Venue: Greenwich Avenue, Basford, Nottinghamshire
Scorers:
Lee Hendrie (2), Ruben Wiggins-Thomas ( 42, 65, 79 pen)
Subs used:
Basford - Coxon for Hendrie L, Nightingale for Whitehurst Hamagou for Wiggins-Thomas
Causeway - Tye for Golding, Blake-Walker for Pearlman, Blackham for Beasley
The Midland Football League began their season a week earlier than most of the other leagues, and this season opener was a real treat - unless you follow Causeway, of course!
Apparently the teams have never previously met, and I think Causeway may be wishing it had stayed that way at the final whistle!
Great aerial shot of the ground
If you'd stayed in the bar, or were a minute late getting to pitch side, you would have missed the first goal. Straight from the kick off, Basford played the ball wide right. After four or five passes LEE HENDRIE raced into the box, played a neat one-two with Stuart Hendrie, and fired the return ball low and hard past Aaron Gayle in the Causeway goal.Goal timed 73 seconds.
1st goal captured by KG
Causeway's Ryan Hollacott received the games first yellow in just the fourth minute after making a rash challenge.
The visitors looked dangerous on occasion, and when Aaron Lloyd out stripped Jay Smedley for pace with 11 played, he seemed certain to at least test Ali Barcherini, but Dan Fletcher raced in from the left and made a superb saving challenge to thwart the big no. 9.
Causeway's first real shot on target came on 25, a low drive from Stef Ashman that Barcherini gathered comfortably enough.
Marc Goodfellow raced in from the right on 27 and unleashed a terrific near post drive that Gayle did well to block with his legs.
Goodfellow (out of shot)sees his shot blocked by Gayle
The move for the Basford goal was good, but after 33 minutes had been played, Causeway put together a stunning move of their own, playing 7 or 8 passes that culminated with Sam Beasley firing just wide of the far upright.
RUBEN WIGGINS-THOMAS will always score goals at this level, and on 42 he received the ball from Lee Hendrie some 6 yards from goal, and crashed a fierce drive through Gayle's outstretched arms. H-T 2-0
Ryan Whitehurst should have increased the home teams advantage just after the break, but fired way, way over from close range after Hendrie's header picked him out in front of goal.
On 49, Basford were awarded a free-kick some 25 yards from goal, and Aaron Webster struck the ball superbly only to see it cannon off the underside of the bar before being cleared. The ball was soon back in the visitors' half though, and this time Whitehurst was unlucky to see his goal-bound drive blocked on the line.
WIGGINS-THOMAS had a decent chance with 12 minutes of the second half played, turning well and firing goalwards, but Gayle was well positioned to save on this occasion. The Basford no. 9 wasn't to be denied a second goal 8 minutes later though. After timing his run to perfection to beat the offside trap, he raced into the box, rounded the keeper before rolling the ball into the empty net.
RWT nets again
Goodfellow had a neat flick well saved by Gayle on 67 as Basford kept the pressure on the travellers defence.
T.J. Nightingale replaced Whitehurst with 15 to play, and after Fabian Smith's cracking cross found the sub in the box, he was tripped by Richard Thomson-Robinson. Referee Trevor Sharratt didn't hesitate in awarding the penalty that WIGGINS-THOMAS fired home with some ease to complete his personal treble.
With the game into added time, Fabian Smith blotted the home teams disciplinary copy-book, earning himself a yellow card after a really poor tackle some 35 yards from goal. Why would you do that with your team leading 4-0 in stoppage time? You'll need to ask Fabian, because I don't know. F-T 4-0
Admission: £5
Attendance: 82
Programme: £1 ( team sheet, gratis)
MOM: Aaron Webster
Charity: £3.00
Aaron Webster
Great start to the new season - the weather was fine, the game excellent, the officials were superb! Oh, if it could only last !!!!
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