FLASHBACK: 2010 PRE-SEASON GAME BETWEEN BLIDWORTH MWFC & RAINWORTH MWFC...

Intrepid Gardener Finds His Balls

(An Evening In Blidworth…)

Near a road of recently built houses, dedicated to ‘Will Scarlet’, a modern memorial had been erected, to remember Blidworth’s fallen soldiers from two World Wars. Many memorials are ignored these days but this community had made a positive effort to celebrate their soldiers’ efforts anew.

Memorial...

The soccer ground adjoined the local cricket field, boasting a modern clubhouse and the two contesting teams for this pre-season friendly game, Blidworth and Rainworth, were warming up on the outfield. Some players were having leg stretches and massages inside the boundary ropes, only just within the boundaries of decency… The use of a table instead of a turnstile always makes me feel nostalgic and comfortable, for some turnstiles, cast aside by teams like Chesterfield or Notts Country and enjoying new lives at non-league grounds, could possibly be lethal restraints. The fear of being trapped inside a squeaky metal turnstile contraption has touched the odd unpleasant dream I’ve had in recent months. Sad really… 

The way in...

Totally grassed up...

And O.K., I admit it: I bought a badge. Never again, I promise. This was a one-off. Maybe… The chap taking my £3 was pleasant enough and had sold a few badges to mums and sons as I waited to enter the ground, making a refusal from me rather unwise. The water urn in the refreshments room was still edging towards the boil and so I walked the perimeter of the playing area. That’s when I saw him: the hacking gardener. The arena was pleasant however, I liked it there, accessed from the higher ground of the cricket space but I wondered about drainage from the upper level in bad conditions. I spotted a garden fork, another photo opportunity for my collection of non-league ground random objects. And there was a pitch-roller too, hiding within a tuft of grass. There should have been a book, ‘I-Spy Jumble In Non-League Grounds’ printed, a perfect investigation tool for bored children. And adults, actually…

Abandoned shovel...

A roll in the grass...

The thrashing gardener was working in the depths of foliage behind the dugouts and the perimeter fencing, in a gap between the tall evergreens. I said nothing but simply lowered my head and walked on. Later, he told me that he had hurt his hands making a passage through the undergrowth so that retrievers could fetch errant balls, hoofed high out of play and to be honest, as a result of some of Rainworth’s early distribution, the work turned out to be most advantageous. There was a small stand opposite the dugouts but some of the benches had apparently been gouged in places by spectators with sharp buttocks. There was a smart stand too, behind a goal-frame, near to the tea-hut, whence I hurried to collect my ‘strong tea’. 

Butt damage...

Net view...

Supporting the Greens...

The tea was actually the same colour as my beige sofa at home but I drank heartily anyway, standing on a grassy slope, as children ran up it and rolled down it and small balls were kicked up it and then rolled back down it again. I felt like a gate being by-passed during a downhill ski-slalom. Gordon arrived from Rainworth, we ate Fruit Pastilles and I chatted to him for much of the game, then the sun slipped into pallid cloud and a weak sunset, for some reason reminding me of dreadfully cold nights at Shirebrook and Rainworth last season…   

Pleasant...

Fading sun...

Blidworth entertained, Rainworth frustrated but Sweeney netted a superb goal for the visitors and late parity was ensured. The hosts squandered a late penalty opportunity when Carty’s lusty wallop cleared the crossbar, the perimeter fencing and the tall, green evergreens, no doubt to nestle upon the public footpath beyond. 

Penalty about to be squandered...

At least there was a clearing through the woods, through which to retrieve the ball…

Sweeney Rescues Wrens On His Tod

Pre-Season Friendly. Att: under 100? 

Blidworth 1 Rainworth 1

Blidworth worked hard at passing the ball on a slightly uneven but grassy surface. They deserved their first-half lead, might have increased it and even after a fine chipped equaliser by Sweeney for Rainworth, the hosts contrived to miss a game winning penalty, as the match ebbed away. Rainworth’s back three struggled to contain Blidworth’s width during the first period and Haslam’s running threatened the exposed wing-back Hewitt on a few occasions, although the Blidworth winger’s final delivery was too often awry. One long break by the slim Haslam fizzled out disappointingly but with Rick running the offensive slots intelligently and Bramwell often a handful aerially, Rainworth were limited to long balls and inaccuracy, the strikers feeding on poor scraps.

Sweeney was steady throughout for the Wrens but rarely outstanding, until he worked an opening in the 75^th minute with help on the right and looked up to curl a fine left-footer over the stretching replacement goalie Frost and deep into the far corner of the net. He left the field then, so not a bad last touch. Inaccuracy, bar one pass to striker Hewitt by Sweeney, which the diminutive forward lifted horribly too high from 18 yards, plagued Rainworth’s first-half with too many over-hit balls and this feeling of dissatisfaction was increased because Blidworth were attempting to pass the ball and move, with Fletcher and Issott prominent. Bowler was strong in defence but was hurt when stretching to intercept a rare decent pass by the visitors, unsurprisingly from Sweeney again. Issott had somehow managed to head away from goal, following neat play and a good centre from Rick on the right but when Wright’s smart pass found him on the right side of the penalty-box, Issott’s powerful drive took a touch off ‘keeper Hales, before hitting the netting and opening the scoring.

A second goal would have been deserved but Issott’s run into the penalty-area, left-side then Fletcher’s intervention and shot forced Hales into a strong block before Bramwell’s instinctive rebound effort was hacked off the goal-line by marauding defender Draper. The response was a high cross by Lynam for his tiny strike-partner, which he managed to head, oddly… The effort was off-target but after Haslam dispossessed Lynam, Issott fed Rick, right side of the 18 yard box although this time Hales’ touch was more effective and the rising shot was turned over the goal-frame. Jackson was still stretched on his defensive flank and a low centre from the elusive Issott was claimed by Hales. Bowler made another telling block before the break but as usual, substitutions marred the flow of a second period.

Stanhope had enjoyed an easy half in the Blidworth goal but his replacement, Frost coolly held a drive from Lynam after the break then did well to dive and grab a low effort from the same man, moments later. The game became untidy, Rainworth began to look more assured, without threatening too much, until the goal offered the Wrens a lifeline. Wells, a replacement for the hosts, drove across the face of goal from 18 yards, under pressure, before a linesman flagged for a penalty to Blidworth, surprising everybody, which blank-shirted Carty elected to take. His shot ballooned into the next field however and it was a surprise that cricket members didn’t hold up boards reading ‘6’ to celebrate.

Bainbridge handled when he beat Frost to the ball late on and at the death, Dobbs, the replacement Rainworth goalie made a double save, first at the feet of Cree and then he scrambled a likely rebound towards the left but when a resulting short cross was aimed for a header at the far upright, Charlesworth’s nodded deflection took the ball wide. Rainworth had pulled a tie from a certain and deserved defeat, despite the response to their manager’s onfield half-time verbal thrashing. Blidworth were interesting to watch and Fletcher worked well throughout, with several players looking eager to pass the ball and be creative. Hollingsworth’s left foot and experience were invaluable, Bramwell and Rick caused Wilkinson and Draper some consternation but Blidworth mainly exploited the lack of defensive cover on the Rainworth flanks. Promise for the hosts, questions not answered for the visitors.