South Normanton Athletic 6 FC 05 Bilsthorpe 1
Abacus Lighting Central Midlands League Black Dragon Premier Division
At: Exchem Arena, Lees Lane
Kick-off: 8-00 pm
Admission: hop ticket or £3; Programme: £1 (12 pages)
Weather: cloudy, dry, cold, no wind!
Attendance: 223
Duration: first-half: 46:03; second-half: 45:37
After dropping Mike off at Chesterfield Station, I didn’t make up my mind to watch the fourth and last game until reaching M1 junction 28, a few miles from the Exchem Arena. In the end it was a pleasure to complete a rare ‘four games in a day’ with a revisit to a ground previously visited back on Easter Monday 1995. Bottom club FC05 played a lot better than a side that had won just five points all season and South Normanton, the leaders and probable Champions, led at the interval by just a solitary goal. The floodgates, however, opened during the second half with Adam Nicholls bagging a hat-trick. Ex-Stafford striker Andy White featured for the home side but didn’t get on the scoresheet. Before heading home, it was nice to have a chat with Hazel and Rob after the game and let us hope there will be another Bonanza to look forward to in 2012.South Normanton Athletic (blue and black stripes / white / black): 1. James Baker, 2. Rich Blakemore, 3. Adam Taylor, 4. Ash Downer, 5. Dan Henshaw, 6. Dan Riley, 7. Tom Yates, 8. Jay Beecher, 9. Andy Nicholls (capt), 10. Andy White, 11. Ben Summers. Subs: 12. Dan Storer (White, 64), 14. Dean Owen (for Blakemore, 67).
FC05 Bilsthorpe (red and black stripes / black / red): 1. Dan Wilner, 2. Ken Corbett, 3. Andy Slater, 4. Rich Philpott, 5. Luke Brown, 6. Mick Knight (capt), 7. Gary Whitten, 8. Tom Bray, 33. Wes O’Rourke, 10. Sam Bailey, 11. Chris Groom. Subs: 12. Rob Bowler (for Corbett, ht), 14. Dan Morley (for Groom, 87), 15. Craig Speed (for Bray, 87).
Referee: Scott Mason.
Assistants: Adrian Crestwick and Adam Else.
Goals:
1-0 Dan Riley (37)
2-0 Ash Downer (65)
2-1 Mick Knight (71)
3-1 Andy Nicholls (73)
4-1 Dan Storer (75)
5-1 Andy Nicholls (86)
6-1 Andy Nicholls (88)
Cards:
South Normanton: none
FC05: none
