CLIFTON CLIP THE ASH OUT OF THE ROVERS

Notts Senior League 

Division Two

ASHLAND ROVERS 2 CLIFTON RESERVES 4

I wasnt going out tonight but a invite from Ashland Rovers Jez Wright via twitter yesterday got me to drop in and gain a extra match. I have watched several matches in this Division of the Notts Senior League and the standard hasnt been that bad to be honest.

Everyone was ready for a 6.15pm kick off apart from Clifton Reserves who didnt have enough men to kick off the game and there was worries that their First team were in the Semi Final of the Notts FA Senior Cup that there reserve side may not show. The ref gave it to 6.25pm and the visitors had 8 players to kick off the game with their manager in goal. By 6.27pm they were one nil down and looked there for the taking.

After 20 minutes, Clifton had a bare 11 players on the pitch with the manager still in goal and the defender taking all the goal kicks, this really did look like how many can they keep the score down to, when a home midfield player fell awkward and was rushed to Kings Mill Hospital(the hospital this blog is raising money for), it has turned out that the player has broken his collar bone.

In the 36th minute, clifton were growing in confidence and scored a equaliser when the home defence were caught napping.

Half time came and the referee ordered just 5 minutes for the turn around and he did well to get the game to do 45 minutes each way.

Ashlands pushed forward but found one too many as they shot or tried to get in to the area, but on the hour re-took the lead. Was this where they would push on and put the game out of sight?  No this was not to be, as in the 73rd minute, a defender lunged in and was shown a yellow card for the tackle and quickly shown a second yellow followed by a red card for comments that he may have made towards the referee. From the resulting penalty, the Clifton player hammered it straight in to the middle of the goal, not giving the home keeper any chance.

This seemed to spur the visitors on and after 81 minutes, they broke and the attacker lifted the ball over the outcoming keeper in to the empty net to give them the lead for the first time in the match.

With time running out, the visitors were running the ball in to the corners, when they surprised the home team by bursting in to the area and wrapping the game up with a 4th and final goal.

In the clubhouse after the game, the Ashland Rovers Football Club kindly donated £20 to this Charity Blog to take the total over £220 which I am very thankful for.

Photos from todays game can be seen on this LINK

NOTTS SENIOR LEAGUE GROUNDHOP

We have now sold 140 Advanced Tickets, it would be great if we reached a target of 150. There is one match in Friday 19th April & 4 on Saturday 20th April..5 matches...5 grounds..5 programmes only a bargain of £15, so come & watch and support Non League Football..for more details and booking form, please contact me on either 01623 486678 or hornby60uk@yahoo.co.uk