for the Development Division, Attenborough moved level with Newark & Sherwood United at the top, winning 2-1 away to Red Sea, who sit fifth, Lewie Pearson bagging the winner in the closing minutes.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @JimBethell Div 2 action between Elston United and Gedling Southbank.
