Week Ending Sunday 11th October

AROUND THE COUNTIES
By STAN WILTON
Week ending 10th October
I think it is so disconcerting when teams from the same league are drawn together in National competitions. As such, when eight of our sides are drawn against each other in the Buildbase FA Vase it is not good for the game and the FA should take a little more care to ensure this does not come about.
For the three clubs who did not play fellow EMC clubs there were exits from the competition, and that must send another message about the draw. BORROWASH VICTORIA, entertaining NCE Skegness Town for what I believe to be the first time, lost 3-0, and Vics, who lost a league game in midweek, seem to be sinking into last season’s path of oblivion rather quickly.
Aylestone Park, from the UCL, gained a surprise win at SHERWOOD COLLIERY with two second half goals after going in at the break all square at 1-1. Liam Hearn got the Colliers leveller on the stroke of half time but even he couldn’t conjure up any more magic in the second half.
WEST BRIDGFORD went out of penalties (4-2) after surrendering a two goal lead during the game. Joshua Rae scored on 15 and 25 minutes to put them in control but Harrowby United, 2-1 down at the interval, came back to take the game to kicks from the penalty mark.
The other three all EMC games played today (Saturday) were decided on penalties. League leaders OLLERTON TOWN had their colours lowered for the first time this season at RADFORD who went two goals up through Bube Ceesay on 14 minutes and Mamoke Akaunu on 25. But they hit back to go in front with three goals in 18 second half minutes from Sam Stretton on the hour, Gav King eight minutes later and Conor Green on 78. Joe Searson-Smithard’s goal two minutes from the end restored stalemate and Radford won the penalty contest 4-3 in front of an half decent crowd of 115.
RAINWORTH MINERS WELFARE and GEDLING MINERS WELFARE also shared six goals during their tie. Courtney Hastings put the visitors ahead on 18 minutes but two minutes later Ryan Ingram levelled. Joshua Radford put the Wrens in front for the first time moments before half time and Ingram’s second of 52 minutes looked like taking the home side through. Then Solomon Miller reduced the deficit on 72 and Steve Brett took the game to a stalemate with four minutes left. Home side prevailed again though with the Wrens winning the penalty competition 4-3.
SHIREBROOK TOWN and INGLES could only manage two goals between them with Jacob France giving Town a flying start with a goal in the first minute and the Leicestershire visitors levelling on 27 minutes through David Tuck. Shirebrook won this penalty shoot out 5-4.
In League matches HEANOR TOWN suffered mixed fortunes. On Tuesday evening they surrended a half time lead given to them by Joe Nice to three DUNKIRK goals in eight minutes from Callum Robinson, Sean Green and Lewis Wilcox. But the Lions bounced back to beat CLIFTON ALL WHITES on Saturday by the odd goal of three. Two excellently worked goals from Nathan Benger and Lewis Weaver did the trick for them whilst the missing of three of the easiest chances prevented Clifton from going second in the table. Alex Haughton got their leveller.
BELPER UNITED enjoyed their midweek trip to CLIPSTONE coming back with all three points thanks to Oliver Simpson’s 70th minute goal, and EASTWOOD COMMUNITY completed the midweek games with a 3-0 win over BORROWASH VICTORIA thanks to first half goals from Jermain Hollis and Sam Moore and a third right at the death from Blair Anderson.
The biggest crowd of the week, 209, saw HUCKNALL TOWN beat improving TEVERSAL 3-0. Two goals in the space of three minutes just before half time broke the visitors defensive formation. First Matt Brian fired home and Rory Smith grabbed their second. Joe Ashurst got a late third to seal a good afternoon’s work.
Sunday’s game at the Raygar Stadium saw two goals from Richard Hanslow give BELPER UNITED a 2-1 win after Isaac Stones had put KIMBERLEY MINERS WELFARE in front just seconds after the start of the second half. This was United’s fifth consecutive win in all competitions and by reaching the First Round Proper of the FA Vase it equals their best ever run in the competition. They will be hoping for a favourable draw but the way they are playing will probably fear nobody.