Arnold Town picked up a morale-boosting, home win on Saturday afternoon, in the Central Midlands Alliance Premier South, against Bakewell Town.
The hosts, who’d lost their last six straight matches in all competitions, conceding twenty-five along the way, welcomed mid-table Bakewell Town, who’d won their last three, scoring twelve, and proceeded to put on their best performance since earlier in the season.
Jake Ogden bagged a brace, doubling his tally for the season thus far, whilst further goals came from Akeem ‘Nicko’ Campbell, Matthew Hubbard, as well as an own-goal, the lowly Eagle Valley side easing to a 5-1 success.
A fifth victory of the season for The Eagles moved them up to twelfth place, and within five points of the top ten, with Derby Singh Brothers the next to visit the Valley on 11 January, with three straight away fixtures immediately after.
Arnold Town – Jordan Fell, Delane Hylton, George Harrold, Kyme Mason, Lenford Jenkins, Max Elliott, Matthew Hubbard, Jamie Crawford, Akeem Campbell, Jake Ogden, Adam Stevenson (subs – Jamie Laughton, Ethan Greenidge, Jamie Bogg, Diallo Nembhard-Lee, Toby Francis)
Two games were played in the Premier North as Worksop Town Reserves, and free-falling Ollerton Town, swapped places.
Ollerton, who’ve now lost their last ten outings in all competitions, including eight in the league, fell to a 4-0 defeat when home to an AFC Bentley side who have aspirations of a top three finish, whilst Worksop Reserves, they moved above their local rivals, on goal-difference, following a resounding, home win.
Stretching their unbeaten league run to six matches (won four, drawn two), the Tigers’ second string have been in form of late, and, against visiting Glapwell (third bottom), the hosts were relentless.
Shane Carver was on-hand with a brace, whilst further goals came via Daniel Gillatt, Joe Storey, Flyn Fox, Rostylav Yaremenko, and Ethan Slater, the latter three of those goals coming as the game moved into stoppage time of a 7-0 win.
With another two home games to come, the second of which is a derby with SJR Worksop, the Tigers find themselves four points off sixth place Blidworth Welfare, and with up to four games in hand, which could see them rise as high as fourth.
The only other Notts-based CMA side in action was South side, Linby Colliery Welfare, who had a home game in the Nottinghamshire FA Senior Trophy.
Hosting Notts Senior League Premier Division side, Woodthorpe Park Rangers, it would be a comfortable progression into the semi-finals of the Trophy as the hosts eased to a 4-0 success, they netting twice in each half.
Liam Cartledge put the hosts a goal up after half-an-hour, with Archie Brown doubling the advantage on the stroke of half-time; Patrick Stefaniak put the game out of reach of the visitors with a third ten minutes into the second half, before Brown completed the scoring with his second of the game, with two minutes remaining.
Victory for Linby sees them stretch their unbeaten run to four matches, and with a third successive clean sheet for added measure, ahead of what is three consecutive road games, against sides in-and-around them in the divisions’ top six, including leaders South Normanton Athletic.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @JimBethell action between Arnold Town & Bakewell.
