Venue: The Stag Ground, Kimberley, Nottinghamshire
Scorers:
Welfare - Jemaine Ward (82)
Lions - Paulo Piliero ( 36), Louis Radcliffe (69), Nathan Benger (72)
Sunset over Kimberley
Stood with ex-Linby MW goalkeeper Rhys Watkinson as the game started - Rhys is now Eastwood Community FC keeper, and says he is looking forward to playing at Coronation Park again.
Scott Ward, Ian Duffield, Ian and Tony Squires kept me company throughout the game - Kev is still trying to get to games, but family health concerns have meant that football is, quite rightly, having to take a back seat.
This was EMCL v NCEL Premier, but the home team gave as good as they got for the first 25 minutes or so - even then it was a defensive lapse that helped Heanor take the lead. A ball in from the right was missed by the home defence and was nodded on by Nathan Benger to Paulo Piliero - the diminutive winger stretched to reach the ball and looped a neat header over Kimberley keeper Danny Walsh. H-T 0-1
Kimberley held out until the 69th minute before conceding again. Louis Radcliffe is on trial at Heanor, and when Benger picked him out with a superb ball, the youngster confidently took the ball in his stride before slotting firmly past the keeper from 12 yards. On this showing the lad looks like he may have something of a future in the game.
Benger scored the third Lions goal on 72, collecting the ball in front of goal, turning on a sixpence and firing it into the roof of the net.
By now it was getting seriously dark, and there were some concerns expressed over the players' safety. There are floodlights at the Stag, but it seems no-one knew how to switch them on.
Kimberley did manage to get the ball past Ian Deakin just before the Referee called time with 5 still to play. Jermaine Ward tried his luck from 30 yards, and although the shot was hit firmly enough, Deaks obviously didn't see the ball as it went straight through his hands, through his legs and nestled in the back of the net. F-T 1-3
Admission: £2
Attendance: 108 Scott Ward h/c
Charity: £3
